I planted this coffee plant in a farm that provides Starbucks with coffee. In about two years you might be drinking some Kelsey-planted coffee.
From my notes:
I gently place the plant into the ground and cover it up, patting it like I’m putting it to bed. In this valley surrounded by volcanoes and sweeping vistas, where you damn near can see Ecuador, where the adjectives that come to mind first all seem to be swear words (___ beautiful), my plant looks so defenseless and small. But tiny little plants like mine planted throughout Colombia, have shaped the lives of the people here every bit as much as the volcanoes have shaped the landscape….
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Celebrating Mother's Day (Picture by Kira Childers)
I’m homesick.
The wheels of the plane just lifted off American soil, myflight nosing toward Bogota, and I’m already missing my wife and kids. Actually the homesickness began long before that. As soon as a trip is confirmed, the homesickness begins.
This is the 3rd to the last night I’ll give the kids a bath.
This is the 2nd to last night Annie and I will plop on the couch and watch whatever it is she wants to watch (except Dateline, which is about the biggest load of horse crap show there is) as long as I get a foot rub.
This is the last night Oreo, our cat, will chase…
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“Hello.”
“Hello, Kelsey, this is Simon Tatum. How are you jolly ol’ chap?” (Simon is British and I don’t think he actually says jolly ol’ chap, but that’s what I hear.)
“How’s life in Hollywood?” I ask, back home in Muncie, Indiana, where it’s almost dinner time. I have spit up on my shirt and I may or may not have pee on my pants. I’m not an invalid; I have kids, which is close to the same thing when you think about it.
“Well, Kelsey, that’s why I’m calling you. I’m shooting a pilot. Would you be interested in being in it?”
This was in November and I was traveling out to…
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Get an autographed copy of WEARING
I was riding my bike through Ball State’s campus yesterday. After working the morning at the library, I stopped in at the campus Barnes & Noble bookstore and signed their stock of Where Am I Wearing? So, if you are itching for a signed copy of the new edition of the book, there’s about 20 there.
To order a copy call (765)285-8080. Make sure you tell them that you want an autographed one.
A little help, please
Apparently Amazon doesn’t transfer reviews from one edition to the next. So instead of having 27 reviews, the new edition of WEARING has 2. Bummer. Could you help me with that?
Reviews matter. Think about when you are shopping for a…
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I get asked all the time, but I have no idea how many countries I’ve been to. It’s probably somewhere around 60.
One thing is for sure; it’s way fewer than Chris Guillebeau. The dude is going to EVERY country and he’s just a few away from being done.
When I first heard about Chris’s goal – travel to every country on the planet – I rolled my eyes. What value is there in popping into a place for a day or two? In some countries it takes me that long to work up the nerve to cross the street. I’m more of author Tim Cahill’s philosophy: “A journey is best measured in friends and…
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Each year I try to work with a college student who has an interest in writing. They help me manage some of my workload, research, and proof my work. C.M. (Chris) Humphries helped me last year, and this year he has a book out — Excluded. Congrats Chris! I asked Chris to write a post addressed to college creative writing students and share what he learned on his path to publishing his first book.
All These Stories & No One to Tell Them To
While I was still an undergraduate student, I never knew what to do with my writing. I cannot even guess at how many writing courses I took, whether under my telecommunications major or my creative writing minor. No matter which…
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I’m at it again. Calling brands, working the corporate phone chain, sending emails, filling out contact forms, and in general not getting anywhere fast.
I’m working on a new book project – WHERE AM I EATING – out in the spring of 2013. In March I was in Costa Rica working as a banana worker and soon I’ll be on a coffee farm in Colombia.
Whole Foods and EARTH University worked with me to arrange my banana farm visit and I’m so grateful. There you have two major institutions kind enough to help me. Awesome! But that’s not always the case.
The other day I received an email from a food brand that you are definitely familiar with. Most of you probably have one of their products sitting…
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I’m heading to Colombia soon to hangout with coffee farmers, so I’ve been searching for a guidebook. Moon, my guidebooks of choice, doesn’t have one for Colombia, and Lonely Planet’s guide was last updated in 2009, which means the info probably came from 2008 at the latest.
I really had to search Amazon before I found Colombia Handbook, 4th (Footprint – Handbooks)
, which I ultimately purchased. In the process I found a couple of guides the Secret Service agents must’ve used or written:
Men’s Guide to Colombia 2010
Bang Colombia
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