I bet you thought I’d fallen off the face of the earth again. I do that from time to time.
This time, the edge of the earth was, in part, Baltimore, Maryland. (After that, my computer died and, well, that really is like falling off the earth, isn’t it?) I was in Charm City for both a sightseeing visit with my parents and sister and for a long-overdue family reunion with my mom’s side of the family.
For those interested in a video travel journal of the adventure, have a look. It’s best experienced with sound on, especially when it gets to The Fudgery and my mom calling the Dragon Boat Races at the Inner Harbor.
Get on with the fashion, already
But you’re not here to read about travel. You follow travel bloggers for that. You’re here for fashion, right? So, let’s talk about what I wore in Baltimore, shall we?
Weather reports leading up to our trip promised hot, sticky end-of-summer days, so I took lightweight gear to layer. Our first day there, I was glad for the sleeveless silk dress to cope with the heat and a lightweight cardigan for the air conditioned buildings.
When I packed my suitcase, there was a chance of rain in the forecast, so I added my REI rain trench, just in case. Pictured below is me kicking myself for not wearing it the same day the rain poured in buckets a half mile from our hotel. My parents are kicking themselves as well for leaving their umbrellas at the hotel.
Thankfully, we all made it back safely to the hotel, but not before ducking into a mall to pick up a sweatshirt from The Gap. I know. Fast Fashion. But it had to be done or else I would be an ice cube now. In the photo below, I’m still wearing the sweatshirt, to reassure myself that I am, indeed, dry.
Dressed for a Hurricane
The next time we went out, I was prepared. Wrapped up in my rain trench, the only thing remotely bothered were my feet. I could have used some waterproof shoes, but who knew the predicted rain would turn out to be the precursor of a hurricane just hours from hitting the region?
Adorably, my dad loved it. He and my mom live in Arizona–my sister in New Mexico–so this kind of rain is unusual for them.
The Real Reason We Were in Baltimore
Stay with me now because I’m going to go into a little backstory.
One of the reasons I do genealogy is because, with each discovered ancestor, I learn something about myself. It’s hard to explain, really, because it’s not like I actually meet those relatives or always see myself in them. There’s just something about those stories, all tangled up in history, family lore, and DNA, that help me feel more grounded when I unravel even just one little part.
My trip to Baltimore, though, was to meet a group of family members I had never met before. These aunts and uncles and cousins are people I have wondered about since I was just a little girl, when I learned my mom had a different family.
Mom was 10 years old when she got on a plane in Baltimore and flew to Texas. She never went back. Instead, she lived out the rest of her childhood with people I call “Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle.” She never said goodbye to her biological family and she only talked to them once on the phone when she was 20-something and newly married.
It might sound like she wanted to leave her family behind. And there may be some truth that she didn’t much care to stick around her parents. In her 10-year-old mind, though, she was going on an adventure. She was curious and excited to have something to tell her friends and family when she got back. The details of how she got on that plane go beyond the scope of this blog, but those details, the questions they raised, and–most importantly–the people she left behind are what brought us back to Baltimore 62 years later.
Below is a family photo that was long overdue. Pictured from right to left (I know, I’m going the opposite from normal): My dad, my sister, my “new” cousin, Mom, Aunt, Uncle, Cousin, me, Aunt.
Did I find what I was looking for?
Yes. More than what I was looking for. But, as in a lot of genealogical searches, so many more questions unraveled as we sat with our family members and got to know the story about my mom’s adoption from their point of view. I have tons more research ahead of me–and now I have reasons to visit Baltimore more often.
The Outfits
In case you’re wondering what I took with me to Baltimore, below is a list of the details–all super packable and mix-and-matchy (without being matchy-matchy).
If you haven’t been to Baltimore, it is worth adding to your list. It is packed with our country’s history and culture and deserves better than it gets.
Sunny/Muggy Day
Sleeveless Eileen Fisher silk dress (old).
Similar here and here.
Black NIC+ZOE 4-way Convertible Lightweight Cardigan: Available here.
Basic black cotton leggings (old.)
Similar here.
Rainy Day Sweatshirt
Softspun Crop Pullover Hoodie from The Gap:
Available here in several colors.
Rain Jacket with Jeans and Silver Shoes
REI Co-Op Rain Trench: out of stock.
Similar here.
Madewell Boyfriend Distressed Jeans (old)
Similar here.
Silver Cole Haan ZeroGrande Oxfords:
Available here in limited sizes.
Family Reunion Outfit
Red Sleeveless Laura Tanzer dress (featured on my blog last summer!)
This dress is out of stock, but please check out her other items by visiting her website.
Similar style available here.
Black NIC+ZOE 4-way Convertible Lightweight Cardigan: Available here.
Black Eileen Fisher Obi Belt (old)
Similar here.
Basic black cotton leggings (old)
Similar here.
Black Dansko sandals (old)
Similar here.
Linking up to the lovely Patti’s Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style.
