Nicholas.

We just fostered a kitten named Nicholas for 2 weeks.
It was quite the whirlwind experience, and nothing like what I expected.
So before my memories of him drift away with the winds of time, I wanted to write them down. 

This is the story of Nicholas.

One day when I was a little girl I asked my mom about my name.

Why is my first name Stephanie?
Your great grandmother's name is Stephana. We wanted to name you after her.
Ok - well why is my middle name Nicole?
And the story began....

When my mom was pregnant with me, it never crossed her mind to find out the gender until she gave birth.


When she was pregnant with my older brother she just knew it was a boy. Call it motherly instinct but she was positive about her prediction and named him Ben before he was even born.

So when she got pregnant with me shortly after, she again chose to not find out the sex.
And again, she was convinced it was a boy. She was confident that sometime in December she would give birth to a curly brown haired boy and name him Nicholas.

All throughout her pregnancy with me, she would talk to her belly and refer to it as Nicholas.

So when I was born you can imagine the shock and surprise when it was a brown haired girl!
What's neat is my mom actually had a tape recorder on during my birth. I listened to it once and although you cannot see her face, you can hear the pure shock in her voice:

"Doctor: aaand... it's a GIRL!!
Mom: Oh!? Oh!... Oh wow...she...she looks just like me! SHE looks like ME!"

Pleasantly surprised but not wanting to let go of the idea of Nicholas she held for 9 months, she made my middle name Nicole.

It was because of this story that growing up my mother always told me that I would have a Nicholas in my life. Husband, best friend, child....somehow she knew a Nicholas would show up in my life and leave a lasting imprint on my heart.

__________________




My whole life I have loved animals. I resonate with them on such a deep level.
I've always wanted to volunteer at shelters but the overwhelming sensation of grief, sadness and anger that crashes into me every time I walk into a shelter kept me away.

Flash forward to 2011. I got my first 'real job' out of college working for a large business.
I walk into my first 'real meeting' excited like Yeah! I did it! Got my business degree now I get to talk business with experienced people. Sweet.

But as I sat down in this board room a lump grew in my throat.
Maybe I'm nervous?
No, I feel prepared.

hmm....

Then about 5 minutes into the meeting my mind wandered away from the topic at hand and it hit me like a ton of bricks.
Here I am in this fancy room all nice and warm, sheltered from the elements outside.

Abundance of food and clean water at my fingertips.
Talking about how we can maximize profit for an already multi billion dollar business...

All the while there are animals being tortured, homeless, neglected...all over the damn place. Probably right  down the road. And here I was doing absolutely nothing about it. 

My eyes swelled up and I was immediately questioning every choice I made in the past 5 years.

 This is not how my heart dreams of spending my days.

Ever since that day I've made more of an effort to spend my free time educating people on the importance of spay/neuter, adopting instead of shopping, and I even worked with the Humane Society of the United States on a Meatless Monday project urging school systems all over the country to not serve meat on Mondays.

And now here I am. 27 and living in the South, a part of the country notorious for animal abuse and over crowded high kill shelters. I promised myself that when I buy a house with land, it will be packed with rescue cats and dogs. I hold that word... just watch.

But again, I start to feel like there's more I can do.
Right now.
And I need to just do it.

So after Christmas I took a class at my local shelter on becoming a foster parent to homeless cats and dogs.
I work from home so I thought it would be perfect.

I had no idea that a few days after my class I would receive my first case. I thought these things took time!

When I arrived at the shelter the following Monday night to pick him up, I knew I was fostering a kitten but had no idea how many or who I would be receiving. As I walked in and told the lady I was a foster parent here to pick up a kitten she walked me into the kitten room - cages full of kittens crying and reaching their paws out through the cage. She wasn't sure which one I would be taking and she couldn't reach the shelter manager to ask her because her phone died. So I reached out to her on Facebook and within seconds a message popped up:

You will be taking home Nicholas!

