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whimsically-ominously-auspice · 5 years ago

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You have to watch the video in the end.

Look everyone's story is different. And I understand his.

But I want to explain something. Carpenters and Construction workers rule the world.

They're as important as a McDonald's Happy Meal.

I want to explain something else. Sometimes people don't dream of going to Harvard, they're forced to. Sometimes people at Harvard -- I got into Harvard and I got into Yale Law. I chose not to go to either. -- sometimes people at Harvard just want to work with their hands.

I got Into Harvard. And I got into Yale Law.

I went to the University of New Mexico after a dabble at Oklahoma State, TVI - now CNM.

After a long time.. High school, being accepted into Ivey League schools, marriage, divorce, a 7 year old, 6 colleges/universities, trying to decide on something other than a Speech Pathologist because i believe you can learn a child's dialect and they don't speak wrong but different -- I gave myself a stern taking to.

I wanted to be an Architect.

To be an Architect my most important people are Carpenters, Construction workers, electricians, plumbers. And more.

I would need carpenters for sure because I love Gothic, Roman, Greek, Colonial style homes/buildings.

Well I never made it as an Architect my local universities didn't offer it at a bachelor's level and I failed out via running out of money for Speech Pathology.

And it was fucking hard.

But I want to tell you something. Look at his post here you'll see him on scaffolding. In NYC there's scaffolding every where. One of my favorite things on a hot day was sit under there and listen to them work.

We did so much underground work, freeing slaves.

One day I just couldn't handle it anymore. And I sat under scaffolding and I leaned my back against the wall and I pulled my knees up to my face and began to very loudly cry. It was one of the loudest places in the city. I thought no one could hear me.

Then I felt someone touch me. And ask if I was Ok. I wondered how long I had been crying because it was silent and I thought all the workers went home.

So I wiped my face in my shirt and I nodded "mmm I'm ok. Sorry. It was just so loud I thought no one could hear"

"Well we all did"

And I looked up and half the construction crew was standing looking worried.

And it made me bust into tears again. And they asked if i had been beaten or raped or needed the police or any random thing.

And i said "no. I'm just a recent widow and my child died right after child birth and i return kidnapped victims and my job is just hard let me put it that way"

So he gave me a bottle of water and asked if i needed money and told me safe places to go where nice people worked that were nice to the homeless.

So one day the noise of the hammers... The rhythm... I just decided. Not going to work was better for me. I was just gonna do something nice for nice people ... May be for a day or two..

So i would go to Macy's and buy shirts and boots and extra personal supplies for the construction workers, the people they told me about that were kind to the homeless and giving.

After a week the CIA asked what i was doing and when i would return to work. I said they could do it and i didn't want to.

They told me i wasn't acting healthy. I needed yo be underground feeling desperate and worried that i couldn't get people home to their families when my family was killed in front of me.

I couldn't. "Well quit buying stuff"

"Fine I'll buy less"

"Quit going to Macy's. What's wrong with the Bodega?"

"Oh sure where i shopped with my dead husband? No people need quality and quality is what they deserve! They work and they can afford their own clothes but they don't because it's too expensive for rent!! They can't afford clothes that don't rip or get holes in them every two weeks!!" I was yelling but i was mad. I wasn't letting people suffer and i wasn't letting myself suffer. No one had the right to tell me i was wrong. "Lower their rent so they have more than a few hundred bucks!! Look at them# bologna sandwiches that was all! They had no money to even eat! What am i doing wrong?! Good quality! Leave me be!!"

We always had long talks about quality. Because sometimes we found good at Bargain Basement and sometimes we didn't. So i knew Blue would approve.

"Yeah well you'll get fired"

"You wanna fire me?! Go ahead! And then when i want to go back to work you're not going to stop me! You'll thank me! So shove it!"

"You're causing a scene"

"No you are!!"

"You sit here for hours under the scaffolding that could fall on you and kill yoh while playing solitare in cards by yourself! You're not even Tarot. You could be making money on the street helping us but you aren't"

"That lady is a bitch. That lady ain't. That lady is sweet as the devil and that man is married to a cunt!!!! There are you happy now? Leave me be?" I was already exhausted and all the construction workers were down waiting for an explanation and to protect me.

They weren't very happy to find out I worked for the CIA. I guess they felt betrayed. I said "i help victims that get trapped under ground"

And so they thought like They fell into a pit of mud or something and needed help. Which is understandable.

I couldn't explain how i could feel abandoning those girls was my right. How i needed to. How helping them was destroying me. It was not explainable.

I didn't want to be encouraged to go back. I didn't want to be told i was wrong because it hurt my heart. I So damaged.

