I took a birthday journey last weekend and turned 32 on Friday in a boat on a misty mountain lake with good beer, a good friend, and my fantastically good dog.

It was the first I’d been away from the farm for more than a night since this chapter of my life began two and a half years ago. Although it was wonderful to be on the road, camping and exploring through beautiful Southwestern Virginia, coming home to the farm was a sweet new pleasure. Never before have I lived in a place in which I was so invested—physically, spiritually, emotionally and creatively. These investments return a feeling of rootedness and connection to this very particular patch of earth, which is exactly what I was seeking when I left my transient life of roosting in anonymous apartments around the country.

In fact, I like the feeling of returning so much that I am going to start traveling more, just so I can come home.

And while we’re celebrating comings and goings and getting older and moving deeper instead of faster or more often, I’ve made it to my 200th blog post!