Hi there. That's me on the left, on a boat on the Bosphorus. I certainly wasn't feeling sexy that day, but I sure look it in the photo, which is why I love it. Nothing is quite as it seems.
Definition of Locus Amoenus:
Latin for "pleasant place", locus amoenus is a literary term which generally refers to an idealized place of safety or comfort, sometimes with connotations of Eden.
I first came across the term in a course on Golden Age Spanish Literature. We were reading the great poets. Everything was pastoral.
I started blogging when my life started changing. I'd reached that pivotal quarter-life crisis, where I began to crave meaning and question just about everything I'd learned up to that point. I needed to be heard, but also wanted something safe. A locus amoenus, if you will.
This blog chronicles the often prosaic journey of self-discovery. Life usually feels boring, but sometimes feels epic. I'll let you read the details in my writing, but after much hemming and hawing, in 2009 I quit my 9-to-5 (and very unfulfilling) job and moved to Uganda. I started One Mango Tree, a fair trade apparel and handbag business which employs 47 amazing women and brings constant movement, excitement and frustration to my life. I do consulting on the side, working mostly in post-conflict areas on improving livelihoods.
When I'm not traveling, I'm spending time at home in Washington, DC, with Hank, my furry companion.