And I didn't want to volcano in anger. Not at anyone that didn't deserve it.

So I explained then... "*if someone is kidnapped and stuck or put under ground for human trafficking then they can't get out -- not on their own. They need me or the CIA and the CIA can cover for me while I am recovering to a better emotional state"

And one said "but you'll be fired"

"Well i run the CIA so i doubt that and i do check in with them every day down the street at least twice. That is why i was later today there was an issue with ome of the clubs and i had to sort it out. I just can't see the girls and work Like i used to. Promise to take them home. Make sure they see their families when my own was murdered in front of my face. Its just not something i can do"

They asked me for $500 and went to Macy's and in my place where i always sat and did solitare was a white paper Macy's bag. And it said "for the CIA GIRL named Sabrina"

And inside was a leopard fur coat. Of which they had got $250 from the CIA guy attempting to chew out my ass. And luckily it had been marked down. $657.32.

"Don't worry it was half off. And we split the leftover remaining for food. I hope you don't mind" i heard behind me.

I was crying so much I had snot bubbles.

So carpenters... They're like Gods. I've always looked up yo construction workers since that day.

Janitors at the elementary schools i attended they were always my heroes. If i didn't clean. I got beat. I tried to clean the whole cafeteria. Until I was told not to. I didn't have to. And ever since then it's been hard to just let them do their jobs and not help them.

They have been my heroes for s very long time. And not because I'm a germaphobe. Because they took pride in their work

Because like this man in this post always felt inferior. Bullied and picked on even.

Sometimes i would watch a janitor pick up trash next to the can a kid wouldn't pick up because he missed. And I would start crying and mess my make up up. And every one would ask me what was wrong. And i would bust into tears again "because the janitor had to clean!!".

I'm not talking just elementary school. I'm talking Jr high. I'm talking high school. Im talking i would skip school and smoke pot, smoke behind the principal's office or art building kinda old. And i would bust into tears because a janitors bad luck.

Ridiculous old. I would beat up bigger than me boys in school. Even beat the principal once for whipping my little brother. They still did paddling if there was a permission slip. My brothers wasn't signed. Mine and Nathaniel's had been and both said no paddling. So they called it even and let it go.

But i still cried cause the janitor who took pride in his work was bossed around like a bitch by the principal and the principal happened to be white and the janitor black.

So i stopped that shit by shoving the principal in his office and standing in front of it until he promised not to talk to the janitor. Every time he did with disrespect there i went. He took off running down the hall. Scared. Oh that pissed me off. Coward ass.

I used to work st Mazzios in Okmulgee. They used to go in after 8pm on Friday. I always waited on him and his wife cause Jamie always wanted a break to do dishes then. And we needed to. It was a mess by then. Dishes would be sliding off the counter And shit.

He never tipped. I asked his wife once why. She said "ask him" while laughing.

"Well? She's directed me to ask you. Seems your wife is in command here"

"Well I would tip if I had a waitress that didn't give me a black eye!"

"Well served, keep your dollar"

"Well next time I'm gonna pay $3!!"

So I told Jamie, "I don't mind doing dishes and it will save your nails I don't do mine. This guy here is the Principal at Preston and said he will pay to tip any waitress but me 3 whole dollars"

"Do the dishes"

She went over "I'm sorry was there a problem with your server?"

"She gave me a black eye!!!" What a dunce.

"Well I'll make sure she works extra hard on the dishes while I'll be the waitress to only you unless someone comes in since she's dangerous and can't come from behind the counter"

He looked over the back of his red booth and grinned. I grinned back.

Then he looked troubled "don't forget the tip" I sang back in a nasty I'll punch you in the face again tone. And kicked and threw all the chairs into the tables if they weren't pushed in on my walk back.

She got $5.

Oh it was definitely a joke around the restaurant. Friday nights after 8 weren't boring anymore.

His wife loved it. She was so tired of his shit. She knew we worked every Friday night and he was so dumb we could work him over on anything m

... ...

So in NYC. Scaffolding takes over the city sidewalks. Sometimes we have to walk in the street to pass. Or cross the street then cross back.because concrete barriers.

So in NYC the scaffolding is the rulers of the sidewalk. Put there by workers like the man who feels inferior to Harvard students.

They are in command.

.....

I loved sitting under the scaffolding and hearing the hammers. The men above. Working for money. The men above free. Free in the sky. Free from the streets. As far as they could safely be from the underground.

They were like the bird Phoneix to me.

I couldn't see them but i could hear them. Banging and whistling to a song on the radio or in their head.

