Wanderlust Thoughts

Hi friends! I hope everyone’s staying safe and healthy! I know we’ve all been cooped up in the house for months and are in need of some fresh air and sunshine. If you’re looking for something fun to do while still keeping a safe distance from others, look no further! Last weekend, my friends Sam, Ariana, and I visited Sweetfields Sunflower Farm . It’s a family-owned and operated farm in Brooksville, Florida, about an hour north of Tampa. In order to comply with COVID-19 guidelines, pre-purchased tickets are required to access the grounds during an assigned time slot. This includes the ability to walk through the sunflower maze field, access picnic areas, visit the farm animal areas, and access the U-Pick veggie gardens to pick and purchase this season’s crop. They are open from 10:000 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. and tickets are $8.00 each (plus tax and Eventbrite fees) for anyone 3-years-old and up. Sunflower season runs through Memorial Day. The farm i...

On May 5th, it was announced that the Institute of Notre Dame (IND), the oldest all-girl’s Catholic school in Maryland, would permanently close its doors this summer. IND was founded by the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1847. For the past 173 years, it has stood firm in its original location in East Baltimore.  The Baltimore Sun states, “IND’s first class graduated in July 1864, as cannon fire from the Civil War could be heard in the distance, according to the school’s history. During the Civil War, the sisters helped slaves reach freedom as part of the Underground Railroad. They tended to students and each other during the pandemic of 1918. During the Baltimore riots in 1968, the school was left untouched except that the words ‘soul sisters’ had been scrawled across the building, according to a 1997 story in the Baltimore Sun. Even in the 1970s, when other preparatory schools moved out of the city and into the suburbs, IND remained.” IND is known for educatin...