Destination Unknown

After spending most of the summer on the East Coast, I began my yearly trek west for the winter. October brought me to the Midwest and my elusive 48th state. I finally ticked Indiana off the list. I’m not sure how I missed Indiana for so long—I’ve driven across the country seven times and somehow managed to go around it every time. One of the more unique places I visited in October was Casey, Illinois, home of the World’s Largest Everything. I originally saw on Google that they had the world’s largest golf tee, so I decided to check it out. When I arrived in town, I noticed a directional sign pointing to all the other “World’s Largest” attractions. I really enjoyed my time walking around town and talking with the locals. It’s a pretty quirky little place. I spent a few days with friends at a nomad gathering called Nomad Nexus at the fairgrounds in Oakwood, Illinois. It was a weeklong event, but I stayed for just a couple of nights and had a great time ...

Serendipity is the act of finding valuable or pleasant things by chance, especially when you are not specifically looking for them. It's a form of good fortune or "happy accident," where a happy discovery occurs unintentionally.    My life as a nomad has been full of serendipitous moments, too many to count or remember, but a few of these moments really stand out.  Coffee and Dog Watching Early one morning in Galveston TX, I decided to find a coffee shop and have a coffee and a bite to eat. I found a nice place that had outside seating. I was sitting there enjoying my morning coffee as two women approached the coffee shop with their cute black lab mix named Abby. They didn’t allow dogs inside so they were going to take turns going in to order.  I noticed their little dilemma and asked them if they wanted me to watch their dog so they could go in together. They said thank you and handed me the leash and went into the shop to make their orders. This sweet little puppy ...