I hereby begin my life as a blogger. This here will be a collection of snapshots, travel tips, and mementos I’ve accumulated over the years–memories of the things I loved and that stuck with me through the everyday grey and beige. To set the tone, here are some recurring themes in my universe.
(1) Work travel, it nudges. Invariably, I end up in extraordinary places at the worst possible time. Limitations abound: The weather is at its worst, I have only a couple of hours in a day to explore (often after closing times, and when I am about to collapse from exhaustion), and it’s almost never on weekends. This is a blessing, of sorts. The choices are so obvious and always an adventure–plus, I find, many places are more themselves off-season, off-hours, behind the scenes.
Pleasant surprises and accidental discoveries during my work travel shaped my approach to travel generally: I do the research but am also more spontaneous, more adventurous about the places we visit than ever before. Before long, this hidden-treasure hunt I’ve been forced into has become my preferred wandering style.

The Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery, nestled in the hills between El Morro and La Perla, old San Juan’s colorful slum, is an enchanting place

Racing Presidents, Washington Nationals game
(2) Home turf, it surprises. I am fortunate to live in one of the most cheap-tourist-friendly oases in the word: Washington, DC. This means free world-class museums, performances, and priority seating by the pulse of it all.
It took me years to realize that all this is still here, whether or not family visits.

Reenactors strolling at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens
(3) Nature, it nurtures. Finally, as I search for a place to wind down, the joys are even more simplified: parks, nature reserves, gardens, my garden. Plant well, and it grows, it blossoms and brings more life. I (a nomad at heart, surely!) always resisted the family green thumb, and it skipped a generation with my parents. I thought I was safe too–until I got my very own patch of earth to greenify. Native and organic gardening and, by extension, hiking and bird watching came naturally as these floodgates opened.
Generations of vagabond ancestors must be scandalized.

Early lotus flowers at the Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, one of DC’s best-kept secrets.
Note: All pictures on this site are, unless otherwise noted, either my own or taken by my partner, an avid and talented photographer. If you would like to reuse them, please ask for permission.
Great post, I love the photo of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. Looking forward to reading more of your work! 🙂 G.
You are very kind. Thank you!
Transplanted tatar, what an unusual name but impressive .I loved reading your post.the photographs are well done.I would like to hear more of your garden and the cheap place you mentioned.
Thank you for reading! I look forward to following your posts as well. I am just beginning here, and got a bit sidetracked with writing about my garden. I will post more soon.
HI Ms. Transplant,
Thanks for visiting my blog! I am actually living in Baltimore right now, and will be in DC Tuesday, it’s a great city.
I hope you enjoy your DC visit next week! Keeping fingers crossed for you that the weather cooperates. 🙂
I love your turn of phrase. I’ve only read this post (so far!) but your writing style is so appealing that I am looking forward to reading more.
Thank you, Dara! I look forward to reading more about your experiences of the “smaller details of life”–very often the only details that end up to really matter.
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Hello, I really enjoy your blog and have nominated you for One Lovely Blog Award. Keep up the wonderful writing. http://thisfloridalife.com/2012/09/22/lovely-blog-award/
Thank you! This is a LOVELY surprise. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for reading.
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Wonderful blog. Loved your post about Utah. What gorgeous land.
Thank you, Debra! I really appreciate the encouragement. This is a new blog, and I get so much joy in reliving these memories. I am glad others enjoy it too.
Hi! Thank you for your comments on my blog. I am also new at this and it is nice when someone notices my work and appreciates it; I have many more places to write about…and not much free time to do so but hopefully I will post something soon; in the meantime I will enjoy reading your posts…thanks again and Happy New Year!
Thank YOU also. Good travels and writings, Davide.
I really like the transplantedtatar blog, it is most interesting. It will be a great success because of your dedication and enthusiasm.
Carolyn, you are very kind. Thank you very much for the support.
the name drew me in…
Transplanted Tatar….
I know one well …
I will enjoy wandering through your travels in photos and words…
I like the easy..calm flow of your words….
Take Care…
)0(
ladyblue
Hi transplantedtatar, nice to meet you. Your blog is wonderful – full of interesting stories and places.
Thanks so much for following our blog. I hope you enjoy the stories of our journey. And don’t be a stranger – come on over and join the conversation.
Cheers, and happy travels
Alison
Thank you, Alison! I love your blog. Happy travels!