Up there they were free. Free to build and create. What they were doing would last for years. Decades.

What they were doing would be seen by all of New York City. Its visitors. Its home personnel. Its bodegas. The kidnapped. Every one.

The CIA was afraid i would be lonlier when they moved on. But i knew they were working. I could hear it. And one day the scaffolding I found safe Haven under would be missing.

And i would see the Grand Prize. Their work completed.

I could never finish a bunker they would always refill. I needed a Happy Ending. I needed Green Grass Roots on the side of the building the whole street they touched the lives of could see.

When they finished i took the girls. "You see that up there? The blue and green? That wasn't there before. My friends did that. I want you to know every thing you touch and every thing you see leaves a definition. Some may be wrong and some may be right. But my friends did that and saved me from my misery. And right now want to hug that building"

And we did.

So to this man in this post and all people that work and feel inferior...

Specifically to this man -- each and every student st Harvard looked at you the same way you looked st them "i can be something one day. I can be someone as important as him. I can help build a wall to stay up for years to come so students like me can keep coming to Harvard. If he can do it. And work in Harvard. I can at least graduate"

So never belittle yourself. You are important. You are worth more than money. You change the world every day.

You remember that. People we don't always say it.

But we think it. We find inspiration every where.

A girl screaming in the driveway. A dude feeling lost because all the world was shut down in a joke like but meaningful song video. My worries about people working too hard and not being home or happy.

Regular people others would think as trash. Or overlook as a fun silly video of the times.

P Diddy tripping as well as many others.

You all changed the world.

And you did it better than the President of the United States of America.

We The People.

Need our "lower class" financed people and our "lower classed: educated.

My cousin only finished 5th grade. You never could tell by looking at her. I never remember. I never think about it. Until she mentions it. And it SHOCKS me. It shocks the shit out of me. Because I didn't think about it and i couldn't tell. I look up to her and admire her.

So while I am PROUD this man made his dreams come true in secret -- why? -- because they were his dreams and his dreams alone and he didn't want no one meddling in his dreams -- I want to tell all of you.

You are not inferior because of your race or employment. Your pay grade or gender.

Here if you can pass a test or quiz or do a quick something every one gets $5.

Because you're all equal.

Love yourselves

And this man in the post is amazing i want to say again. Idk how old he is. He looks young. But he applied himself and focused and he tried. And he succeeded.

We're gonna be ok world. Its just gonna take some time

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travelguy4444 · 6 years ago

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Why You Shouldn’t Overlook the American South

Posted: 2/18/2019 | February 18th, 2019

I love the South. Before I went traveling, I always had this perception that the southern states in the US were backward. They were filled with racists, yokels, and obese, gun-loving, Jesus freaks. It was a perception born out of a quarter-century of living in New England and consuming mass media and stereotypes about a people and place I really didn’t know anything about.

Then, at the start of my grand trip in 2006, I drove across the United States. As I made my way through the South, I fell in love with the area. I loved the food, the people, the scenery, the architecture. My perception of the South was wrong.

Sure, it has a lingering history of racism and is more conservative than I personally am, but no place is perfect — and no place is like the stereotypes you see. Driving through the South was the first instance in which I really confronted the stereotypes about people and places I grew up with.

After spending months exploring the South, I realized that the Southern states — which encompass a massive section of the country — are not as culturally and politically monolithic as they once were. Every state is different, each offering the attentive traveler an eclectic mix of incredible food, foot-stomping music, and heart-warming hospitality.

Over the years, I’ve grown to love the area the more I spend time there (hidden gem: Mississippi).

Today, I want to introduce you to Caroline Eubanks. She’s a friend and fellow travel writer whose work primarily focuses on the American South. Caroline has called the South home for her entire life, and in her new guidebook, This Is My South, she shatters all the stereotypes about the Southern United States while sharing her expert tips and suggestions to help you make the most of your next visit.

In this interview, we discuss all things Southern, why this book needed to be written, and why you shouldn’t overlook this region of the country!

Nomadic Matt: Tell everyone a bit about yourself! How did you get into what it is you do? Caroline Eubanks: I’m Caroline Eubanks, a native of Atlanta, Georgia. I went to college in Charleston, South Carolina and it was there I really fell in love with the American South, especially driving back and forth from my hometown past small towns on country roads. I started working for a newspaper when I lived there and started reading travel blogs (including Matt’s!) so I was inspired to create my own. I leveraged guest posts into paid work and one job led to another. I’ve since been published by BBC Travel, Lonely Planet, Thrillist, Roads & Kingdoms, and Fodor’s. I also started my own blog, Caroline in the City, in 2009, and later This Is My South in 2012. This is basically the only job I’ve ever had and the only one I wanted!

