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You just spent a year in a French speaking school… and your home language is ENGLISH. Do you understand how amazing that is? I swore that I would never be THAT MOM that uses her kid as a walking Google Translate, but I am. Because, well… you know more French than me now and you…
Here’s the deal. I have about a million and one hard drives that house a bah-zillion moments that I have had the privilege of photographing. It was starting to feel as if I had a house jam packed with photographs that were flowing out of packed closets Cartoon Network style. When really, they were just overflowing…
Sometimes beauty just IS. Like the day I photographed this little lady Ciara and her two adorable brothers, Liam and Finn. You might think that we are alone here… THE ONLY ONES living outside our home culture by living in Bujumbura, Burundi. You would be wrong. There are loads of us… singles and couples and…
I’m not getting anything done this a.m. except sip Burundi coffee and enjoy the way special effects of God’s light are captured in your photographs– and missing you and your 3 guys!!
Hi there.
I have been lurking in the shadows like a proper stalker for a while now; silently in awe of all that you’re daring to achieve, of your fantastic photography and your refreshing honesty about the ups and downs of your new life. We’ve never met (although we share mutual friends… I am originally from Durban) but I am sure I would love you just as much in real life as I do here through your blog. Anyway, I was tired of being a silent cyber stalker so ‘hi’ and please keep on doing all that you are doing – it’s hugely inspirational and a bloody good read. Sal.
These are absolutely gorgeous – the wonder and abandonment to kids.
Telling you that there will be a book scares the pants off me. I’m telling you now, months before the it’s even close to being completed. Why am I doing that? Well, two reasons. FIRSTLY. Saying it, scratch that, TYPING IT OUT LOUD makes it real for me. I thought I could be one of those…
Raw Humanity.Your Story.The individual Farmers Stories.Your boys stories (how they see it) Lots of your Great Pictures. How about pages that Smell like Coffee,Crazy I know! Sorry,too many words. Good Luck.
Sacrifice / Reward
Honesty & Advice. Looking forward to what is sure to be a beautiful book
courage and family
People.Life for the locals. Coffee process. Yay, can’t wait!
… and thanks for asking 
I like the honesty answer. What makes this blog so great is the beauty you find in the everyday and the honesty with which you share that – do that in your book and inspire others to do the same.
Bicycles
Kristy, I started following your blog after reading Wayfare magazine online and what I connect with is your reflections and struggles on the complexities Expat Life. I live in Uganda and when you talk about being stared at and missing what is comfortable and known, I get it. So I would like to read more of that. Good luck on the book!
Coffee Families!
Snatches of the God moments and lessons along with so much of what you are already doing with photography, family, farmers.
raw humanity
spirit
resiliency
women
you
I will buy your photography book for my coffee table and gifts for my friends
I will buy your memoir book for my niece to inspire her with a story of a woman’s strength and life
I will buy your children’s book on coffee farming for all my city friends’ new babies
quality. honesty.
I think you should tell the on-the-ground stories of real people in the world you are experiencing, in a way that honors the people and gets readers excited about the journey you take them on through the pages. Some photo-essay stuff, some poetry, some interviews.
Enjoy the process – and use your images a lot in the book. They are very communicative and powerful.
Cheers
John
Simplicity
Passion
Home (stretched to every sense of the word), Jesus
God moments- times when something was impossible but God came through, or moments where things happened/God provided that couldn’t possibly be coincidence. Does that make sense? Moments where you knew God came through for you in a way only He could.
coffee guy
camera girl
all the “whys” (why bother, why care, why risk, why choose this, why does this matter…)
Definitely your pictures of Burundi, the farmers/their families in the hills, and your family (btw, my husband loves your photography/style of photography – I don’t hear him compliment other artists everyday, so i knew that he REALLy likes your work ). I love the raw emotion that you share about your journey, so would love to read some of that as well. It’s what we as your friends/readers/etc. can so connect with – the emotions and thoughts experienced along the journey. Thx for asking for our input – so excited for you!
good printing. your photography deserves it.
You know I love the pictures from the coffee hills. But I also love the candid photos of the Carlson’s and other moments that make your life happy in Burundi. I think sharing the joy found in the people and the country are beautiful.
