1. Traffic is nothing to mess with.
2. Nature is a wonderful yet sometimes harsh thing.
3. Outside weddings are not to be scheduled in March.
4. God and his peace and serenity can be found anywhere. You just have to be ready to recognize it.
A quick definition:
Chattanooga fakeout- the part of I-24 east which weaves from Tennessee into Georgia back into Tennessee (where Chattanooga lies) and then back into Georgia all within about 15-30 minutes depending on traffic.
I almost didn't survive the Chattanooga fakeout on my journey to Georgia due to 2 tractor trailer trucks who decided to flip and block both directions of I-24. I did however get the chance to sit down in the middle of I-24 when traffic literally stopped dead for an hour. I felt like it was one of those small experiences that I would never get a chance to do again. Instead of the normal 4-5 hours of travel time, it took me 7.5 hours to get to my destination of Athens, GA (home of the UGA Bulldogs woof woof!)
The next morning, I journeyed with my handsome Alex, his brother Nick and girlfriend Joy (who I affectionately call Joey) and two other great girls from UGA to Clayton, GA, a town nestled in the North Georgia mountains. We camped in a lovely area named Sarah's Creek and spent the next 2 days hiking, eating small amounts of food (and feeling full surprisingly) and meditating in what I imagine is an area that God meant just for that purpose. We found waterfalls that I'm sure many other people had found, but I got the feeling of being all alone with just these 5 other people in this huge forest. I didnt think about my current trials and tribulations of my life, just about the beauty of the land and what it means to be totally peaceful. Alex said I transformed into the "hippie" of the camping trip.
My aforementioned "hippie" look in front of a waterfall.
My GQ man on one of our hikes.
Nick and Joy taking a break.
At night, many good laughs were shared and for the first time in a long time I felt like everyone I was with was contributing wholly to my happiness, rather than finding ways to manipulate me or take advantage of me. I'm not saying I usually let people treat me badly, but every once in a while I find myself in that situation as do most people.
I returned a changed being. It took effect immediately upon return to modern technology. Once my phone was recharged and my facebook account was updated, I figured out that a few people in my life really needed to be re-evaluated. My closest friends agreed with me (and I know in the back of their minds they were probably wondering what took me so long). I also have recognized a new passion for camping and I intend to continue pursueing this passion further in the next few months (cheap vacation!).
Alex and I made the voyage to Fayetteville on Monday and skeddaddled around (a word I use from time to time to define doing things of no great importance yet still meaningful to me). Saturday rolled around and we were to attend the wedding of a high school friend of Alex's brother Nick. Remembering lesson number 3, let me tell you I really felt sorry for the poor bride. The good thing was we were under a pavillion and I had an umbrella for the treck to and from the reception hall. The bride was glowing however and I am assured that the rain will probably be one of the smaller memories of her wedding day.
Joy, Nick, Alex and I at Glendalough Manor for the wedding.Hope you all had a great week while I was resting under the Georgia pines!
2 comments:
Sounds like you had a wonderful weekend! I did, too, but I am extremely tired after mine. Guess I should've been out under the pines instead. It sounds so relaxing.
P.S. I hate the Chattanooga fakeout. I used to always think I was there only to find out that I still had miles to go. Only crossing Monteagle was worse.
It sounds like you had an amazing adventure. I am so glad I met you. It's good to re-evaluate your life from time to time. I do. Sending you a big hug and wanting only the best and most wonderful things for you. P. S. Don't let the Chattanooga fake out get the best of you. It's a sneaky little fucker.
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