Do you care about cairns? I do. Learn why in my upcoming newsletter about rocks. What are cairns, anyway? How did they come about, and why do they sometimes look like Sesame Street or Star Wars characters? And, I saw these characters with my guide in Peneda-Gerês National Park in Portugal this month.
Sharing more about this experience (plus some fall reading recommendations) in my latest Substack newsletter, out now: robynmetcalfe.substack.com/subscribe
Have you lost something and found yourself?
Among the many things that I lost during my seven decades of living, so far, is a guitar.
And an island.
I reveal my experiences losing these things and navigating life afterwards in my latest Substack newsletter, out now: robynmetcalfe.substack.com/subscribe
This essay really dives into the hidden meaning of lost objects and the art of “noticing.”
I started a not-so-secret society. Wanna join?
My film-making partner and I learned about a group of 18th century scientists who would travel by the light of the full moon near Birmingham, England to discuss their inventions, questions, and curiosities. They called their group The Lunar Society.
This inspired us to gather our own group of “lunatiks” for a modern day Lunar Society here in Maine.
I am sharing more about the origins of this unique club – and the fascinating findings from our first meeting this month – in the latest issue of my Substack newsletter, out now: robynmetcalfe.substack.com/subscribe
The sharp crack of a trio of muskets pierced the air one fine July morning in Thomaston, Maine. I watched a small group of Revolutionary War reenactors as they approached, packing gunpowder into the muzzles, signaling that something of consequence was about to occur.
Thomaston is one of many small towns in Maine with 2,700 residents. During the summer, the town swells with summer visitors and their appetite for blueberries…and its traditional Fourth of July parade.
Read this and the bonus essay, Georgia On My Mind, in the latest issue of my Substack newsletter, out today: robynmetcalfe.substack.com/subscribe
I began to appreciate the process of making friends as a long-term endeavor that couldn’t be short-circuited. You can’t “speed-date” a new friend.
Friendships I had developed over the past came from shared stories and experiences, from being vulnerable together to being curious about each other’s points of view and their own stories, hopes, and aspirations.
All of that takes time.
You can see how much time it takes to keep friends close over time in my latest Substack issue, out now robynmetcalfe.substack.com/subscribe.
Last month, I paid someone to drop my daughter and me in the middle of the mountains for eight days with no phone or map.
It was an exhilarating international adventure where we wouldn’t even know where in the world – or which mountains we’d be dropped in – until we looked at our boarding passes at the airport.
Since you’re reading this, you’ll know *spoiler alert* that we survived 😉 and the adventure was made even far more interesting with our mountain guide, who prepped us for this wild experience.
Why would we pay for an experience that many people would describe as a nightmare? What did we learn? Was it easy to make it out?
I’m revealing it all inside a bonus essay in the latest issue of my Substack newsletter, out now: robynmetcalfe.substack.com/subscribe
In addition to the survival adventure piece, you’ll also find stories on deepening friendships over decades and some street photography.