Life
emotions
Bring us the story of the people, through how you connect with them. No one can give us that,but you. Show us their world, what matters to them, their viewpoint – through their lives, their buildings, small moments. And, it will be beautiful.
enjoy the journey!
growth
Faces. Everyday nuances. (And it looks like you’re already doing this well.) Things that might have become even a little bit normal for your (now) everyday living, but are truly a wonder to those who do not live there. You’re a very talented artist, Kristy. I’m excited to see the final product.
Farmers. Process.
More. More of what I see, hear, and most importantly feel when I read your blog. Your fears, worries, and doubts – show your depth of character. Stay true to you and Him.
Family
Stories
You can’t NOT share your pictures – they capture so much that words can’t. And also stories. You are a good story-teller.
Sweet kids. (yours and theirs)
Farmers stories,family,photos!
love. that is what I want to see:) Love for culture and for people and for the journey. Love you and SOOOOO loving this! You will rock it!
Colorful, local clothing, children’s faces, love those bike shots.
Local friends
Places. People. Coffee.
Pioneering stories.
Daily Adventures of a “Mzungu” family and personal history of the people you meet. And Congrats!
Journey. Risk. Family.
You are totally coming to Djibouti this year, or I am coming to Burundi. You’re going to give me a photography crash course and we’ll talk books and family and Africa. I’m being a good Somali and ordering you around.
Families — yours, the coffee people, the people in your village.
You are such an intuitive person. I see it clearly in your pictures. Tell the story, the life of a family, the farmers. We do take coffee for granted. Tell us the life of the farmer, the family they support, the money they earn, the home they live in. You have so many thought provoking ideas, make us think. I can stare at your pictures for hours, wondering what it’s like there. What does the sun on their skin feel like, what did the children do this morning? The picture of the man with so many wrinkles in his skin, what has he seen, experienced.
Oops, haha! Two words….
Life
Relationships
Love you guys!
Katie
A book! Hooray and congrats! I think your approach on the blog is a great template for book-makin’. You have everything you need right here! I’d love to see the families behind the coffee… including your family, and the farming families who put their heart and soul (and soil?) into our morning cup. Good luck!
Photo stories – relationships – the journey of coffee
Family! How your family exists in such a different culture is so fascinating and amazing.
More than one word. I’m sorry.
I want to see the STORY of FARMERS making COFFEE. I want the relationships that make up a cup. A face/name for every bean. Coffee is a luxury(we forget that) that takes time, and labor, and love. Your blog is a reminder of that, it’s evident that you can make that happen.
Photos.
Family.
Culture.
Oops, that was three. Sorry. But those are what I’d like to see and how the latter two interact.
Though Bigfoot would be enticing, I always like to see pictures of people, where they live and their stories. There’s a photo book called ‘Where Children Sleep’ and it’s got a picture of a child and their story on the left and a full page of where they live on the right. He said that he didn’t make it with an agenda to change anything, but just to show the kids and where they lived. It’s heart-wrenching to read at times, but I need that.
It’s harvest time here in Burundi and we decided to take the entire family into Burundi’s beautiful coffee hills to see it… and the film crew tagged along too. I don’t know if you will remember, but last year we didn’t see the harvest because we couldn’t get ourselves moved over here in time. It…
Thank you
Again wow 
These photos are amazing… especially the ones with the grapes or whatever the red fruit is… Your work is good. #SeriousGrace
by longmilescoffee
longmilescoffee - @Aunty T… thanks, girl. That boy loves you like nothing I have ever seen.
longmilescoffee - @Camilla. Thanks for the encouragement. He is, yes!
longmilescoffee - @Rachel. You are right it is a gift… it just often doesn’t feel like it!
I would say we have to relate in French %60 of the time. Shops, school, house help… all in French. Friendships? Mostly English, which is great 
Rachel Pieh Jones - C’est un cadeau, parler la langue étrangere. I think that’s right! I’m year out of our French practice now. What language do you guys have to function/work/shop/relate in? Six weeks to go until we are smack back in the middle of French and Somali again. This year of English has been nice. Although our kids were all at a St. Paul French immersion school to keep it up.
Camila - How so very beautiful.
Your family is an inspiration.
Your boys are gorgeous.
Your words and eye are exquisite.
Isn’t God good – all the time?
Thobe Dlamuka - Proud of you too beautiful boy…love your aunty:)