It's Time!
When I came back here from South Africa 4 years ago, I had no intention of staying here. But one thing did NOT lead to another and so here I still am, in the Pacific Northwest, vowing to never do another winter here.
But the Universe works in mysterious ways and my departure is set for November. In brief, I go from here to South Africa for a family reunion and four months of fun before pretty much moving to Belize. There I will research where Ryan can buy some waterfront property, then oversee building or creating an Airbnb situation where I would live.
That all sounds quite simple put that way, but there are still a lot of blocks that need to fall into place to make it happen. And all of a sudden, that is happening.
As you know, I am fascinated with craft distilleries. I love the look, feel and smell of them with the enormous copper stills and weird and wonderful pipes linking to more stills and more piping. And I love the enthusiasm of the distillers, themselves! Oh, and of course, the tastings! There are so many variations to a spirit and all reflect the individuality of the master distiller!
One of the blocks that recently fell into place is a solid connection with American Distilling Institute (ADI), the group that has become the "governing body" for craft distillers in this country. Through them, I have hooked up with the newly-forming South African Craft Distilling Institute (SACDI). They have welcomed me with open arms and introductions to the distillers down there. So now, besides the family reunion, I will be doing a lot of traveling to write articles for the ADI magazine, Distiller Magazine! I am SO excited about it and there is the possibility of going Australia to do the same thing at a later date!
Click, click, click go the blocks.
My main focus now is to get the house taken care of, the cats re-homed with Ryan (holding thumbs) and getting out of here before it gets cold and dreary.