My Road to Gettysburg

My mother, father and three siblings are from sunny central Florida and I am living in Gettysburg, PA.

Life is an adventure, and I am constantly bombarded with the reality of how unpredictable and amazing it can be.

On a hike through the Appalachian Trail. 

I am spending the summer in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania with David and Junko Young and their four sons. It has been an amazing, crazy and unpredictable adventure.

Florida, where my family lives, is a long way from Gettysburg, it's true. It's a pretty good story of how I migrated north.

I had just graduated from high school. I knew I wanted to do something amazing but I wasn't sure what it would be. I wasn't ready for college, not yet knowing where my passion lay. Having been home-schooled and one of four children in a close-knit family had molded me into a person with different qualities than my peers. I was faced with the question of what I would do with these mismatched talents cultivated in me. I was praying for an adventure where I could use them.

In the fall, I took a trip with my family to our hometown in New Jersey. It was a great trip. On our way south, we stopped at Gettysburg. I had been there a handful of times since I was a kid, and I had always wanted to live there in an offhand kind of way.

All along US 15 are signs on bicycles advertising "The Lion Potter". The signs are quirky, inviting conversation as you drive along. We had visited The Lion Potter every time we went to Gettysburg and loved it. Naturally we went this time as well to introduce my dad to David Young, the potter. David engaged us in conversation, and it happened to come up that he and his wife were working on the concept of a healthy rest stop. He related how much they were doing and all the things they were working on. I was intrigued.

That spirit within me prodded me to ask, "Do you need help with this?"

Of course, I didn't know that just that morning David and Junko had made it a point to pray for an extra hand. They thought it would be coming from Japan where Junko is originally from but instead it was little old me.

I reached out again after I went home and ended up in Gettysburg in December for a two week trial and loved it. I've been living in Pennsylvania full-time since February.  

At first it was scary and hard to explain to people. However, I am learning so much and gaining so much experience that it's not hard to explain anymore. I'm on an adventure, and I am exactly where God wants me.

Wheat croissant experiment for cafe menu. Success? I think so. 

 I have always loved to cook, but I am cultivating a style and learning from Junko and David. We eat three sit-down meals every day, so there is always opportunity to make a meal.

We are working on taking the rest stop from an idea to a reality (read more about that here or here). I am mostly in charge of any online work.

The four boys are home-schooled, and I help teach them and give input from my years of being taught at home.


I have been learning about natural healing methods, whole eating and methods of being self-sufficient that I had never thought of before.

It's been spectacular, and I try something new every day.

I wanted to share because it amazes me again all the time how things can work out for a marvelous purpose.

-Cate    

The four boys and me. Some of the greatest guys I know!