December 1, 2025
by Dr. Cindy H. Carr, D.Min.

Dubby and I love to travel, but we always say the same thing when the plane touches back down in Virginia: “There's no place like home.”

Harrisonburg is our favorite place in the whole world—our home, our mountains, the quiet beauty of the Shenandoah Valley, and the peace that meets us at our own front door.

But stepping outside your daily rhythms every now and then has a way of waking you up on the inside. Travel broadens your vision, deepens your gratitude, and gives you new eyes for the life you already love. Our recent Viking River Cruise—beginning in Prague, winding through Germany, and ending in Paris—did just that for us.

It reminded us why we cherish our life here… while also showing us a few beautiful things we wanted to bring home.

America is a young nation. Europe is not.

And there is something sacred about being surrounded by structures built long before our grandparents—or their grandparents—walked the earth.

Cobblestones polished by centuries of footsteps.

Castles perched like quiet guardians above the riverbanks.

Cathedrals whose spires have witnessed hundreds of years of weddings, warfare, and worship.

Bridges that have held the footsteps of thousands of love stories.

In Prague, Germany, and Paris, beauty is everywhere—but so is history—and it invites you to slow down and really see what’s in front of you.

Standing in places older than our entire country grounds you.

It reminds you that life is a long story… and we are simply living our chapter.

Europeans still move—naturally, frequently, effortlessly.

Not because they’re trying to close an activity ring.

Not because they’re squeezing workouts into a packed schedule.

But because their cities, habits, and culture are built around walking instead of driving.

We walked more in those days than we sometimes walk in a week at home. Yet it never felt forced. It felt like the way life is meant to flow.

Here in America—even with the best of intentions—we’ve unintentionally built a sedentary lifestyle. Cars, desks, commutes, screens. Movement becomes something we must plan rather than something that naturally happens.

Europe reminded us that movement is meant to be simple. Natural. Life-giving.

And it made us want to bring more of that ease and rhythm back home.

The second beautiful surprise was how easy it was to eat healthy without trying.

Europe’s food culture still respects real ingredients:

• Fewer preservatives

• Shorter ingredient lists

• Less artificial sweetener

• Less ultra-processing

• More whole, natural foods

The vegetables tasted like vegetables.

The bread tasted like real bread.

And the non-alcoholic beer—fresh on tap in Germany—was surprisingly delicious. Crisp, clean, full of flavor, and made with craftsmanship.

Because we already eat fairly clean at home, it felt natural to continue that pattern while traveling. No stress. No guilt. Just real food made well.

It made us realize how refreshing—and doable—a clean, simple approach to eating can be.

We didn’t come home wanting a European life.

We came home wanting a more intentional American one.

Two simple truths from our travels have stayed with us:

Movement doesn’t need to be structured or strenuous.

It can be woven into your day:

• Evening walks together

• Parking a little farther away

• Choosing the stairs

• Taking a loop around the neighborhood

• Turning everyday moments into opportunities to move

Movement is a gift—one of the simplest ways to honor the bodies God gave us.

Not perfection.

Just nourishment.

Here are some of the cleaner U.S. brands we’ve discovered that help us bring a bit of Europe’s “real food” mindset back home:

Breads & Grains

• Dave’s Killer Bread

• Ezekiel Sprouted Grain

• Simple Kneads (gluten-free)

Dairy & Alternatives

• Organic Valley

• Siggi’s

• Kerrygold butter

Proteins & Packaged Meats

• Applegate – minimally processed, no antibiotics, clean deli meats and sausages

• Boar’s Head – especially their Simplicity line with no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives

• ButcherBox – subscription-based, grass-fed beef, organic chicken, heritage pork

• Thrive Market Meats – high-quality, pasture-raised options delivered affordably

Pantry Staples

• Primal Kitchen

• Chosen Foods

• Rao’s

• Jovial (especially their Einkorn pasta)

Non-Alcoholic Beers

• Athletic Brewing Co.

• WellBeing Brewing

• Partake

Snacks & Frozen

• Simple Mills

• Siete

• LesserEvil

• Alexia

• Daily Harvest

These aren’t rules—they’re tools.

Resources that make clean eating easier in a country where it sometimes feels complicated.

More than anything, this journey gave us perspective.

It reminded us to:

• slow down

• savor beauty

• choose simplicity

• move our bodies

• feed ourselves well

• enjoy creation

• appreciate home

• and stay grateful for the life we’ve built together

Travel doesn’t replace home; it deepens your love for it. And God has been kind to give us both—the joy of exploring the world and the blessing of returning to a place we cherish.

For us, that place is Harrisonburg.

And for this season, that feels like grace.

You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy.

— Psalm 16:11