Fall is one of my top 4 seasons of the year. Leaves are changing, the air is crisp, and almost every day is hoodie weather. Fall is also the season we seem to come up with our most creative date ideas. Since the holidays are right around the corner, we’re facing busy schedules and extra expenses. It’s a crucial time to make sure those relationship bonds are strong.
Here are a few date ideas that cost less than a pair of movie tickets, but are far more memorable:
I hardly pouted at all when our search for vampires in Romanian cities came up empty. A skeptical observer might raise an eyebrow, but I assure you: foot stomping and annoying grunts is not pouting. It’s an incredibly effective way to shed the city grime. Besides, exploring Romania’s cities wasn’t a total loss. Timisoara and Cluj are beautiful places to visit. And after way too much immersion in Bucharest’s intoxicating night life, I learned that “clubbing” has the same impact on me as it does for baby seals.
The search wasn’t over yet. Once we left the big cities, I was sure we were going to get lucky.
I’ll admit it. I’ve been playing for the past several months. Hiking through Massachusetts and Vermont, climbing a few of the highest peaks in Colorado, plenty of city stops in between.
Now, it’s time to get back to work.
Monica is quick to remind me that the job I signed up for is “Househusband,” and while I’m absolutely THRILLED to get another crack at those dirty dishes, we both know the real reason we’re living abroad in Romania…
I’m going to find a vampire.
WordPress Discover featured a recent post about Life Lessons I learned while hiking the Appalachian Trail. The dizzying trill of overlapping notifications gave me a brief glimpse of what life must be like for superstars of the blogging world. A few (OK… hundreds) clicked the follow button. But what interested me most were the new comments. I’ve learned that comments are gifts, and these gifts form the foundation for building my blog community.
I scanned through comments waiting to be approved. Blogging friends congratulating me on my newfound fame triggered involuntary smiles. If you’re willing to let me call it a mild lacrimal event (or allergies), then I’m not ashamed to admit that one beautiful blogger even forced out a few tears. And new visitors expressed stunned disbelief that anyone would just give away this much awesomeness for free. It was Christmas in July!
But a surprising number of comments were simple commands: “visit my blog,” or “follow me back” and “check out my post at www.randomwords.com/plagerized-content-that-still-isnt-very-interesting”
Kinda feels like getting used socks from one hand while the other is held out waiting for me to deposit a family heirloom. I’m not an expert, but I’m pretty sure this isn’t how holidays work (unless you consider Tax Day a holiday, then it’s exactly the same).
I’m not completely ungrateful though. After all, my spam monster has a voracious appetite.
I’m also not a blogging expert. I have only been blogging in earnest for about 6 months (prior to this, blogging was a means of keeping friends and family in the loop while I hiked the Appalachian Trail). If I’ve learned anything during these 6 months, it’s this: The comment section is where the magic happens.
For 166 days, I traded the weight of titles and labels for an increasingly smelly backpack. No longer Dr. Burkhardt, or Major Burkhardt, or a guy with crippling depression; instead, I became an Appalachian Trail hiker called “Sketch.” Most were good days. Some brought me to my knees. However, October 2, at the summit of Mount Katahdin, was a GREAT day!
All things being equal, more than 80% fail to complete the 2,189.2-mile journey from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. Continue Reading…
Made with in the Cave