How did you start writing about the Southern USA? I grew up taking road trips around the region with my family, whether that was to the Outer Banks or the Panhandle of Florida. After graduating from college, I went on a working holiday in Australia where I worked with a lot of people from all over the world. I would try to explain to them where I came from but most of the time they were only familiar with places like Miami and New York. And most travelers went to a few well-known destinations but nothing in between. So I started my website, This Is My South, to tell people about the lesser-known destinations that I love from my corner of the world. I also started focusing on the region in my freelance writing since the market wasn’t quite so saturated.

Why do you think the south gets such a bad wrap? A lot of it comes from the news. Of course, bad things happen here, but it’s a large region so that’s bound to happen. It becomes polarizing with elections but there are lots of different opinions, not just the ones that are the loudest.

I also think people assume that the movies and television shows about it are accurate. Gone with the Wind and Deliverance are not accurate representations at all. These remain what people most associate the region with, but there are large cities like Atlanta, Charlotte, and Nashville as well as the small towns. You wouldn’t assume every Australian is like Crocodile Dundee or that every person from New Jersey was Tony Soprano, right?

What about the stereotypes about the South? When I lived in Australia, I went to an expat July 4 party and I was talking to a guy from Ohio. When I said I was from Georgia, he joked that he was surprised to see I had all my teeth. When my parents were traveling in New York, someone asked about their crops. I realized how little people know about this part of the world. I started thinking about these perceptions of the South from both Americans and the world as a whole.

I wouldn’t say that some of the stereotypes aren’t true. There are obviously political divides, but I think there’s a lot more to the South than what you read in the news. The people are overall welcoming and friendly. The region is home to some of the nation’s top universities like Duke and Emory. There are young people creating murals in their small towns (like Kristin!) to drive tourism as well as immigrants from everywhere to Korea to India to Syria bringing their cuisines to meld with traditional regional dishes. And I think there’s something just about everyone can come together on, especially in the South, like food.

What are some of your favorite things about the south? I always say the food, which is certainly one element. You’ll find both comfort food like fried chicken and collard greens and “healthy” food as well as the cuisines of dozens of cultures. For example, there’s a large Korean community near where I live in Atlanta so I can have authentic Korean barbecue before relaxing at a Korean spa. I love how food is a way that people show their affection.

I also love the general attitude and friendliness. People tend to know their neighbors and offer help when needed. And the music is unmatched by anywhere else in the country. Every genre can be found here. You don’t have to go to a stadium to see impressive artists since there’s usually someone playing at the local dive bar or coffee shop.

Why did you write this book?

I wanted to show people the South that I know and love. I had thought about the idea of writing a guidebook but it actually came to life when I was contacted by a publisher after six years of running my website. They saw my work and wanted to create a guidebook in a similar format. Ever since I started writing, I’ve wanted to write a guidebook, so it was definitely a dream come true.

It was important to me that I have the flexibility to include the places I had fallen in love with in my travels, not just the popular ones. I have a section on the must-eat dishes from every state, quirky roadside attractions, unique accommodations like historic hotels and treehouses, and tours. I tried to emphasize responsible travel and small businesses, so you won’t find those double decker bus tours or your big chain hotels.

I also wanted to include elements that I find lacking in other books, namely the history and odd pieces of trivia. For example, I have sections on the title of “Kentucky Colonel” and the legal loopholes that allow for casinos on and near the Mississippi River.

What do you hope travelers will walk away knowing from your book? That it’s more than one story. I hope that travelers will be inspired to visit some of the places they’ve heard about as well as ones not previously on their radar. I hope they’ll challenge some of their preconceived notions about the region and give it a chance. I hope they’ll come back for more since there’s no way to see it all at once. And, of course, I hope that travelers will visit the places I write about and tell others about them!

What makes the south special? So many things. There is unmatched biodiversity including the barrier islands on the North Carolina coast to the swamps of Louisiana to the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. The Appalachian Trail runs through much of the region, starting in Georgia at Springer Mountain. It’s a region where connecting with nature is a part of everyday life.

Food is also affordable and you can find it in unique places. Similar to the bodega eats in New York, the South sells surprisingly good food at gas stations, including fried chicken, Cajun meats, and Delta hot tamales. Dining is a major part of visiting the region as it’s home to many different styles of cuisine that have influenced American food. You can find “Southern food” in both award-winning restaurants and mom-and-pop casual spots, so there’s something for everyone.

