Things My Father Taught Me: Joanna Goddard
When starting a blog, one turns to other blogs for inspiration. I had four blogs in mind when starting All Plaidout: my friends at The Paupered Chef, and then my idols: A Continuous Lean, Secret Forts, and A Cup of Jo.
With each post on APO, I hope to emulate Joanna Goddard’s ability to merge the personal and the professional, to express her level of taste in an intelligent way, and to bring something good into the world. Joanna, thank you for continuing to offer us the tastiest Cup of Jo.
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Make Life an Adventure
We grew up in the suburbs in Michigan, definitely not the world’s most exotic place. But my dad had an uncanny ability to make life feel thrilling. On a typical Saturday or Sunday afternoon, he would ask my brother, sister and me, “Want to go on an adventure?” No matter what our destination — a park, a drive, a frozen yogurt shop, Barnes & Noble — it would feel like anything could happen. Nowadays, I’m still inspired by the way he gets the most out of every day — going on bike rides, canoeing, grilling fish on the deck, reading mountains of books, traveling to Iceland, flirting with waitresses, cracking open a bottle of wine for Sunday lunch. He really knows how to live. I hope I’ve been able to nab a bit of his infectious energy and that I can foster that same joie de vivre in my own son. It’s an amazing trait, and he’s an amazing person.
