One of the things I really like about innkeeping is meeting folks from all over the world. When we first bought the inn, I never imagined that I’d meet people from so many different countries. I truly never imagined there’d be so many people from other parts of the world interested in the deep south.
Shortly after we bought the inn, I put a world map on a corkboard and hung it in the front office where we check folks in. I started keeping track of where people traveled from by putting a pin in the map on their homeland. It’s always exciting to be able to put a new pin on a country that, up to that point, had been pinless.
Over the 3 1/2 years that we’ve been doing this, we’ve had lots and lots of visitors from Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and the UK. We get the occasional guest from Scotland, Ireland and Norway. We’ve had a few from Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, and New Zealand. We had 1 couple from Luxembourg.
I’ve met people from Finland, Spain, Belgium, South Korea, and Brazil. A couple of years ago I added Estonia and Japan to my map. Last year I added Poland, Singapore, Thailand, Puerto Rico, and Israel.
So far this year, and we’re only a couple of weeks into January, I’ve had visitors from the UK, France, Germany, Holland, and Italy. And I was super excited to add Russia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe to my corkboard map. Can you believe it? Eight groups of foreigners already this year and 3 of them were from places not yet pinned on my map! I feel so cultured and worldly.
I hope this trend continues. So many people from outside the United States come here to experience our little slice of the United States. So many of them find our culture and our country worth the time and money to visit. I wish more Americans felt that way about this country. But, that my friends is not a rabbit hole I wish to go down.
So, that’s how my 2019 is getting started. How has your January been? Anything cool or unexpected to report? Have you met any foreigners yet this year?
Word of the day: Vertu
Fun fact about me: I hope to one day visit one of these cool foreign countries. I’ve been to Canada and Mexico but never overseas.
Original post by Jansen Schmidt, January 2019. Images by Pexels and Google Images.
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jansenschmidt 
If you come to the uk, you are welcome to stay with us. My breakfasts will never be as awesome as yours And our place is small not as beautiful as yours but it is cosy but will certainly show you the sights and we will try and be as hospitable as you have been to us.
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Michele – that is on the top of my bucket list. You can count on that happening one of these days.
So nice to see you here at the Edge of Eternity my lovely friend. Looking forward to seeing you and Bob in July!!!
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
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I imagine it must be very exciting to meet these new people. I’m sure you are finding that we have so much in common regardless of our origins.
Would love to come by there some time with Patty to stay at your Inn. I should warn you though that many of my friends and family liken me to Cousin Eddie from “Vacation.” Hope that won’t be a problem.
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Al – we have a “special” room for folks like Cousin Eddie. It’s not listed on the website, but believe me, it’s here. And it is extra special.
I’d love to see you and your lovely wife. She can bring her green thumb and work in my garden. (Just kidding.)
So nice to see you here this chilly Monday morning. Have a great week.!
Patricia
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LOL. I see you are finally warming to my warped sense of humor and giving it back to me in spades! I’m assuming the room is well padded. Hope we can pull this trip off someday.
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I’d love to stop and stay, but I am from here America. I am always amazed at the number of people from around the world who come to the US to visit and explore. There is so much to see – I wrestle with the vastness of our own country and how little I have experienced. I have been overseas – Paris, London, Venezuela, and Saudi Arabia but it has been a while since I have traveled beyond our borders. Being curious and wondering and wandering is what makes us grow. Have a great day – stay warm.
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I agree Clay; “being curious and wondering and wandering does indeed make us grow.” And I think we learn to appreciate what we have when we experience how others live. You know what they say: “There’s no place like home.”
Have a great week Clay! Stay warm.
Patricia
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That sounds fantastic! I love meeting people from other parts of the world. It’s why I love to travel. You don’t have to go anywhere!
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That’s true Susie, but I also don’t get to see anything. While the people are nice, I’m not so sure their homeland is. Well, that’s not really true. I’m fascinated with everywhere so I’d love to travel more and see how the “other half” lives. There’s beauty everywhere. You just have to open your eyes, minds and hearts.
Thanks for visiting. I hope you’re getting some good skiing in over there in the snow covered Rockies.
Patricia
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Thank you!
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Just imagining all those different accents makes me smile. 🙂 I love meeting people from other countries and learning bits about their different cultures – and sometimes they’re really, really different! For the first time ever, I’m planning to travel outside the states and go to Ireland/Scotland with my sisters, nieces, and daughter, a family girls trip. I can’t wait!
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WHAT!!! A family girls trip abroad?!? How totally fun that sounds. And, men in kilts, even better!! I’m excited for you. Can I be a long lost cousin?
I do love the accents. And I like learning a few new words here and there. Some languages are easier to grasp than others. Dutch and German are probably the hardest, although when the Russians were here, I couldn’t pick up anything more than good-bye and thank you.
As always, thanks for your support. I hope you’re enjoying this chilly January over there on the west coast.
Patricia
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I’m sure I have lots of distant relatives around that I’ve never met…and if dear second cousin Patricia shows up in Ireland to meet us, I’m sure they’ll let you hang out if you ply them with a few pints. Or whiskey shots. 🙂
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I love hearing how people from all over the world are interested in seeing your little corner of the US – so cool! I still want to get to Vicksburg myself someday, because I’m with you on thinking how much of our own country I haven’t seen (including Mississippi).
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We’re not that far away Jennette. And, I happen to know a pretty cool old inn where you could hang out for a few days. I hope to see you one day here. Or, perhaps, who knows, you may see me in Tennessee.
We’ll make it happen.
Patricia
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