The region is also important when it comes to history. It’s where European travelers first arrived in America, specifically South Carolina and Virginia, and where they were met with Native American tribes. Much of the Civil Rights Movement took place here like the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, and the Woolworth’s counter in Greensboro. A number of notable politicians, including presidents Jimmy Carter and Woodrow Wilson, hailed from these states.

There’s also a lot to offer music lovers since nearly every type of American music has roots in the blues of Mississippi. Icons like Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash were influenced by these musicians and infused their styles into their own music. In addition to rock and blues, the mountains of the South were where bluegrass and “old time” music started, eventually becoming modern country music. And, of course, Atlanta is known for its music industry, especially when it comes to hip hop and R&B. Artists like TLC, Usher, Goodie Mob, and Outkast rose to fame there.

What are some budget travel tips for the area? The South is generally a fairly cheap place to travel. The main expenditures are transportation and accommodation. Flights into major airports like Atlanta, Charlotte, Orlando, and New Orleans will be cheaper than smaller ones. The same goes for car rentals. Once in the South, it is possible to get around without a car by taking Amtrak and Megabus, but by car is certainly the preferred method of travel.

Certain cities will be more expensive for accommodations, especially Charleston. But you can look for alternative options like small bed and breakfasts, campgrounds with cabins, hostels, and Airbnb rentals. Keep in mind that rentals are limited in cities like New Orleans because of how it affects the local housing market. New Orleans is also great because you can stay at a trendy boutique hotel for under $100 per night.

Meals are cheap at most places unless you’re visiting a fine dining restaurant. If you’re looking for a meal on the go, visit a grocery store to save money. Most have deli counters and prepared foods. Lunch is a good time of day to try the more expensive restaurants, especially those award-winners that can be tough to get a reservation at.

What are some of your favorite off the beaten path destinations? You don’t have to go far from the well-known destinations like Charleston, New Orleans, and Nashville to see places not in most of the guidebooks. One of the places I always say is a favorite of mine is the Mississippi Delta, which is a number of towns that follow the river south of Memphis. This part of the country is highly important when it comes to music. It was here that artists like BB King and Robert Johnson found their sound and where the blues was developed. There are some funky accommodations like the Shack Up Inn, a collection of sharecropper cabins transformed into guest suites.

I was also surprised by Northwest Arkansas. This region is known for mountain biking, with trails connecting the towns, but also has an incredible craft brewery scene. Crystal Bridges Museum of Art has one of the best collections in the nation, if not the world, focusing on American works like those by Andy Warhol and Frank Lloyd Wright. Eureka Springs is a funky mountain town that looks straight out of a postcard from the 1800s.

I’ve also found some off-the-beaten-path areas within well-known destinations. In my hometown of Atlanta, I always recommend that visitors check out Buford Highway, the city’s international dining corridor. When I lived in Charleston, I spent most of my time downtown, but on subsequent visits, I end up in the Park Circle area of North Charleston, an underrated part of the city. Just outside of Nashville is Franklin, a town with deep ties to the Civil War. It’s just off the Natchez Trace Parkway and hosts musicians nearly every night of the week at Puckett’s Grocery. They also host Pilgrimage, an annual music festival that has hosted the likes of Justin Timberlake and Jack White.

In every small town in between, there are quirky museums and landmarks you might miss if you limit your trip to the “big” destinations, like a museum devoted to ventriloquism in Kentucky and a memorial to the victims of the Trail of Tears in Alabama. You never know what you might find!

***

Caroline Eubanks is a travel writer and the author of This Is My South: The Essential Travel Guide to the Southern States. She writes about all things Southern at This is My South.com. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money when I travel – and I think will help you too!

The post Why You Shouldn’t Overlook the American South appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

source https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/traveling-american-south/

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tamboradventure · 6 years ago

Text

Why You Shouldn’t Overlook the American South

Posted: 2/18/2019 | February 18th, 2019

I love the South. Before I went traveling, I always had this perception that the southern states in the US were backwards. They were filled with racists, yokels, and obese, gun loving, Jesus freaks. It was a perception born out of a quarter century of living in New England and consuming mass media and stereotypes about a people and place I really didn’t know anything about.

Then, at the start of my grand trip in 2006, I drove across the United States and, made my way through the South, I fell in love with the area. I loved the food, the people, the scenery, the architecture. My perception of the South was wrong. Sure, it has a lingering history of racism and is more conservative than I personally am, but no place is perfect – and no place is like the stereotypes you see. Driving through the South was the first instance in which I really confronted the stereotypes about people and places I grew up with.

Over the years, I’ve grown to love the area the more I spend time there (hidden gem: Mississippi).

