We are nearly one month into our new life here in South Portland and so far, I am even more impressed than I thought I would be. Each day unfolds a new hiking trail, fresh and dangerously close fried calamari, and more incredibly kind friends than we could ever have hoped to meet. The dogs seem to be in heaven here as well. With our daily trips to the local bakery, we bring them home yummy, fresh-baked treats. The city is so dog friendly that we take them everywhere and generally end up stopping at some park or trail along the way for some puppy playtime. I could write pages and pages about the experiences of each day, but then no one would feel the need to come visit, and what fun would that be?
Today’s journey took us to Cape Elizabeth, a beautifully kept, and rather wealthy community just 10 minutes south of us. When my husband and I had come to find an apartment in March, we blundered into this remarkable town. Between the gently rolling hills, luscious greenery, paved walking paths, stunning seascapes, and fern-covered forests, we knew we would be visiting here often, especially with the dogs. When we arrived at the trailhead, we were pleased to find another off-leash trail for our pups. We began our 3 mile journey navigating through the most diverse greenspace I’ve ever seen. The Robinson Woods Trail housed giant evergreens, beautiful birch trees, and ferns nearly as tall as myself. The dogs had a hay day hurdling tree roots and wading through pine needles. This walk left nothing to be desired for as our trail ended, we crossed the street and continued down a short path which opened up to the ever famous, rock-lined, Atlantic Ocean. Since the tide was out, the rugged coast created a perfect wading pool for us to enjoy without the mess. We waded through the salt water searching for crabs and other tiny wildlife. The dogs played and even met a few new friends. All this in shorts and a Tshirt, under a sky of clouds, and without the expense of sweating like a pig! To top it all off, on the way home we stopped at a local deli for a slice of New York style pizza.
Even now as I write this, I can’t help but think of how incredibly content I feel in this very moment. Joplin is and will always be my home, but the day-to-day adventures of this place leave me giddy to wake up each morning and explore. I can’t remember feeling this light and carefree and I can honestly say this is one of the best things I have ever done for myself. In my daddy’s words, I’m “taking care of my swamp.” I know how happy he is to be watching us on our new adventure. So…until tomorrows adventure…
According to Holly 