Affiliate link disclaimer: Please note, some of the items linked above may be affiliated with companies I am associated with. By purchasing from these stores, I receive a small commission and you support the work I do here. Thank you for your support!
[…] sweatshirt is from Club Pilates in Gilbert, Arizona. I also wore my trusty rain jacket (seen in a previous post) from REI (similar here). Posted by Intagrate […]
I love your old family photo. My grandmother’s name was Alma, too. It’s not a hugely popular name anymore. I live in Seattle, so whenever you post fashion, shopping etc in The PNW, I get all gushy.
Our grandmothers shared such a beautiful name. And I’m so glad you enjoy the PNW postings! I get all gushy about Seattle, too. I’m working on some more posts featuring Seattle and Portland designers. I hope you’ll stop back by and get all gushy. 🙂
– Sherry
I do appreciate a travel post as well as a fashion post, as I do both myself, preferably combined. These are my favourite kind of post! What a poignant story about your Mum and her biological family, but how brilliant that you were able to meet those long lost family members. It must have been quite a memorable occasion, especially for your Mum. I do not do genealogy myself, but I’ve been appointed the family photograph archive keeper after my Dad died (my Mum died 16 years ago), and looking at all those photographs, many of them of people I do not know, is making me a bit sad, as I know I’ll never find out who they were. My Mum and Dad were both only children, and there’s nobody left to enlighten me. This is especially true for my Mum’s side of the family. I only know snippets, not the full story, which makes me feel sad sometimes. What a pity about the rain, I’m always stumped what to take, often ending up taking the wrong things! xxx
Oh, Ann! It makes me sad to hear that the photos of your families make you sad. I do understand the desire to know the people in those photos and the feeling of never having a chance to know exactly what they were like. I can’t say how working on your genealogy would impact you but for me it helps to feel like I have some understanding about the people in the old photos. Sometimes the stories I uncover are sad–like the fact that my grandfather was an alcoholic and how he was orphaned by age 13 due to some truly tragic deaths of his parents. But these kinds of things help build him up in my mind as a real, flesh and blood human being who had tragedies to overcome and struggled. Other times, I come across things like the fact that an uncle of mine moved to Seattle during its pioneering days–the Gold Rush days–and he became the town marshal of a small town I moved to as an adult. This is incredible because I grew up on the other side of the country not knowing he had lived in that town when I moved there. It was only when I researched the family that I discovered we had that in common–and that his gravesite is just a five minute drive from my house! This makes me feel a part of Seattle’s history, makes me feel deeply rooted in a way I never felt growing up. Again, that’s not to suggest you will find you heart and heal the sadness you feel in digging into their histories, but to share how it impacts me in case it might be inspiring to you.
Thank you so much for stopping by again. It’s a joy to hear from you and know that you appreciate both the fashion and travel side of my post. 🙂
Warmly,
Sherry
Oh Sherry, seeing you with your family brings a big smile to my heart. Though I ‘ve seen photos of your mom and dad before there’s a sense of anticipation in this gathering of the fold. I’ll bet your mom appreciates the rather sacred connection you feel to her roots and your own via these newly made relationships.
The video was so sweet and the picture of your great-great grandmother a treasure.
I’m not at all surprised that your dad would relish the novelty of days of hard coastal rain. I’m sorry you were unprepared in the functional fashion category and it was good to see you snuggled up in a soft new sweatshirt even if it was fast fashion. Your families smiling faces in every shot is testimony to the fact that this trip generated it’s own warmth of purpose throughout.
A memorable post Sherry.
Jude! Do you feel the great big bear hug I’m sending you across the miles, over those beautiful hills in SD, straight to your house? Your comment gave me all the warm fuzzies. The adventure to Baltimore was truly a sacred event in my heart and mind. Thank you for seeing that and understanding it.
Hugs,
Sherry
I commend you on all of your research and putting this together. What a story.
It is funny about your Dad loving the rain. They need to visit you more often in Seattle! ; P
Suzanne
http://www.suzannecarillo.com
Thanks, Suzanne! I thought it was funny about my dad, too. But that’s how he is. He’s such a weather optimist.
– Sherry
Sixty-two years in the making, and what a happy-looking reunion. A giant sigh spanning the decades. Answers, questions… I’m happy your family could take this journey together. I seem to recall you getting caught in bad weather during a trip before! I loved your outfits, but this post about the trip itself made me forget the style part – in a good way. I loved your video too. I want some mega-sized, dangerously delicious food now.
Your comment, Mel, really touched me. Thank you for seeing into the value of this trip. The clothes ARE fun to talk about but this visit to Baltimore was so much more. It had a lot of my heart wrapped in it.
As for travel and weather-related snafus, I think you’re right! And it was the same part of the world! I was in DC when a blizzard hit and we weren’t sure we were going to be able to get out! Seems like a good excuse to eat some dangerously delicious mega-sized food! (That’s one of my favorite photos, by the way.)
Hugs,
Sherry