This boy.
Stealin' hearts and rippin' farts.


As soon as he arrived at our apartment he was ready to play with every object in sight and snuggle on our laps when he wore himself out.

Although our 2 full grown cats were hesitant (and pissed) about him at first, it wasn't long before he won their hearts over and became one of the tribe.

I never thought that I would get so attached to an animal in just two short weeks.
I went into this understanding that it was strictly business.
Especially since I knew that at the end of my time with him, Nicholas would be going to his forever home to live his life happily ever after.

But the love we humans have for animals runs so deep.

Love is the basis of everything. Of life. And there are many types...
The love we have for our parents is one type. The love we have for our boyfriends, girlfriends, spouses is another. And the love we have for our children is completely different than those two.
All strong, passionate, and different in their own way.

But then there's the love we have for our 4 legged friends.

So strong that it can crack the hardest heart and let light shine through.
Or break your heart so deeply that you avoid animals all together out of fear of ever feeling that type of overwhelming grief again.

But it's so blissfully beautiful.
How unconditionally they love you back.
I mean, it's a love where you know they will never intentionally or accidentally hurt you or break your heart. It's the purest form of love out there....

Nicholas snuggled up close with me every night.

He ate popcorn and watched movies with me. He made me laugh so many times at how wild he would get to the point of chasing his own tail.

I hurt my back from sitting so still in my office chair while holding his fuzzy little sleeping body, head nuzzled in my neck, just so I wouldn't wake him up.

And it became a morning routine to open the dishwasher all the way as I was cleaning dishes after breakfast just so he could climb in and explore.
Every time.


One of the sweetest things about my time with Nicholas was witnessing his first look into the outside world. I perched him up on the ledge of the window and watched him go still as he felt the warm beam of bright morning sun. Then open his eyes to watch in complete astonishment a flock of birds fly overhead.

 Having lived in a cage with no windows for his whole 8 weeks of life, this was really moving to watch.
Not sure who enjoyed it more: Me or Nicholas
:)

So you can imagine the pain that overtook me this morning when we had to return him to the shelter. As I held him tight and gave him one last kiss on the whiskers, I felt my heart break into a million pieces and blanket the ground around my feet. This was my boy.

The way the tears rolled down my cheeks as I waved goodbye to his little face looking  back at mine behind the bars of a cat carrier, you would think I was at a funeral.

I don't know what this sweet boy's future holds. But I can only hope it involves lots of unconditional love and plenty of dishwashers to climb into. It would make my life to see him touch grass for the first time.

While my heart aches that I cannot keep him forever, Nicholas has been a blessing in disguise.
The shelter loved my photos of him so much, that they actually invited me to come on board as their photographer!

I started this past weekend and absolutely love every part of it. While I still get hit with heavy energy every time I walk into the shelter, as soon as I get behind the camera I'm able to let it go.
I'm doing this work to help these animals look their best and find forever homes.
Using art to make a difference. I would have never thought I would be that lucky.


And as I watched Mitch pull away to bring Nicholas to his next chapter of life, I called my mom to cry.
She said:
I always knew there'd be a Nicholas in your life....

_____________________________



Before I sign off here, there's one more interesting twist to this story.

If you're an avid reader of this online diary of mine, you might remember that this past June I wrote about my 2 year anniversary trip out in the Blue Ridge Mountains.


And you might remember this moment....

Happy: "So, what did you write?"
Me: "Change the world and Save Animals"
Happy: "Give it 6-8 months and you'll be on your way."


7 months later:

Hunting Island, SC

I work from home, so I've been extremely lucky these past few years to not have a morning commute.
But Wednesday I had a scheduled leadership training at a hotel...so I had to get up and join the rat race.

Despite being stuck in the inevitable rush hour traffic, I found myself lost in daydreams while staring at the morning sun. It was really cool actually, because with every turn I took, I saw the sun at a different angle which awakened my senses to a new memory each time...

