The Month I will Never Forget

12//2018

This past December of 2018 was undoubtedly one of the greatest months of my life. It truly felt like I was living out a dream. I spent most of my days either traveling to and from place to place, or exploring the gorgeous areas around where I was at the time. I am curating this page and filling it with pictures and stories of my travel in the hopes that it might bring anyone who reads it, a little bit of the feeling that I was chasing this entire time.

It all started in a treehouse

Jack’s Treetop Sanctuary

I started the month off by staying in a treehouse, 30ft up in the trees, in Dunbarton, NH (the airbnb is linked in the title). This night of solitude changed something inside of me that ignited this passion for finding these cool little places to escape away to and be by myself at. While I was here, for the brief one night stay, I shot some content for Betterwood Products. This was the start of my first commissioned work that I have begun doing, something that I never thought I would be doing. BUT, this trip was not all sunshine and rainbows; the clear roof, while unbelievably cool to fall asleep looking at, provided no insulation, and thus, once I stopped stoking the wood stove as I fell asleep, the treehouse became very cold, as New Hampshire is not so pleasant in December. I woke up to the water in my water bottle that was next to my bed, being frozen solid. It was a chilly morning, though the inside of my sleeping bag kept me comfortably warm, I knew that the second I got out of it I would be hit with the freezing chill of NH mornings. Except, there were more pictures to be taken and more adventures to be had, so I braced the cold and began the day.

The Getaway of All Getaways

Time To Getaway

This one was special. I was partaking in an Artist Fellowship at a Getaway House in Epsom, NH. Getaway Houses are the perfect little escapes from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Located just outside of Boston, NYC, Washington D.C. Atlanta, and Los Angeles, these cabins are such awesome places to unplug and disconnect from society for a little bit. I got the chance to connect with nature and film a little bit, even making a short little film from my stay that can be found here —>Who Am I?

This was my first “Tiny House” experience, I got to feel what it would be like to actually live in a tiny home and I loved every part of it. Waking up to a wall of window, being able to cook breakfast, and even shower, all in this one little, tiny home was amazing. And I even got to make some new furry friends!

The Mountains are Calling

Vans and Trees

So, right after my fellowship at the Getaway House, I zipped up to Bethlehem, NH where I met up with my friend, and world’s best airbnb host, Dan, where I was staying for two nights. Dan has a small, permaculture farm up in NH and has a couple different places of resting that he rents on airbnb. I finally lived my dream of sleeping in an old Westfalia VW van, and even though it dropped to -8 degrees that night, I stayed perfectly warm (though this was largely due in part to my 0 degree sleeping bag). But the van is the coolest little place to stay for anyone who, like me, has dreamt of living in an old VW van.

In the three days (two nights) that I spent up there, I had a lot of time to explore, however I spent a considerable amount of time in a coffee shop in downtown Littleton. I had some butternut squash, pear, ginger soup and it was the most delicious soup I have ever had to date; nothing will ever compare. I also stopped in at the coolest store I have ever been to. Walking into Lonesome Woods was like walking into a dream. I could have spent all day there talking to Nick about the store, and just life in general. It was easily one of my favorite stores that I have ever gone to.

The Treehaus is a WHOLE other story. I stayed here back in October, my first ever time staying in a treehouse, and it is all I have wanted to do since then. Hand-built by Dan himself, this place is a perfect escape to nature. There is a killer view of Mt. Washington from the huge, circle window in the Treehaus, that you can see right from the bed. Even when the temperature dropped to close to freezing, it was plenty comfortable in the Treehaus. I am already looking forward to my next trip back.

Tucked Away in the Woods of Maine

The Crooked River Tiny House

Tucked away in the pines of Western Maine, right along the Crooked River, there sits a tiny little house. This tiny house was truly remarkable, I thoroughly enjoyed my brief visit there. Off the beaten path is the best way to describe this place, requiring a short walk to get to from where I parked. Though it was very rustic, with no running water and only solar powered light, though in winter, there was not much light to be had so it was a fairly dark evening. I didn’t mind. I spent my evening stoking the wood stove and writing some notes down about what I wanted to accomplish by the end of the month. However, I got the wood stove going a bit too hot and ended up sleeping with the window by my bed open until about 3 am! Nonetheless, the next morning proved to be beyond peaceful, as I sat, drinking my coffee and watching the birds and squirrels meander around outside the house.

First Time in the Catskillls

The Tiny Catskill Cabin

Where to even begin with this one… Well for starters, I had never been to the Catskills before, a shame I know, but am I ever glad I did. I had no idea the beauty that this little part of New York held! Aside from the looming, snow covered mountains, there were tons of little, winding backroads that always had some wildlife (we saw at least five deer) or some sort of livestock. I also got to check off Kaaterskill Falls off my bucket list, and let me tell you, if you ever find yourself in the area, this is a MUST. It was just a short little walk to the viewing area but it left me speechless.

The Tiny Catskill Cabin was by and far one of the coziest cabins I have ever stayed in. Finished with tons of thoughtful little touches, this place left a smile on my face the entire time that I was there. The kitchen was fully stocked with everything you could need, dishes, silverware, pots and pans. There were also a bunch of books that we thoroughly enjoyed reading. The bed was near impossible to get up from in the morning, with the skylight windows letting you look up into the morning light that washed over the trees. I hope that this was not my last time there, as it now holds a special place in my heart.

Now What?

Well, 2019 has officially started and it has been off to a killer start. I just went to The Berkshires for the first time ever, stayed in a dream cabin of mine, and crossed another waterfall off my bucket list. I am spending an entire week in New York at two extremely cool places, one of which I have dreamt about for I don’t even know how long now. Mix in a couple photoshoots, a wedding to film, and a couple of other adventures, and it will be March 7th in no time. Oh wait, I haven’t said anything about what is happening then… Well, looks like you will have to wait a little bit longer.

Stay You,

Ethan