Making Time for Things We Love

Work-life balance is a daily struggle for me.  Running a creative business, working as an event planner, taking care of my family and home, as well as playing a role in my church community leave very little space in my schedule. I have to consciously carve out pockets of time to do the things that I love and to re-energize myself.

With recharging my batteries in mind, I headed to Belfast, Maine on Columbus Day Weekend for some much needed time off. My 13-year old daughter was my companion and after a four hour drive north, we arrived in historic downtown Belfast.

We arrived in time to have lunch at a popular local food truck, called Good N You, which was serving its last meal of the season.  After a delicious lunch of BLT Tacos and Shrimp Tostada, we hit the local galleries, open studios and stores before checking into our fabulous bed and breakfast, The Alden House.

The main focus of our weekend was an event called Cultivate: a Belfast Area Farm and Arts Trail organized by the Belfast Creative Coalition.  A tour of working farms and artists’ studios in the communities surrounding Belfast. We set off early on Sunday armed with a picnic from the Belfast Coop, a community owned organic food store and deli/cafe.

Some of the highlights from our day were:  Many Hands Farm, an organic farm run by the amazing Palumbo family, that we plan to visit again next year to stay in one of their hand built cabins. Ewald Family Farm & Table, where we stocked up on Peach Chutney, Tomato & Basil Jam and some Whoopie Pies for an afternoon snack.

Barbara Walch Pottery and Fire Flower Garden was a wonderful stop.  The flowers might have been fading, but it was a really beautiful spot, as you can see from the pictures below. And our final stop of the day was Good Karma Farm, a sheep and alpaca farm that also sells the most amazing Carrabassett Soap.

It was a wonderful weekend! I was able to connect with my daughter, spend time doing things we both enjoy in a place that we love. We came home relaxed and re-energized with some great memories.