At one glance it brought me back to Key West. Laying in a hammock tied between two palm trees, staring up at the sky while seagulls screamed in the background.

On another turn, the sun was so bright in my eyes that it instantly brought me back to hiking in Sedona. The bright sun lighting the dusty desert trail, and looking up at an even brighter blue sky.


These are all some of my favorite places, where a piece of me still floats around... and just recently I added a new one to the book.

Hunting Island, SC.

20 minutes outside of Beaufort, SC there is a magical island that is undeveloped and nearly untouched by modern civilization. To get to it, you must drive 20 minutes down a road with saltwater marshes on one side and shrimp boats on the other.

Whether you are going to visit for a day at the State Beach, or spend a night or two at the State Campground, you are sure to experience a few jaw dropping moments and explore places not a lot of people can find...

The beaches are very undeveloped.
If you're looking for fried dough and T-shirt shops, you've come to the wrong place.
The shores here are quiet; lined with dead trees from fast erosion and loggerhead sea turtle nests.

Hunting Island was also named one of the best places in the country to explore tide pools. You will find sand dollars, shark teeth, starfish, and the occasional baby sea turtle trying to make his way home.

When you get hungry, all of the locals will advise you to get a shrimp burger at the local shrimp shack! It's about a 10 minute drive outside of the park. Also - cash only.
It's strategically placed right next to a shrimping company, so all of their seafood is fresh off the boat.

Another must-see on Hunting Island is the infamous lighthouse! Of course I got the locals to dish on if it's haunted or not......

Spoiler Alert: IT IS.
And you can climb right up to the top! It's not too bad of a hike. Perfect way to burn off that shrimp burger.

Ahhh that breeze.
Being in a very humid, subtropical climate, it's almost guaranteed that later in the evening thunderstorms will pop up. And you know what that means:
STORM CHASING!

...and they can get intense! 

But, like they say, every storm runs out of rain. So if you are wise and spending the night here, you will enjoy a colorful sunset with all kinds of crazy after-storm clouds.

If you're brave enough to face the eagle size mosquitoes and armies of sand fleas, then go for a walk on the beach at night. If it's a clear sky, you will be rewarded with one of the most beautiful, unobstructed views of the stars and milky way you'll ever see.
(Sorry, no photo. We're still perfecting our star-scape skills)


And if you're an early bird, you are in for a treat. Early in the morning, you'll awaken your senses to the sound of wind and waves and be treated to this view outside of your tent:

The sunrise is also when a lot of baby sea turtles hatch and begin their long trek to the sea. You will see turtle conservation volunteers checking the nests and of course, you can too. Just do not touch! We weren't lucky enough to stumble upon any during this trip, but I did stand next to a nest and take this photo:

I wish every single morning could be spent like this. To me, this is what life is all about. Enjoying quiet sunrises every single day. Starting each day with a beautiful view instead of scrolling through a social media news feed.  It made me sad for a bit that at home, I wake up to the sight of construction every morning. But, like they say, every storm runs out of rain ;) Who knows where my gypsy soul will take me in the future.

I hope I've convinced you to visit this beautiful place. It's truly a hidden gem, not a lot of people think about South Carolina as a vacation spot. National Geographic just named the SC sea islands one of the
'Top 20 Places to See in the World' 

And I couldn't agree more. 

Have a fun last weekend of August!
Sending you lots of love.

Camping on The Beach

"Hello from April 21st!
I wonder what adventures you've gone on since April.
I hope you've seen some awesome storms."

Oh yes, yes I have.

That was a note I wrote to myself back in April. How ironic that on that chilly Spring day, I randomly flipped through my agenda and picked the weekend of August 21st to write that little note.

The same day THIS happened:

Life is so beautifully bizarre.



So if you read my last post, you know I've been craving a camping trip. Not just any camping trip - I wanted to pitch a tent BEACH FRONT. I wanted to fall asleep to the sound of crashing waves, rock in a hammock underneath palm trees, and get up early to catch the sunrise over the water.