Today, I want to introduce you to Caroline Eubank, a friend and travel writer, whose work mostly focuses on the American South. In her new guidebook, This Is My South, Caroline shatters all the stereotypes about the Southern United States, and shows people just how amazing that part of the country is!

In this interview, we discuss all things Southern, why this book needed to be written, and why you shouldn’t overlook this region of the country!

Nomadic Matt: Tell everyone a bit about yourself! How did you get into what it is you do? Caroline Eubanks: I’m Caroline Eubanks, a native of Atlanta, Georgia. I went to college in Charleston, South Carolina and it was there I really fell in love with the American South, especially driving back and forth from my hometown past small towns on country roads. I started working for a newspaper when I lived there and started reading travel blogs (including Matt’s!) so I was inspired to create my own. I leveraged guest posts to paid work and one job led to another. I’ve since been published by BBC Travel, Lonely Planet, Thrillist, Roads & Kingdoms, and Fodor’s. I also started my own blog, Caroline in the City, in 2009, and later This Is My South in 2012. This is basically the only job I’ve ever had and the only one I wanted!

I also think people assume that the movies and television shows about it are accurate. Gone with the Wind, Deliverance, and the like are not accurate representations at all. These remain what people most associate the region with, but there are large cities like Atlanta, Charlotte, and Nashville as well as the small towns. You wouldn’t assume every Australian is like Crocodile Dundee or that every person from New Jersey was Tony Soprano, right?

Why did you write this book?

I’ve also found some off-the-beaten path areas within well-known destinations. In my hometown of Atlanta, I always recommend that visitors check out Buford Highway, the city’s international dining corridor. When I lived in Charleston, I spent most of my time downtown, but on subsequent visits, I end up in the Park Circle area of North Charleston, an underrated part of the city. Just outside of Nashville is Franklin, a town with deep ties to the Civil War. It’s just off the Natchez Trace Parkway and hosts musicians nearly every night of the week at Puckett’s Grocery. They also host Pilgrimage, an annual music festival that has hosted the likes of Justin Timberlake and Jack White.

***

Caroline Eubanks is the author of This Is My South: The Essential Travel Guide to the Southern States.

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

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Insure My Trip (for those over 70)

The post Why You Shouldn’t Overlook the American South appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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vidovicart · 6 years ago

Text

Why You Shouldn’t Overlook the American South

Posted: 2/18/2019 | February 18th, 2019

Over the years, I’ve grown to love the area the more I spend time there (hidden gem: Mississippi).

In this interview, we discuss all things Southern, why this book needed to be written, and why you shouldn’t overlook this region of the country!

Nomadic Matt: Tell everyone a bit about yourself! How did you get into what it is you do? Caroline Eubanks: I’m Caroline Eubanks, a native of Atlanta, Georgia. I went to college in Charleston, South Carolina and it was there I really fell in love with the American South, especially driving back and forth from my hometown past small towns on country roads. I started working for a newspaper when I lived there and started reading travel blogs (including Matt’s!) so I was inspired to create my own. I leveraged guest posts to paid work and one job led to another. I’ve since been published by BBC Travel, Lonely Planet, Thrillist, Roads & Kingdoms, and Fodor’s. I also started my own blog, Caroline in the City, in 2009, and later This Is My South in 2012. This is basically the only job I’ve ever had and the only one I wanted!

Why did you write this book?

***

Caroline Eubanks is the author of This Is My South: The Essential Travel Guide to the Southern States.

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

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epchapman89 · 7 years ago

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Where To Drink Coffee In Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen is quirky, charming, and incredibly fashionable—it’s home to high-end designers, minimalist cult brands, top-class gastronomical institutions, and a fast-growing natural wine scene.

Along with the rest of those in Scandinavia, Denmark continues to rank amongst the top coffee consuming countries in the world. So it isn’t so strange that the specialty coffee scene has flourished, slowly but surely, in the small capital these past few years. Copenhageners love their coffee—below are some of their scene’s best offerings.

The Coffee Collective

You can’t talk about specialty coffee in Copenhagen and not mention The Coffee Collective somewhere in the conversation. The Coffee Collective remains Denmark’s most widely known specialty cafe and roastery. The four gentlemen behind the collective opened their first shop in Jægersborggade in 2008, and have since opened three more locations around the city. Most recently, in Kristen Bernikowsgade in a former brown bodega, where they serve up cold coffee, coffee beer, and coffee kombucha among other delicious, refreshing beverages on tap, including Evil Twin’s Wet Dream—a coffee-infused brown ale.

