ABOUT
When Covid-19 struck, the international institutions which employed me as a freelance Conference Interpreter in Strasbourg shut down, so with time on my hands I turned to some of those “things I'd been meaning to get to”.
Sound familiar?
I launched into a project that not only tore me away from my TV but turned out to be something I couldn’t put down! As the proud owner of the travel diaries my grandmother wrote of her many trips far and wide, I now had time transcribe the first of those, “Martinique 1959.”
I was surprised at how therapeutic it was! As I re-read my grandma's words, I felt that I was in her presence, sharing a few laughs with her (she had a great sense of humor). I was transported to another time and to the places she wrote about.
It was the most soothing thing I've done in years and I realized that others could enjoy, even benefit from this traveling adventure in space and time. I am so glad you’re here!
You can now read Grandma Bowen’s musings in what has become her blog, go back in time and travel the world with her. You’ll also find posts about the benefits of nostalgia, why vintage is so fun and comforting, more self-care ideas for your mental and physical well-being and escaping pandemic fatigue.
Who was Grandma Bowen?
Catherine Anne Huber grew up a member of the Rochester, NY elite, her family among the “people of prominence” in the Rochester Blue Book for decades. Her mother was a concert pianist and her father a doctor and surgeon. She traveled through Europe with her mother after graduating from Smith College in 1930, met her husband and married that same year.
She was determined to adjust to her life as the wife of Albert Bowen, a hardworking chemical engineer who enterprisingly built his own business from the ground up. She was also mother to their three rowdy boys, my uncles Carl and David and my dad, John!
Though her life was unlike the one she was accustomed to before marriage, she retained and cultivated her love for music and for traveling the world. My grandfather shared these passions and the two of them supported the performing arts in Rochester and vacationed abroad at least once a year.
Astute observers of the world around them, they documented their travels to share with family and friends, Grandma being the main author of their travel journals, with an occasional supplemental text penned by Grandpa Bowen. We are fortunate to enjoy and share the diaries’ serendipitous preservation.
Meet the Team
Hi, Nice to meet YOU! I’m Rebecca.
Who knew that after a cheerful, small-town childhood in Ripon, Wisconsin, I would spend 30 years in France before moving back to the US in 2020 (um, yeah… THAT 2020)! Crazy, right?!
Largely inspired by my grandparents love of language and travel, I studied Spanish and French in college, traveled around and eventually became a Conference Interpreter settling in Strasbourg, France. My French ex and I have three children (boy, girl, boy) who have now grown into fantastic adults. My oldest, Sean, recently moved to Edinburgh, Scotland and loves it and my daughter Ally and son Sebastian and I are settling nicely into life in Athens (Ohio!). I am so thrilled to be working with Ally, who is the artistic designer behind this website!
Hi there, I'm Ally. Glad you’re here!
I was born and raised in France and I only met my great-grandma Bowen a couple times when I was quite young. I love that I am able to meet her again in a sense through this project.
After searching my whole life for a fulfilling creative outlet (read: one that I would stick to), I finally found my artistic home about 3 years ago in the multi-disciplinary art form of drag. I started out by experimenting with my then very limited makeup collection and my drag journey culminated in finishing in the top four contestants in a local competition in Glasgow, Scotland where I went to college. I learned a lot about art and acquired a variety of skills, and I am happy that this website gives me another opportunity to utilize them and to learn more!
Like my mom, I love vintage stuff, whether it be when I’m playing dress up, or when I find something fun and different from a second-hand store. I am looking forward to sharing this interest with our readers in our Lifestyle blog, and I might just have a couple makeup looks/tutorials in the works for you all!