Last Minute Packing

Dear Diary,

I could travel a whole lot lighter if I didn't carry all my books and journals and other non-wearable but essential, at least for me, items.  I will begin my week long get away in my heart's center, Concord, Massachusetts; home of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Thoreau, Louisa May Alcott and Nathaniel Hawthorn.  It is a place I have been drawn to for decades and it always feels like going home.

I have 4 days at the Abbey of St. Benedict in Still Water, Massachusetts.  It will be a time of quiet reflection that I am really looking forward to.  I will journey about for a time during the day but most of the time it will be a true retreat.

Then on to Mystic, Connecticut.  I discovered an ancestor that was integral in the establishment of the town in the mid-1600's and his grandson's house, built on the site of his home in the early 1700's, is now a museum.  I may find out more about him there.  I am also looking forward to visiting Old Mystic Seaport since so many in my ancestry have ties to the sea.

Finally, a much anticipated Blipmeet and a weekend at their fabulous Connecticut home before heading back to Maine.  So much to experience in so short a time!