Wanderings: @BroadStreetMarket in Harrisburg, PA

The term “coffee table book,” when said by the right sort of judgmental tongue, implies a shallowness and showiness, but when it comes to In The Company of Women its coffee table home is a high compliment. From that perch, the book conveniently awaits my next couch lull, offering to fill my time with insights and inspiration and to prevent me from leaning on phone crutches to occupy my time.

The Broad Street Market in Harrisburg, PA // www.WithTheGrains.com

In case, by some stroke of hermitage, you have not yet heard of this book, the book’s subtitle sums it up succinctly: “Inspiration and advice from over 100 makers, artists and entrepreneurs.” Through a series of interview questions, female role models offer their own hard-earned failures, lessons and successes. One of the frequently asked questions is “What is the biggest sacrifice you’ve made in starting or running your business?” My answer to this question is never far from the tip of my tongue: travel.

Admittedly, I would have hesitated to call myself a “Business” until I attended one of the panel discussions celebrating the release of In The Company of Women. While sitting in the audience and listening to a stage full of female role models, I realized I hadn’t granted myself enough confidence in the work I do (styling, writing, photographing), dismissing my work as a series of projects rather than a brand I have worked very hard to build. Nor have I granted myself the proper time to sit back and celebrate my progress. Sitting in that audience was revealing to say the least.

This fall, when the trees were still green, the Urban Farmer and I were invited to a very special wedding. In the past, I would have had to decline, as I struggled to put my freelance ducks in a row, but this year, I could afford the time off and the travel expenses, and now, after dipping into that lush coffee table book, I see that as a milestone worth celebrating! After globetrotting for years, then sacrificing travel for years, driving to Brooklyn for an old friend’s wedding felt monumental.

Driving to that wedding obviously made for a longer commute, but it also made for an unexpected treat along the way: an afternoon in Harrisburg eating well and exploring my state capital’s public market: The Broad Street Market.

I’ve always been a believer that travel is not limited to grand plane adventures and far-flung explorations, that small and rural, or lesser frequented places can still offer worthwhile experiences. Though our time was short, walking the halls of this old, industrial market tuned us into the pulse of the food community and made us take notice of our surroundings. It also provided quality coffee, thankfully enabling us to avoid chains and fuel our energy for the second leg of the journey.