The newest Coffee Collective space has the authentic nostalgic atmosphere of an old Copenhagen bodega. Bernikow Vinstue, the former occupant, was the first in Denmark to serve beer on tap. “Hopefully people will come here for an after-work beer—something that we haven’t been able to offer till now,” says Klaus Thomsen, Coffee Collective’s head of wholesale, marketing, and coffee shop quality (and a former World Barista Champion). Feel free to take it as a suggestion.

The Coffee Collective has multiple locations around Copenhagen. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Forloren Espresso

Behind the bar at Forloren Espresso you’re on any given day very likely to find Niels H.S. Nielsen, its founder. Nielsen proverbially fell for coffee in Tokyo, when he was introduced to kissaten culture—when he came back to Copenhagen, he felt his city’s cafes lacked intimacy, and so opened Forloren Espresso in 2014. A cafe the size of a shoe box, in Store Kongensgade just off the buzzing Kongens Nytorv, Forloren has a strict no screens and no phone calls policy. Instead, customers are invited to browse Nielsen’s private photography book collection or simply enjoy the cafe’s ambient jazz. Forloren uses coffee from Aarhus-based La Cabra as well as British Has Bean. “I use La Cabras light roast beans for the drip and filter coffees, and Has Bean’s slightly darker roast profile for the espresso,” Nielsen says. “We always have four different coffees to choose from: an espresso that goes well with milk, an espresso with fruitier notes that should be consumed without milk, and finally the hand brew and filter coffees with which we experiment with different guest roasters.”

Forloren’s clientele consists mainly of office workers from the surrounding area who stop by for a cappuccino before or after a meeting or during their lunch break.

Forloren Espresso is located at Store Kongensgade 32, 1264 København K. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Prolog Coffee Bar

In the trendy Vesterbro meatpacking district lies Prolog, a very petit coffee shop founded last year by Sebastian Quistorff and Jonas Gehl. Gehl formerly worked at Democratic Coffee, and Prolog roasts its coffee in a rented space on Refshaleøen—although they hope to open their own roastery in the future.

“It has been quite the journey opening Prolog,” Quistorff says. “We’ve been pleasantly overwhelmed by the strong sense of community there is in the coffee and restaurant business in Copenhagen. Everyone wants to help each other and make each other’s places successful. We’re grateful to be part of that.”

The majority of customers who come for their morning coffee are people working in the neighborhood—chefs, office workers, but also true Vesterbro-connoisseurs. The croissants on display in the morning come from La Banchina’s bakery, Alimentari. They roll them and Prolog bakes them, so guests can rest assured that the croissants offered are freshly baked and heated.

Prolog Coffee Bar is located at Høkerboderne 16, 1712 København V. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Sonny

Sonny manages to be one of those it-addresses amongst hip Copenhageners, bloggers, and the like, while remaining unpretentious. The vibe is warm, cozy, and welcoming—it has that oh so French je ne sais quoi that makes absolute sense once you know that Sonny’s 30-year-old owner, David Andersen, used to work at Paris’ Coutume. In Paris, Andersen says he learned all he knows about coffee—from roasting to tasting and preparation. When he returned to Denmark he started working at the acclaimed restaurant chain Madklubben while also studying at the Scandinavian Wine Academy to become a sommelier. Finally, 10 years after he first started dreaming of opening his own place, Sonny became a reality.

Coffee is served on beans from Aarhus-based La Cabra and Swedish, Helsingborg-based Koppi.

Besides the coffee, food served in the cafe is homemade, home-baked, or sourced from nearby bakery Brød. The rye bread with avocado, beetroot puree, and chimichurri is particularly tasty.

Sonny is located at Rådhusstræde 5, 1466 København K. Visit their official website and follow them on Instagram.

Democratic Coffee

Democratic is the go-to place for coffee-loving students and freelancers, and roast their own coffee in the same space as Prolog. Located on Krystalgade in the public library, one can be surrounded by three floors of literature while sipping one of the city’s very best cups of coffee. Another good reason to pay Democratic a visit is their almond croissant, which most locals will argue is the best in the city. In the morning (and once again later in the day) you can see and smell the croissants being prepared and baked in the kitchen while a barista pulls shots out front. The cafe itself consists mostly of the long bar and the window seats opposite it, but in the library space there are 20-plus seats, where meetings take place, and coffee tourists can soak up the local vibe.

Democratic Coffee is located at Krystalgade 15, 1172 København K. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Café Det Vide Hus

Located in the quieter end of Gothersgade, around the corner from Nørreport Station and across from the King’s Garden and Rosenborg Castle, you’ll find Café Det Vide Hus.

