Category: Adventure

Adventure

How to Love Me: A Guide to Harper

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Dear Friends, Family, Esteemed Colleagues, Internet Strangers, and Friends of My Mom,

This is a brief owner’s guide for loving me without burning me -or you- out. In most cases, I would quite literally set myself on fire to keep someone else warm, and that has to stop.

Over the past decade, I have gone through three really hard friendship breakups and a couple of less serious ones. My relationship to each of you has changed. My life has changed. Hell, even my name has changed. I’ve decided that it’s time to start really leaning into boundaries, something I have always struggled with.

If you’re reading this, I probably already love you a lot and I really really want to keep you in my life. Me setting these boundaries will help us stay in each other’s lives in a healthier way.

Here’s the problem, my brain is wired to say yes and to continue to say yes LONG after I am exhausted, burned out, or devastated. I will contort myself in excruciating ways to help someone else who is having a hard time. I will go long past my own limits or capacity to try to support someone else who is struggling. That isn’t to say I always say yes when I want to say no, but it happens enough that I have noticed it as a problem. Even the gentle ways I try to say “no” end up sounding more like “maybe” or “yes.”

From the outside, this can look like I’m totally fine and available- right up until the point where I suddenly disappear or pull way back because I quietly hit a wall 40 miles ago.

Moving forward, I will be attempting to give more frequent updates about my capacity and limits in my relationships. I would appreciate if you would also share with me about your capacity and limits as well as respecting mine.

If and when I say yes to things, I want whoever I’m saying yes to to know that it’s an authentic yes. I don’t want them to be left wondering. This is why, moving forward, I’m also going to try to say, “no thank you” more frequently. I’m over-scheduled, having a terrible time sleeping, and I’m trying to manage 5,000 doctor/mental health appointments right now. I’m finding that I’m requiring a lot of extra quiet down time after socializing.

I TOTALLY understand that friendships are not a one way street. When I am honest about my capacity, limits, and desire to do things, I feel that the quality of the time I spend with people is better and I am left feeling happy instead of resentful. This is me promising to be better about saying no. It’s also me asking you not to assume everything is a yes and to maybe sometimes check in to see if I’m really sure on a “yes”.

It’s okay to ask me for things or for me to do things. I need you to know that saying, “no” is very very difficult for me. A big, old part of my brain has convinced me that if I set a limit, you will be angry with me or won’t love me anymore or will decide I’m not worth the time and effort. Please don’t punish me for being honest about what I can handle.

I love you and I want to support you in the ways I can and I appreciate all of the support all of you have given me. This is about PROTECTING love, not withdrawing it.

If your name is Grace Kendall or Mike Belsole, please disregard.

Adventure, Other Travel, Random Life Things

Tabletop Inn- Marion, North Carolina

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The Tabletop Inn is a board game themed bed and breakfast nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains that was created by owners (and board game designers!) Grace Kendall and Mike Belsole. Located just about an hour from the Asheville Airport, the Tabletop Inn combines the convenience of being near an airport and a city with small town charm. You can visit their website at https://www.tabletopinn.com/

According to Mike and Grace:

The Tabletop Inn is a unique getaway described by reviewers as “a board game lover’s paradise.” This boutique inn offers:

  • Welcoming hosts who are published game designers
  • A library of over 600 board games
  • Uniquely decorated 2-bedroom suites
  • Delicious homemade breakfast
  • A breathtaking view of the mountains

The B&B opened in September of 2024, with the first guests being there during and in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Thankfully, the Inn did not sustain any damage and Grace and Mike were able to provide community support during a very difficult time. Mike and Grace are now taking the next step of celebrating the official grand opening of the Inn, complete with a ribbon cutting carried out with giant scissors, on Friday, May 2, 2025 from 1:30 – 6:00 pm at 340 Hillcrest Drive, Marion NC, 28752. The event is drop-in and will include puzzles, games, a scavenger hunt, and breakfast themed snacks. The event is free and open to people of all ages.

Mike had this to say about the Tabletop Inn:

We offer the classic bed and breakfast experience with a homemade breakfast and friendly hosts who live on site, so it’s a much more personal experience than you would get with an Airbnb.

Grace and Mike said they chose to theme their property around board games since they love playing and making games and both work in the tabletop industry. Their game Smug Owls won the 2024 Origins award for Best Party Game. (For the record, its my favorite game. There are now also 3 expansion packs you can purchase! You can purchase the game and/or expansion packs here).

