Escape to Salem

For our second anniversary, Daniel and I took a fun weekend trip to Salem, Massachusetts. I’d like to tell you that it was all about romance … but what kind of  scholar-author team would that make us?

While we did enjoy a fancy dinner and a quaint bed-and-breakfast (complete with a wine and cheese hour!), the main focus of our trip was research. Daniel is studying the Salem Witch Trials for a class project, and I’ve always been fascinated with the event … and just may have a book idea brewing. If you’ve ever thought about a trip to Salem, I highly recommend all the attractions in this blog post (and going in fall – such gorgeous weather!). In the interest of brevity, I’ll just hit the highlights:

Salem Burying Point
A lovely little spot that holds the graves of important townspeople, including several of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ancestors (including Judge Hathorne, who presided over the Witch Trials). While the bodies are not buried there, it does include a  set of beautiful stone benches engraved with the Witch Trial victims’ names. (My header image shows a few tombstones – visible on the main blog page.)

House of the Seven Gables & Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Birth House
Probably my favorite part of the trip. The original home that inspired the famous novel still stands. It’s filled with era-appropriate recreations and there’s even a secret staircase visitors can climb! Hawthorne’s birth home was moved to the property in the 1950s, and it holds several of his letters and books, as well as the desk on which he wrote The Scarlet Letter. As you can imagine, this author geeked out.

The Witch House
Home to Witch Trial Judge Jonathan Corwin, this is the only house in Salem with direct ties to the Witch Trials. History buffs: this is your jam. Authentic household items and writings from the 1600s (only a few things were recreations), with knowledgeable and friendly tour guides on both floors. If you want to know what life was like as Puritan, this is your stop.

Danvers, MA – aka Salem Village
What many people don’t realize is that modern-day Salem is actually “Salem Town.” The hangings and some trial activity happened here, but the accusations and most trials actually happened in Salem Village, which is modern-day Danvers. Unlike modern Salem, Danvers has tried to separate itself from the Witch Trials. While important monuments remain, they’re mixed right in with neighborhoods.

While Hawthorne holds the most special place in my heart, this was by far the coolest part of the trip. We saw the official Witch Trials monument, the site of the meeting house (where the accusations happened), and toured the homestead of Rebecca Nurse (one of the victims). But the highlight for me? Walking in the parsonage foundations, the exact place where Reverend Samuel Parris’ daughter and niece made the first accusation and started the entire spectacle. I couldn’t stop the goosebumps!

Now that I’ve gushed about the amazing things we saw, I want to take a moment to impart my biggest lesson from the weekend. So many people depict the Witch Trial victims as A) actual witches or B) vengeful spirits. After learning about these individuals, those impressions couldn’t be farther from the truth. The victims went to the gallows (not the stake) pitying their misinformed community members and trusting completely that they would be absolved in Heaven. Throughout my entire trip, I didn’t hear a single account of revenge or hatred from the victims (their families, a bit).

Being in the victims’ town and standing where they stood gave me an appreciation for their faith and a new perspective on their stories. If I do include Salem and the Witch Trials in a future novel, you can bet those themes will feature in my work. There’s no substitute for in-person interaction, and I’m so grateful Daniel and I were able to take this trip. I can’t wait to travel to more inspiring places and share my experiences with you on this blog … and in my books!

Starting Life in New Haven

For those of you who missed the memo, my husband, Daniel, and I moved to New Haven, CT, last week. I’ve never lived anywhere other than Kansas before. I’ve traveled — quite a lot for someone my age — but until last week, I had never actually packed up all my stuff and left my home. Because of this, being in New Haven feels a bit like being on vacation. That and the fact that we are only here for two years while Daniel does his Masters (maybe seven, if he sticks with Yale Divinity School for his PhD, too). But so far, it all still feels temporary.

I like New Haven  well enough so far. We’re living downtown, so there are dozens of restaurants, shops, and plenty of “touristy” landmarks within walking distance. Our building is old, but full of that colonial city charm. The city is gorgeous, especially Yale’s campus and the areas near the beach. I can already feel the architectural inspiration seeping into my writerly pores and begging to go into a story one day.

While living in the city is convenient, after living in somewhat rural areas my entire life, the city is definitely an adjustment. Seeing people everywhere and hearing constant noise (not loud noise, mind you, just general city buzz in the background) is incredibly strange to me. I never thought I would say this, but I miss the sound of cicadas.

Also, everyone in Connecticut (and every state I’ve encountered in New England) drives like a complete idiot. Kansans – imagine Missouri drivers only 10,000x worse. My motto while driving has become, “You better have insurance, asshole.”

We’ve met a few members of Daniel’s cohort, and they are all lovely people. Two of them were nice enough to help us move in (in other words, they are saints), one gave us a wonderful campus tour, and two more hosted us for dessert (How did they know the way to my heart is through chocolate?). Knowing that we have them around has been a big help and makes the city feel a bit less lonely.

Perhaps the best part of our new living arrangement is that Thomas has officially graduated to being an inside kitty. He has embraced this role, spending his days lazing around and demanding his belly rubbed. His favorite spots are the windowsills, and I hope this is because he enjoys the breeze and not because he misses being outside. But as I type this, he’s giving himself a bath on our futon and perching on a pillow like it’s a throne — so he must not be too upset.

All in all, New Haven is proving to be an eclectic and fun city. There are so many places we want to explore, and I cannot wait to share this adventure with Daniel and with all of you. If I didn’t already have an established blog, I would probably start one to write about all the shenanigans this “country girl” gets up to in “the big city.” Something about Dorothy and The New Haven Green, maybe.

Anyway, I better get back to Desertera before my characters completely forget who I am. Have a magnificent Monday and share your moving stories and all the feels below!