Terri and Peter's RV Adventures

It turns out that most people intentionally go to Middlebury and Shipshewana, IN to experience the Amish and Mennonite communities. For us, it was synchronicity. When I was planning this trip, I tried to limit our daily drive to no more than 300 miles, except out west where it was nearly impossible to find any place to stay without flexing the limit to 350 or 400 miles. So, in planning this leg of the trip, I saw a Harvest Host, Teaberry Wood Products in Middlebury, IN, and it looked like a good place to simply spend the night. It was.

This morning was particularly bone-chilling cold. Maybe it was the dampness in the air combined with the wind that made 45 degrees seem like 35. But the pastels created by the filtered early morning sun gently stroking the farmland, barns and sturdy houses accompanied by the bird soundtrack, were too much to pass up. I added another layer of clothing, put on my sweatshirt with hoody and bundled up with coffee and books to brave the cold and soak in the peaceful, soul enriching sensations of the early morning.

Then, as the clip clop of horse and wagon percussed the air, I was transported to an earlier time when engines didn’t exist nor cars swooshing by at speeds unthinkable in the horse and buggy era. I reveled in the slowing of time. I was struck by the fact that every passing buggy’s occupants lifted a hand in a friendly wave when passing by; acknowledging my presence despite the immediately visual evidence that my consumption was quite conspicuous (in the form of an airstream and a truck). They simply raised a hand, gesturing a friendliness and welcoming that defied today’s logic and tendency to “other” those who are different from us. It is a simple and profound gesture and one we could all adopt to make this world a better place.

As we completed our final packing, I went inside the Teaberry Wood products store and was immediately captivated by the warmth, the music and the beauty of the products. I could see the workshop where the products are made through a large plate glass window rendering the products ever more authentic.

Our hosts and owners of the shop, Rachel and Vern came out to show us around and we ended up having deep and connecting conversations about the origins of the Mennonites and Amish, and how Rachel and Vern chose to leave the Amish community to become Mennonite and were shunned by their families. After 20 years, their parents just decided it was enough and normalized the relationship.

Vern talked about his grandfather who was hospitalized with a blood disorder and genetic testing revealed he had Tay Sachs Disease, a genetic condition unique to Jews. The hospital staff was baffled by an Amish man having Tay Sachs. Turns out that his father married a Jewish woman when making their way from Germany to the US. Vern was quietly very proud of this blood connection (as he called it) to Judaism. The four of us talked for quite some time and left with a sweet understanding of one another’s faith tradition. It’s what makes these Harvest Host stays so interesting compared to simply staying at a campground.

We were soon on our way, driving through more rolling green farmland during a relatively short drive to a suburb of Cleveland. We were warmly embraced by Mike and Katie Kelly, and four of their six children. Mike is Peter’s nephew and both Mike and Katie are doctors, Mike a neurologist and Katie a surgeon. Beyond these impressive professions, they are incredibly genuine, generous and values-based human beings. We set up shop in their driveway, Lily was run ragged by their children’s ball throwing and we ultimately ate Indian food and talked for hours, sharing stories about Peter’s mom, Ruth, her brother and his wife, Art and Hush and about the importance of human interaction and connection. What a lovely way to spend an evening. It was truly enriching.

Tomorrow is our day off from driving and we can catch up on laundry, a Costco run and a regular kind of day. It will be nice to have a break from travel. This was a day of building bridges and creating connections; something we can do whether on vacation or not, as long as everyone is open to new ideas, employs curiosity and is willing to explore and enrich one’s life by sharing with others at a deeper level.