That Place: Baltimore

We all have special places. That one place that makes us feel home, and free, and full of possibilities and comfy to make mistakes and work them out. It might be a lone bench at a duck pond. Or it could be a corner in your house. Or it could be the 4th floor of the library in that desk that has that energy to drive your mind and say "It's ok" when you just don't get it but are trying to get it. I have a few of those places. One of them is in the Towson University Library where I felt free to drive myself till I was driving so far off my mental comfort zone through my studies to a place that needed to be paved but I kept going knowing that my mind was going in the right direction over rocks and through streams like a mental Jeep. Then stop my mind, take a nap and keep going.

Our destination on Saturday was to one of those places, but one for us where when we go we feel good, relaxed, ok to be fat, and ok to mess up while finding the right road in this journey and ok to eat too many calories and laugh a little too loud. The Baltimore neighborhoods of Fells Point and Canton are those places for us. Thank goodness Baltimore is also so close! I didn't have "that place" in New Jersey and was always looking for it feeling a little off when I would go to a park and ask it "Are you my place?" and the park would say, "No, not me!" and I would sit waiting to get comfortable then go home. Anyway, Fells Point is that place to go let down our pony-tails and pick up a beer and burger both emotionally and realistically. There is something in the Belgian block stone that speaks to me, and the rows of brick houses that really don't match the stone street yet do. 

If I worked in the Domino Sugar factory I would dive into the sugar like a pool. 

Iconic Baltimore

Walking on the pier you can see the water glisten between the planks of wood.

Factory converted into fancy shmancy condos.

Best burger in town.

Then there are the dogs, oh the dogs of Fells Point are so sweet. They put on their best outfits and go for prim little walks. 

His name is Earl.

Celebrating their 10 year anniversary. 

Triplets

A very good boy

A placid happy pup keeping eye on the liquor store. 

On Saturday the sun was shining so bright I knew it would erase all calories with pure joy. I'm not sure what my scale thought of that but I'm sure we can negotiate a deal.

One of my favorite things about Baltimore is that it is still a port and you can see all of the working ships come and leave. It has a rustic edge about it that makes it seem more real than a purely beautiful pier to walk on. Baltimore still has those opportunities in it's landscape to charm and let you relax seeing that it's still working itself out, like we are, and that in the meantime grab a burger and have a nice time.