Each month I create these Journal episodes and posts exclusively for paying members of The Kettle Community. They’re like little care packages full of seasonal observations, reflections, and resources. Enjoy, and thank you for supporting my work!
I wrote and recorded this month’s Journal from the middle of a two-week mother-daughter road trip through Quebec. Our goal for this trip was as follows: eat a lot of poutine (Clara), drink a lot of tea (me), learn as much as possible about our family’s French-Canadian ancestry (both of us) and have as much fun as possible doing it.
Fortunately I lucked out with the world’s most delightful teen travel companion. We are really having such a lovely time, friends.
In this month’s Journal episode, I share how I planned the trip and some of the practical details that have made a long journey manageable, from AirBNB logistics to traveling well with a teenager. I share some details about what we’ve done so far, on the first half of our trip (we are exactly in the middle of it now) and what we’ve got planned next.
If you’ve got questions about traveling in Quebec - such as, do you need to be able to speak French? (answer: non, though having a few phrases in your back pocket is helpful) you will definitely want to listen!
I also talk about how I’m approaching the unknowns about the family research I’m conducting on the fly, and leaning into what’s important so I don’t spend the whole time obsessing about whether I find a specific name on a headstone.
As Clara and I visit the places where our ancestors once lived, worked, worshipped, and died - many of them more than four hundred years ago - I’m finding myself much less interested in specific places that are now lost to time, and much more interested in understanding the larger story of legacy and the way an ordinary person’s impact continues long after the details of their personal story have faded.
Come along with me for a very special edition of The Kettle podcast!
Journal episodes come out at the beginning of each month, and are a benefit for paying members of The Kettle Community. To hear the full episode, see more photos, resources, and links, and find links to community events like our weekly Co-Create sessions on Zoom, our private Discord chat, and more, join us today.