The interior of Café Det Vide Hus is cozy and dark, and customers include businesspeople conducting meetings, freelancers and students working on their laptops, and a certain type of newspaper-reading middle-aged man. Other regulars include Noma’s René Redzepi and writer Jørgen Leth.

Almost, always the same guy is standing behind the bar pulling shots—the unassuming owner, Claus Dalsgaard.

A seat at this cafe’s window offers a view of the marching Danish Royal Life Guards and a place to listen to background reggae playing from the speakers.

Café Det Vide Hus is located at Gothersgade 113, 1123 København K. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook.

Monica Steffensen is a Copenhagen-based freelance writer, photographer, and graphic designer. This is Monica Steffensen’s first feature for Sprudge Coffee.

The post Where To Drink Coffee In Copenhagen, Denmark appeared first on Sprudge.

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shesinspain-blog · 7 years ago

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A Time for First Everythings

If you think I’ve been pretty silent around here, you wouldn’t be wrong.

I’ve been in Spain about two weeks now. It’s still scary and exciting and scary. I wouldn’t say I have a routine here yet, but I’m continuing a lot of my habits from home. Journalling, reading and drinking coffee are helping me feel less “stranger in a strange land.”

This last week was a whirlwind! I moved from one AirBnB to my new one, where I’ll be until October. The hosts are so nice and the guy is a skateboard designer from Ecuador! His girlfriend is Venezuelan and has lived here for fifteen years.

My last AirBnB was mostly hotel style. I rarely crossed path with the hosts. I liked it, but living with this couple makes me feel more at home. It’s nice to have consistency of people to come home to, say hi to, and ask for advice.

I guess the thing that is surprising me most here is that LIFE TAKES TIME. It’s accurate, right? Like have you ever had a job, or apartment, or friend group fully blossom after 3 days? HAHA NO. That’s literally not how life works! And this is an exciting time! Every day, I get to do new things, try new foods, meet new people.

One of my favorite things here is just taking long walks home. I have data now! And a European phone number! So if I get lost I can get back home! It’s pretty incredible. My neighborhood is eclectic and artsy. There are beautiful boutiques and real-life etsy shops on every block. Cafes and bodegas are a dime a dozen and I’m still finding my favorites.

Oh I’ve been grocery shopping here just a little at a time. There’s a Carrefour Market near me that’s open 24 hours. It’s on one of the busiest streets in the city and it is PACKED. Like guys this is probably the size of like the smallest Kroger / Giant Eagle you can think of. Maybe 75% the size of that. Which for here is HUGE. It makes me feel at home to have options. Most of the grocery stores here are like the size of Starbucks, so it’s a big difference to have a supermarket!

Aside from grocery shopping, I like to try new restaurants (for lunch, dinner or gelato). The beaches are so nice too. I love going for just a couple hours and reading in the sunshine. It’s a great *free* thing to do in this city lol. People are always playing beach volleyball, sunbathing, playing with their kids.. and last week I saw friends playing a board game! I like that the beach is a hangout spot for locals and tourists.

Everyone strolls around here. No one’s really rushing anywhere. This city is super international (not touristy!). People are from all over. People speak Catalan, Spanish and English (and Italian and French and everything!). Everyone has their own sense of fashion from edgy to sophisticated to casual. And the city is so big ~anyone can be anything~ or at least it feels that way!!

Finally I’ve had an awesome time meeting new people. Obviously we’re in the early stages here. There’s such a spark, a wildfire of energy, when new friends share their first laughs and jokes together. I’ve had several of these moments this week and it’s exhilarating every single time. Those moments, heart to hearts, first hugs... it’s so good. I love hearing stories of what matters to people with totally unique backgrounds, lifestyles and aspirations.

Ok so to circle back, I haven’t written because I feel like I have “nothing new to report.” They may not be Facebook events, but all these little moments are teaching me so much and adding so much value in my life. Like two days ago I just took a 3 hour walk around the city, bought some art supplies, ate gelato and listened to an audiobook. Physically seeing neighborhoods from the map was super helpful and fun. I’ll keep you guys posted about the big stuff too, but for now, I’m trying to practice patience and gratitude for the track I’m on. All those celebratory moments are coming, but until then, I’ll be celebrating the every day.

I’m so rarely a creature of patterns but I really like incorporating quotes into my posts! I listened to The Alchemist this week and it totally had some hokey parts but overall I’m a hokey gal and I loved all the cheesy “follow your heart” quotes so here’s one of them!

“My Heart Is Afraid that it will have to suffer," the boy told the alchemist one night as they looked up at the moonless sky. "Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams.” ― Paulo Coelho

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