The following review is based on my own personal experiences visiting The Tabletop Inn on multiple occasions:

Although I have never stayed at The Tabletop Inn as a paying guest, I have hung out and stayed there multiple times. Knowing Grace and Mike, I can imagine that they treat each guest as a beloved friend. The physical space feels cozy and homey. Mike is exceptional at explaining how to play games, making the best crepes I’ve ever had, and making everyone around feel at ease. Grace does an extraordinary job of making sure everyone around feels safe, happy, and included and is probably more thoughtful when it comes to interactions with others than anyone else I know. Mike and Grace both excel at interacting with and taking care of other people, which makes them perfect for the jobs of Innkeeper.

At The Tabletop Inn, I always feel like I’m in a warm and safe cocoon. Grace and Mike really listen when someone else speaks. They care deeply about other people. They are each thoughtful and tremendously kind. Grace and Mike are two of the very best people I know. They are both so kind, attentive, and loving in their friendships and I’m sure that bleeds into their interactions with guests as well. When you are at The Tabletop Inn, you feel like family. It’s a very relaxed atmosphere. It’s also surrounded by the very cool town of Marion, has many great hikes nearby, and has a ridiculously stunning view. You can walk to downtown Marion if you wish and Mike and Grace are very knowledgable about the area and all it has to offer.

The beds are comfy, the decor is awesome (each room is decorated thematically based on a board game), the breakfast is DELICIOUS, and everything is kept very clean!

Aside from all of that, it’s A BOARD GAME THEMED BED AND BREAKFAST! LESS THAN AN HOUR OUTSIDE OF ASHEVILLE!!! What are you waiting for? Book for yourself or for a group of friends today!

More reviews:
Guests have been raving about their experiences at the Tabletop Inn. “Every member of our group mentioned how they enjoyed the quirks of the inn and loved the variety of games, rooms and food better than a traditional hotel,” wrote one reviewer.

“Tabletop Inn is far from an ordinary bed & breakfast. It is a haven for board game enthusiasts, creative minds, and those looking for a relaxing getaway with a twist,” wrote Sarah Gazi, CEO of the Association of Lodging Professionals in Innovations Magazine.

For interviews, media requests, or additional information, you can reach Mike and Grace directly at stay@tabletopinn.com or 914-297-9048.

Adventure

GOT Bag Review

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My health insurance company notified me that there is a portal where I can get discounts on certain items. I went to check it out and saw this bag that I thought would be PERFECT for my Glencoe hike. It’s water resistant, made out of ocean impact plastic (so it’s environmentally conscious, which is important to me), it’s a great size (17-24” expandable x 13” x 16”), and it’s available in all sorts of cool colors. I have not received any compensation or perks for writing this review. I just wanted to share my honest opinion.

I was disappointed when I saw they were $149 because that was way out of my price range. After clicking through different colors, I found a PURPLE one (my favorite color!) on sale for $74! With my BCBS discount code, it came to $55.50 with taxes and shipping, which I must tell you is a STEAL for this bag.

I was so upset when UPS told me the package was lost because the sale was over, the color I purchased was out of stock, and I had already used my one time discount code. I opened an investigation with UPS yesterday or the day before and the package magically arrived today!

GOT BAG rolltop lite in black
GOT BAG rolltop lite in jellyfish

**LINK TO PURCHASE BAG**

I was worried that I would hate the texture due to it being made of recycled plastic, but the material actually feels very nice and not rubbery at all. Because it’s a rolltop and is water resistant, I feel really good about using it as my day pack in rainy Scotland. The back is padded for extra comfort and there is a detachable sleeve that fits up to a 15” laptop or tablet.

I want to use it as my personal item for my flight, so I did a test run to see if I could fit everything I need in it. I also added my iPad case (I was using my iPad to film) to make sure it would fit somewhere. I will have room to spare!

Here is a link to a video of me fitting all my stuff in the bag! I’ll try to also embed the video. It was taking too long 😂:

https://youtu.be/k0z65o6qPDU

https://share.icloud.com/photos/06bhDr2Q6ItRH8pwjLiyN0QRA

I haven’t carried this around for a long time yet, so I can’t speak to comfort over time, but it’s very comfortable for short durations and I will update with more info after taking it on a hike. I would say that even at $149, this bag would be worth it. I’m so glad I was able to get mine so cheap so that I know about the quality of the bag and can plan in the future if I want to purchase the full size rolltop for $159 (only $10 more!). I didn’t want the full size for myself at this time because I wanted to be able to use this as my personal item when I travel to Scotland. I’m so grateful I was able to purchase something more sustainable than a cheap daypack from Amazon!

**LINK TO PURCHASE BAG**