I loved Tom Lake - such a feel good read for me. I'm going to add State of Wonder and Black Cake to my reading list now, thanks for the recs. I didn't know Feist was in town, I would have gone! Hopefully you can take some rest this weekend. Customer service + marathon training + two circus classes sounds like NO joke! Happy Friday, xx
Tom Lake was so good. Happy Friday to you as well! Rest will definitely happen and State of Wonder involves some travel so I think that is why it is my favorite of Patchett's. :)
This issue gave me a lot to think about, Sonya, and I'm looking forward to your essay at the end of the month. I also wondered if you've watched the High On The Hog series? I found these really moving and holistically impactful, particularly in relation to the opening episode in Benin. In the same vein, you might enjoy the book Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. It's an extraordinary, wrenching read.
Have a nice week and hoping you're able to start have some proper rest -- disrupted, poor quality sleep is so exhausting!
Hello Aoife, I am late to getting to reading other newsletters and comments this week. I always appreciate your recommendations and will check out High on the Hog becuase I love documentaries.
I'm also excited to hop over and read your Ode to Wool. I am a knitter and its my favorite yarn (medium? fabric? product?) to work with.
Hi Sonya, you're not late at all! I'm thrilled to read your writing and I really enjoyed how you've approached Black History Month. High on the Hog is on Netflix and it's really powerful viewing. I hope it's meaningful for you.
And thank you so much again for your lovely comments and conversation on my Ode To Wool. Hooray for fellow wool devotees!
The links to tourism sites such as i-like local is excellent. As a travel advisor, I am careful to work with travel partners that give back to the local communities in meaningful ways. Once such company engages the local community with education: why protection of the wildlife, restoring natural habitat, and refraining from poaching benefits them. They send people to school to study guiding, animal medicine, national park services. Others choose cooking school and hospitality, hotel management. The company also actively works on clean water projects. Most of the companies I work with for African nations, for Southeast Asia, any nation that has indigenous communities that are underserved, those companies have active programs that do more than just making donations; they provide and encourage education; they provide small grants for business development. It's immensely gratifying when my clients wind up as active and long term participants from these experiences.
Hi Judith, I am so glad to hear that you like the links. I also like to know that the money I spend as a tourist is going to local businesses and staying in the community. What is the name of this organization/company that you're speaking of?
Wilderness in East Africa - they own lodges in East Africa. I'm specifically referring to their lodge in Rwanda, in Volcanos National Park, and gorilla trekking. Their lodge, Bisate, is small. They have done incredible work restoring habitat and because of that, the gorilla population is growing. Still more work to do. Their entire staff is from the local community. It isn't just Wilderness, though. All the companies I work with throughout Africa engage the local communities. Many of the guides I've had in Tanzania come from families where their fathers were guides, and well trained - the classes they take are astonishingly difficult and science based. A company I work with in Canada, Entree Canada, has an entire program built around indigenous experiences. My clients tend to be affluent, highly educated, but when they are able to participate in these kinds of experiences, they are changed. Abercrombie & Kent, a luxury travel company, has a huge philanthropic division. Experiential, sustainable travel is a huge and growing segment of travel - how many times can a person go to Europe to see museums and cathedrals, church and castle ruins? Many of my well-traveled clients are seeking something deeper. But it's the younger clients who expect it.
As always, I so appreciate your perspective on how I can be a more conscientious traveler. After reading through the links, I found something we can do next time we go to Detroit (my husband is from there and his family still lives there).
I have an admission: I’ve never read Ann Patchett. Any recommendations on where I should start?
Hi Kaitlyn! I am so glad you appreciate the perspective and the recommendations for next time you're in Detroit. I have never been so I should put that on my radar, there are so many places I have not been in Michigan including northern and the UP and want to go. I would suggest starting with Tom Lake or State of Wonder, which I did mention above involves travel. It made me want to go on an Amazon river cruise.
I loved Tom Lake - such a feel good read for me. I'm going to add State of Wonder and Black Cake to my reading list now, thanks for the recs. I didn't know Feist was in town, I would have gone! Hopefully you can take some rest this weekend. Customer service + marathon training + two circus classes sounds like NO joke! Happy Friday, xx
Tom Lake was so good. Happy Friday to you as well! Rest will definitely happen and State of Wonder involves some travel so I think that is why it is my favorite of Patchett's. :)
This issue gave me a lot to think about, Sonya, and I'm looking forward to your essay at the end of the month. I also wondered if you've watched the High On The Hog series? I found these really moving and holistically impactful, particularly in relation to the opening episode in Benin. In the same vein, you might enjoy the book Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. It's an extraordinary, wrenching read.
Have a nice week and hoping you're able to start have some proper rest -- disrupted, poor quality sleep is so exhausting!
Hello Aoife, I am late to getting to reading other newsletters and comments this week. I always appreciate your recommendations and will check out High on the Hog becuase I love documentaries.
I'm also excited to hop over and read your Ode to Wool. I am a knitter and its my favorite yarn (medium? fabric? product?) to work with.
Hi Sonya, you're not late at all! I'm thrilled to read your writing and I really enjoyed how you've approached Black History Month. High on the Hog is on Netflix and it's really powerful viewing. I hope it's meaningful for you.
And thank you so much again for your lovely comments and conversation on my Ode To Wool. Hooray for fellow wool devotees!
The links to tourism sites such as i-like local is excellent. As a travel advisor, I am careful to work with travel partners that give back to the local communities in meaningful ways. Once such company engages the local community with education: why protection of the wildlife, restoring natural habitat, and refraining from poaching benefits them. They send people to school to study guiding, animal medicine, national park services. Others choose cooking school and hospitality, hotel management. The company also actively works on clean water projects. Most of the companies I work with for African nations, for Southeast Asia, any nation that has indigenous communities that are underserved, those companies have active programs that do more than just making donations; they provide and encourage education; they provide small grants for business development. It's immensely gratifying when my clients wind up as active and long term participants from these experiences.
Hi Judith, I am so glad to hear that you like the links. I also like to know that the money I spend as a tourist is going to local businesses and staying in the community. What is the name of this organization/company that you're speaking of?
Wilderness in East Africa - they own lodges in East Africa. I'm specifically referring to their lodge in Rwanda, in Volcanos National Park, and gorilla trekking. Their lodge, Bisate, is small. They have done incredible work restoring habitat and because of that, the gorilla population is growing. Still more work to do. Their entire staff is from the local community. It isn't just Wilderness, though. All the companies I work with throughout Africa engage the local communities. Many of the guides I've had in Tanzania come from families where their fathers were guides, and well trained - the classes they take are astonishingly difficult and science based. A company I work with in Canada, Entree Canada, has an entire program built around indigenous experiences. My clients tend to be affluent, highly educated, but when they are able to participate in these kinds of experiences, they are changed. Abercrombie & Kent, a luxury travel company, has a huge philanthropic division. Experiential, sustainable travel is a huge and growing segment of travel - how many times can a person go to Europe to see museums and cathedrals, church and castle ruins? Many of my well-traveled clients are seeking something deeper. But it's the younger clients who expect it.
As always, I so appreciate your perspective on how I can be a more conscientious traveler. After reading through the links, I found something we can do next time we go to Detroit (my husband is from there and his family still lives there).
I have an admission: I’ve never read Ann Patchett. Any recommendations on where I should start?
Hi Kaitlyn! I am so glad you appreciate the perspective and the recommendations for next time you're in Detroit. I have never been so I should put that on my radar, there are so many places I have not been in Michigan including northern and the UP and want to go. I would suggest starting with Tom Lake or State of Wonder, which I did mention above involves travel. It made me want to go on an Amazon river cruise.