28 Comments

Mountains, the silencing effects of the winds humbles and quiets the mind to such a place.

I have never been but for a couple of years I went ALL IN on applying to Iceland Writers retreat. Its an incredible gathering of anti-socials lol check it out might be worth going all in for I was very close!

You should travel to Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. I’m a design and architecture nerd, the colorful aspects of the buildings amazing, but honestly deeper note cultural richness and depth of the character and people in this place

Expand full comment

YK, a writers retreat in Iceland sounds AMAZING. I'd definitely need to arrive a few days early to reacclimate to the beauty so I don't spend every second looking around instead of writing 😂. Also, thank you for the suggestion, I actually went to Brazil during carnival 2020 before the world shut down and visited there, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro. Bahia was my fav though because it had the most black people. Maybe I'll write about that next 🧐

Expand full comment

I love love love being immersed in nature. Iceland has been on my list to travel to someday. There’s some wonderful meadowy pockets beneath mountains here in Virginia I love to forage in that sound like what you described. Convincing wild horses to let you pet them is hard work 😂

Expand full comment

😂😂😂 trust me Carrington, EYE wasn’t the one who wanted to make it happen. I’ve really never adventured around VA. It is for lovers though so I have to add it to my list 🤔. The South does have some great spots though, a meadow in Chapel Hill, NC still has my heart.

Expand full comment

Iceland is my favorite place and I’ve never been or thought of going until now 😂

Expand full comment

Love a good isolated trip! I’ve been to Bluehole it’s def magical. Cape Town is on my list as well. Seems I’ll have to add Iceland too.

Expand full comment

Cape Town is kinda unreal. Mountains, water, and a city all converge but it doesn’t feel crowded at all. You’ll love it

Expand full comment

Rachel: the closest to Africa that you can get in the USA is the LowCountry coast of South Carolina….while it is a haunted marsh coast rippling with memories of the cruel plantation era, our coast now surrenders itself to nature. We have the most expansive stretch of protected estuarine ecology in the country.

One in four black Americans have an ancestor that came through the port of Charleston, South Carolina via Sullivan’s Island.

Hike Bull Island near Charleston or explore the Gullah-Gechee Heritage Corridor through the National Park Service.

Warning: you need to keep an open mind about reptiles when you visit!

Expand full comment

I’ve wanted to visit the Gullah-Gechee community since I first found out about it. Thank you for your suggestion, Terese. South Carolina certainly has a lot to offer.

Expand full comment

Stay in touch …I’m happy to share resources here. All of this coast feels very haunted to me, so you must be prepared for emotional impact of historical shadows ….but the takeaway benefit can be a profound appreciation for ancestral strength and courage. And a celebration of the enduring cultural imprint of Africa on this fascinating place!

Our new International African American Museum is now open….let that place on Gadsden Wharf serve as your starting point!

Expand full comment

I’ll be sure to let you know when I make my way to visit. Thank you for the abundance of info!

Expand full comment

Great to hear that the Low Country is on your radar….read R. Pinckney’s book: Blue Roots about the Gullah Africanist’s that still exist here. Sending my best!

Expand full comment

I didn't become a faux nature girl until my mental health started to decline, go figure. The best nature trip I've ever experienced was to the country side of Jamaica. While there I had the best meal I've ever had in my entire life, a vegan dish at that. I swam in a body of water that is said to take away ailments and I'll be damned if I didn't come out of that water feeling brand new. Maybe it was magical, maybe it was the temperature, but I told myself the next time I went back to Jamaica, I needed to visit the countryside again. The sky was beautiful, the grass green, the most pure tree I've ever indulged in, and the people are my favorite. Iceland hasn't been on my list but I'd love to travel there one done.

Expand full comment

Ohhhhhhh yes Jamaica is sooooooooo healing. I love the accents, the land, the people, the history, the culture, the music, and MOSTLY the food. If you remember the town/body of water/dish I'll GLADLY take the recommendation.

Expand full comment

I can't remember the town but I know the excursion was the "Rasta Man Tour" or something along that way near Montego Bay I believe

Expand full comment

Thanks so much I’ll look into it 🙂

Expand full comment

I am astounded at all the places my beautiful wife and myself never swallowed view of country mountain sides, too often ancient castle or

“Beautiful aerial view to green forest hillside and great mountains. Awesome minimalist alpine landscape. Wonderful vivid scenery with forest mountainside. Scenic highlands nature with coniferous trees”

ever green chaparral rain forest and so many scenery portraits across landscape view.

She has just reminded me the other day her niece has graduated from travel agent school. That she has

Expand full comment

And Denise, my wife, has decided to book us a trip across the Atlantic for three days. I am at the place where that experience, I feel, I have robbed myself of a world out side of United States

Final thought, at the desk of Rachel Leeke, your many trips out of the country -- by airplane, boat or train, and by whatever, especially, Iceland and Cape Cope, South African, in spite of injustices, has opened up a place inside for me the Love, Travel, and Adventure for everyone, at least, first once in a life time -- experiences.

Expand full comment

I hope you and your loved ones take many trips in the coming months & years. Keep me in the loop if you visit any of the places I recommended. Thanks for sharing, Preston.

Expand full comment

oh myy! those mountains look gorgeous. I feel like I'm there right now just by staring at them, Rachel.

as for your recommendation "Kaaterskill Falls, Hunter, New York" I'll go there soon and give a feedback.

Expand full comment

It's remarkably stunning! I can't wait for you to enjoy. There's a lookout point that puts you eye level with the falls and a trail that takes you to the base of it. I want to return to go to that lower point.

Expand full comment

i’ll say Rachel said so. 😅

Expand full comment

Loved Iceland! 🇮🇸 Happy Earth day! 🌎

Expand full comment

Thanks Kristen! It was such a different landscape than I am accustomed to. Happy you enjoyed it too. Happy Earth Day!!!

Expand full comment

An introvert's dream come true - what a perfect way of putting it. That's pretty much how I feel about Iceland as a whole. And the horses, ahaha, I LOVE them and I too tried to get near a few of them, but they stamped their feet and kept their distance. I felt lucky just to be near them.

Expand full comment

Ahhhhh you understand! I think about visiting very often - lucky is a good way to put it. The horses are the absolute best.

Expand full comment