I, like many, got to experience the total solar eclipse on Monday, the 8th. The Husband and I traveled to Indianapolis for this event as a make up trip for my aborted aurora trip for my 50th birthday. As a bonus, I got to meet up with Cat and her girlfriend, Sheri. That made for a fun visit to go along with the eclipse experience.

There are so many small things that made me smile, brought a sense of wonder and awe to my world, and made me appreciate the moment.

• Perfect ambient weather for the eclipse. Comfortable in the shade. Sunny and warm in the sun.
• The Husband running around the neighborhood with our extra eclipse glasses to make sure everyone got the experience.
• Watching tulips close their petals in real time as the light of the sun dimmed.
• Feeling the change in the weather, the temperature dipping, and the birds trying to figure out if it was time for bed or not.
• Seeing the sun slowly disappear until it was gone and, suddenly, I could see the “ring of fire” without any eye protection.
• Realizing that I could see sun flares with my naked eyes.
• Bathing my eclipse coin in the light of the eclipse and the totality. A memory in tangible form.
• Counting the moments of totality and sensing the passing of time.
• Keeping the image of totality in my mind and seeing it with the orange flare at the bottom of the ring every single time I think of the experience.

I am so glad I got to experience the eclipse. It was a magical feeling. I understand the science behind it, but the way the air felt and what we could see. It was pure magic.

Also, while we were in Indy, we found an awesome coffee shop. It’s called Black House Café (FB link) and it is horror themed. Not only did they have a great vibe, the coffee was damn good. I tell you, if I was local, that would be my new home away from home. I enjoyed the heck out of it. 

It was a very nice mini-vacation that I will appreciate for the rest of my life. But now, back to work. In the meantime, looking for something unusual for you or a loved one? How about a cozy ghost story told by #snailmail? It's the gift of escape tunnels, ghosts, and adventure told over 24 letters that will ship world-wide. #ProjectWeLove #DearPenpal https://bit.ly/dear_penpal