My story begins 4.6 miles down the ridge from where Clive and I live.
Growing up, my parents provided the foundation for the values that drive my life now: farming, being outside, reading, going to church and CCD, visiting family, Sunday walks. It all shaped me, and I have never been more grateful for their parenting than I am today because I have never been happier or more solid in my life than I am living at 3339 Route 130, or as we call it, Moonlight Homestead.
As a young adult, I was a student at WCCC, a scorekeeper for multiple baseball teams, and a waitress at various local establishments. My first job was as a banquet server at Mt. View Inn, which no longer exists as it was then. Ultimately, the job that served as a catalyst for major change: I was a counselor for Adelphoi Village for a year before moving to central Kentucky to attend Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) in 2007.
The Bluegrass quickly stole my heart with its famous Moonbow, bluegrass music, and hospitality. It was the perfect place to spread my wings and grow into the first part of my adulthood. While there, I studied American Literature, Secondary Education, and discovered the incredible Red River Gorge. I eventually became a part-time instructor at EKU and then later a high school English teacher. One summer, I volunteered on a farm outside of town.
My familial roots remained strong. When I moved into a duplex right off campus, my landlord gave me permission to have a garden and build a chicken coop – perhaps the first one in town! No matter where I was, I was always trying to create the freedom, magic, and sacredness that comes with living in tune with Mother Earth. It wasn’t easy living away from family, but I had created a chosen family, many who are still active in my life.
And then, in 2014 the Universe seemed to whisper to me, “Go to Scotland.” I couldn’t get it out of my head. (I used to blame it on my mom, who showed me Brigadoon when I was young, but in truth, that was only to instigate her. Sorry, Mom.) I was in the middle of teaching 12th-grade English when I realized if I ever wanted to travel, that was the time to do it. So, after months of researching how to live in Scotland, I felt pretty defeated; the visa process does not make it easy to live there. Then, one fateful snow day, I was watching the movie Babe, thinking my dream might not be meant to be. Halfway through the movie, the Universe whispered again through the movie’s narrator: “But Farmer Hoggett knew that little ideas that tickled and nagged and refuse to go away should never be ignored. For in them, lie the seeds of destiny.” In that moment, I knew how to get to Scotland. I’d go and volunteer on farms.
Through some on-line communities, I found a place to stay. I sold most of my possessions, left some others and my car with my parents, and bought a one-way ticket to Scotland, determined to find a way to stay while I was there. By 2015, my feet were on Scottish soil, and my heart and mind never truly believed that was my life. I met so many wonderful people, some who have become chosen family to this day, and climbed some amazing mountains. I swam in the seas. Enjoyed some pubs. My time there, 5-days short of 6 months, remains one of the most incredible, freeing, sacred periods of my life.
Not a spoiler, I didn’t find a way to become a citizen. Instead, I learned about what it means to really know what I want and to go after it. To live any other way would not be truly living.
The next three years were riddled with uncertainty. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t find Scotland in the USA. But I got to live with my sister and brother-in-law twice, both times after my niece and nephew were born. Those chapters were priceless, and I wouldn’t change how all of that worked out for us. Getting to live with them was a gift. I went back to Kentucky a few times, but I had no idea what I was going to do with my life. I was drifting. Waiting. Teaching online to keep myself afloat. I taught in Thailand for a few months, was a long-term Chemistry sub for the school where I previously taught English. (And yes, I taught myself chemistry so I could teach them chemistry. Not an easy task for this literature major.)
In 2017, my dad and I attended a Spring Equinox gathering in Kentucky. I met Clive briefly, but then was off to Europe to first take my grandfather to Italy. That trip, I also visited Amsterdam and friends in France, Germany, Spain, London, and of course, Scotland. Still moving. Still seeking. Absolutely loving the life of travel but craving the sturdiness of roots, a little farm, and a chicken coop.
Clive and I reconnected when I returned from my travels, and after two and a half years living life together in Kentucky, we decided to get married and create our home in PA, close to my family. This time, the Universe whispered to Clive while on a June visit to Pennsylvania, and he took a drive up Possum Hollow Road where he found the A-Frame for sale. By October 2020, we had our current address. By March 2021, Clive had begun to see clients, and my on-line teaching contract was coming to an end. I had so many pieces of my dream falling into place, except I had no idea what to do for work. All I knew was it had to be something I enjoyed and felt connected to.
Enter the Universe, again, whispering “massage”. After a day or two of consideration, it felt that right, I signed up with the Pittsburgh School of Massage Therapy to begin the program in January of 2022. That December, I graduated. All the while, we were building my treatment room and raising pigs, chickens, and gardens. The result of that challenging year has been more than rewarding, and I am grateful to get to share it with clients, family, and friends.
On one hand, my life has come full circle, on the other, it’s only beginning. Practicing massage has been a gift for me like none other; it allows me to connect with others in a quiet space, and it requires me to be fully present in the moment. It’s such a privilege to work with people in this way, and I continue to learn with every session.
We’re still building, creating our very own Hobbit Shire, but at a slower pace: we’ve taken time to watch Ted Lasso, hang out with our pup, Charlie, and enjoy good coffee. To get to build this life with Clive is an incredible bonus, one I could have never dreamed or written myself, or made happen without him. I may have big visions, but my skill set doesn’t include measuring or leveling when it comes to building things, unless we’re talking measuring flour for bread or cookies. “Team work makes the dream work”, as they say, and I sure am grateful to be on this team.