And that I did.

 Hunting Island State Park - nestled just 20 minutes outside of Beaufort, SC - has been recommended by several Palmetto natives. When they try to describe it they usually can't find the words and end up saying: JUST GO.

I knew they weren't kidding when I looked online to make reservations and saw that the campground was full for months. They have 1 cabin on the beach and it's booked for a solid 13 months from now.

Whoa.

So being blindly optimistic, I decided to check their reservation schedule every single day in hopes a spot would open up. You never know, right?

Well last Monday I sat down at my desk, opened my laptop, and did my usual refresh of the schedule.
BOOM.
Not only did 1 spot open up for that weekend, but it was waterfront too.
Getting a last minute waterfront spot during the peak Summer months is just unheard of.
FATE.

We had zero camping gear when I booked this site. That's how spontaneous and random it was.
My latest life motto I'm trying to live by is 'Think Less, Do More.'

So, we ran out to grab the basics!
Tent.
Hammock.
Graham Crackers/Marshmallows/Chocolate

And off we went.

How dreamy is this place?
It's very 'prehistoric' looking. Hunting Island prides itself on being very undeveloped.
So undeveloped that you can lay on the beach and see the milky way at night...


Our mornings were spent waking up with the sand fleas Summer sun and perfect sea breeze...

Days were spent roaming the deserted beaches and feeling free....

'Think Less, Do More'
;)

Nights were spent eating too many s'mores, playing frisbee on the beach, and rocking in the hammock...

This campground is everything and more. The first day we got there we already made plans to come back in the Winter. It was a weekend straight out of a dream. Totally unexpected, too.
I mean it when I say, the best trips are always unplanned ;)

I left this wonderland feeling sad my time here was up, but curiously wondering...
how does it ever get any better than this!?

I guess time shall tell...

August Adventures

Hi friends.

August has been a classic 'dog days of Summer' month for us so far. A lot of relaxing, routine, and nothing too new & exciting over here. While my Sagittarius soul is running in circles, the other, more introverted side of me is secretly enjoying it...

Days are spent working.
Evenings are spent unplugging from technology and hiking here.

Summer storms are starting to wind down (nooooooooooo) and I can vaguely feel Fall in the air...
While I'm sad storm season is coming to an end, these muggy afternoons sure make the woods look beautiful.

When I lived up North I used to get so bummed about Fall. The crisp air and colored leaves were every day reminders that a 7 month winter was coming up quick. But now that I live in the South, I'm actually looking forward to Fall. I want to drive the blue ridge parkway, pumpkin spice latte in hand, and check out the foliage in the cooler weather. I guess these Southern natives were right when they said Summer gets old real quick - 95+ degrees every day since May. Wooo! Someone send me HERE.

Speaking of cooler weather and New Hampshire, this weekend we snuck away to the mountains in upstate SC and found this. A historic red covered bridge! I could've sworn I stepped into a time machine and was back in New England. This is Campbell's covered bridge in Landrum, SC.

After this, we drove another hour or so into the mountains and discovered one of the most beautiful farms in South Carolina...

Chattooga Belle Farm.

Look at the view! This farm is just stunning. They have orchards, vineyards, and a rustic barn straight out of every girl's dream wedding board on Pinterest.

They have a cute little restaurant on a deck overlooking the mountains. We were so excited to try lunch there, but we were 20 minutes too late. Maybe next time.

All of the staff were so friendly and inviting. True Southern hospitality at this place, treating everyone that comes around like they're family. They were setting up for a wedding and I have to admit, if I could go back and get married again... this place would be it.

Lately I've been craving a weekend of camping. On the beach. Makes s'mores on the beach and falling asleep to the sound of waves....ahhh doesn't that sound like heaven?
Perfect way to send off Summer 2015.
I've been eying THIS place....so we'll see what transpires.



I hope you're enjoying these last days of Summer, wherever you are :)