I'm not ready to return to San Francisco. While the weather has turned chilly in Portland and is due to get downright cold on the East Coast, I feel like there's still so much to explore.
That, and the pandemic isn't making me want to return to the density of San Francisco. What I loved about SF was listening to live music, attending lectures and gallery openings, having drinks and dinner with friends and all of the other amazing cultural events the city had to offer. I miss my friends a lot, but I just can't imagine being cooped up indoors to avoid getting sick. It's clear after my travels that I need places to wander, fresh air to breathe and beautiful vistas to see. So for now, I'm going to keep traveling.
When I landed in Portland, felt like I had tons of time available to find my next stop. Every week I would check all of the short-term rental sites (AirBnB, Furnished Finder, Sabbatical Homes, Zillow, Hot Pads, etc.) for possibilities. I had hoped to stop in Providence next. But much like my plans for Asheville, it just never materialized. Place after place was either huge and made for a group of college students (and furnished sparsely for college students), in someone’s basement, a 45 minute drive outside of Providence, or ideal for someone that wasn’t trying to stick to a budget and wanted a luxurious experience.
When Thanksgiving hit and I STILL didn’t have a spot lined up, I committed to spending the weekend and lock down my next SEVERAL stops. I broadened my search, decided that I still wanted to explore the east coast and mapped out a plan. Here it is:
January: New Haven, Connecticut
February: Washington, DC
Early March: Annapolis
Late March - April: Charleston, SC (Artist in Residency @ Robert Lange Studio)
In 2021, I had found that I enjoyed staying in locations longer than my original 4-6 weeks. While I'm not a fan of packing and unpacking, I'm hopeful that all I've learned from 2021 will help me to drop in quickly to each community and get a taste of the area.