the south

image credit: pinterest

in my 26 years of life, i have yet to meet someone who doesn't like the south. i've met people who don't want to live there for one reason or another, but i have yet to find someone who doesn't appreciate the mindset and the heartbeat of the south. this is just my opinion, of course, but i think it's because the south embodies the way life is meant to be lived...

at a slower pace
with friendly neighbors
drinking gallons of sweet tea
where manners are the rule, not the exception
where smiles are plenty
where hugs and handshakes go a long way
and church is not just a sunday morning to do list item.

i could keep going, but i'll stop there. however, i will say that after bouncing around the country for a bit making "homes" here and there, and doing my fair share of traveling...the south is home. (and florida doesn't count as the south) it's home for more than the reasons i just listed, but those reasons foster a way of life that just makes life a bit happier. more settled. and well, more "home" than anywhere else ever could be.

i'm back and i never intend to leave here longer than short trips back to my other home in missouri.

bekah

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

settling isn't so bad

well, when i told you i'd be off the grid...i guess i meant it. i get terrible cell service inside my new condo so it took a hot minute to get all things technology working again. that being said, hopefully i'm back. i can't promise that i'll blog consistently, but i'm back. interpret that however you wish.

moving on...

i went on a run yesterday and had a moment of revelation as i was sucking wind on the last hill. [note to self: when you haven't run since december, running hills is a bad idea. abruptly going from florida terrain to north carolina terrain is also a bad idea] so as i was finishing my run, this thought hit me and nearly made me stutter step...

there is uncertainty in charlotte, but it's accompanied by hope and expectancy.

tampa was uncertainty accompanied by restlessness and frustration.

i don't know what this means or how things will play out. maybe i need to go for another run and it'll hit me again?? seriously though...i have no idea what lies ahead for me in my new city, but it excites me. i never want to leave. i would love to be here forever. those are words i haven't uttered in a really long time. i can see glimpses of why the Lord took me where He did in missouri and florida, but i don't see the big picture. that's His job. however, i do feel like i'm finally home. my heart is at rest. i'm feeling settled. this doesn't feel like another stop along the way. and that's refreshing to this wearied soul.

on that note, i have a few more boxes to unpack and things to put away before a certain sista friend roommate arrives next weekend. did i mention that? my one-and-only sista friend is moving in y'all. she's graduatin' and got an internship. yay God!

now come visit us!

bekah

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

gone to carolina

part of my weekend adventure in north carolina consisted of time in chapel hill, another one of my many homes. it has been a year since i was there and quite frankly, that's too long. after church on sunday, the sis drove me over to the hill and we snagged her boyfriend (jamale) for a trip out to maple view farm.

i realize i'm letting the cat out of the bag on this one, but it is seriously one of the best kept secrets in the chapel hill area. you need to go. awesome ice cream. rocking chairs on the front porch. open fields with cows for miles. glass bottled milk. it's almost like you step back in time...or at least forget that you're in college and have work to do.

i loved sneaking away for a few hours when i was at carolina and i try to go back each time i visit. naturally, sis and the boyfriend didn't put up much of a fight despite the fact that it was a warm 53 degrees and drizzling. ha! enjoy the picture recap.

because everything is better in carolina blue...even trash can liners

carolina crunch...my obvious flavor of choice

the boyfriend double fisting while the sis put her jacket on

i love the sis

well, aren't they cute?

after we warmed back up in the car, we dropped jamale off at his apt to head to work and the sis dropped me off at the davis' to spend the rest of the weekend with them. sadly, i was so excited to see them again (it's been 3? years), that i didn't take a single picture. major fail. thus, no more pics from the trip. but, i will tell you that the oldest is now a solid 12" taller if not more than the last time i saw him. sheesh! and the other two really couldn't be any sassier and cuter if they tried. i love that family and am grateful that they continue to welcome me into their home and their lives.

bekah

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

better late than never

so what if it's january 10th and i'm just now posting more of the pics i took while i was home with family. yeah, life's been a little nuts. and i was actually spending time with my family while i was there. not blogging. enjoy the photo post. i'll get caught up eventually. just not today. :)

sis loves her some christmas tree.

so when dad said we had room for a 7 footer, we clearly pictured 8 feet trees in our heads. hence the measuring tape.

someone loves the fluffy kind...

sniff test.

don't be fooled. it was a mom photo op. i did nothing. 

i just love her.

really glad this one was here again this year. he came in handy with all our tree issues later on.

safely home and undoing the tree to get it in the house.

the boys doing work. 

obviously my role was to document this new tradition in the making. and to make sure the tree was properly centered and vertical from all angles. tough work i tell ya.

...and we lost him.

bekah

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

from resident to visitor

a line from the book i just finished reading said...

"I realize with a wave of remorse and panic that Andy and I have suddenly, instantly morphed into visitors--tourists--in a city where we once resided."

this, unfortunately, is the story of my life. both Asheville and Branson have become just that for me. vacation destinations with memories of once being home.

yes, part of me will always consider Asheville "home" (i answered a coworker's question in that mindset just the other day actually), but my days of hopping in the car and running errands in this eclectic mountain town every day are done. i enjoy the moments when i'm home, obviously, and i'm tempted to relocate at times, but that's part of growing up and building my own grown up life. i don't get to stay forever. some stay, some go. i'm a go-er. as hard as it is, i'm a go-er.

and Branson is the same way in a different way. no biological family, but pretty darn close when it comes to how much of my heart is invested in the people there. but now i'm a tourist. i can proudly claim the status of a "has been local" though, and you better believe i will. i had my taney county driver's license that was good for local discounts at one point. so can i get an amen?

all that being said, i hope that someday i can say the same about tampa. i don't plan to live in tampa forever. let's be honest, i'm a mountain girl through and through. the beach will never float my boat. i crave the mountains. i crave crisp, cool air. i crave hikes and camping. sand is my enemy. here's to hoping tampa becomes a place full of rich relationships where my heart is fully invested and i can one day look back and say it truly felt like home for a time.

bekah

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

pine antics

well, this year my mom thought it would be fun to do a real tree. yes, i'm 25 and i've never had a real tree. we've had the same perfectly symmetrical fake tree all my life. and i love it. but mom wanted to buck with tradition and start a new one. no one objected. secretly, i think she just wanted help decorating because she does it by herself each year. but by waiting until i got home on the 23, she was guaranteed 4 sets of helping hands (the sis' boyfriend was here too).

so yes, we went down to the nearest lot (mom had scoped them out the day before) and picked out a lovely 7 footer that had minor blemishes in the plump department, but it just adds character in my opinion. we hauled that puppy back and promptly set her up. the pictures can tell the rest...

on the lot...

...and we ran out of lights. so the sis and i set out to buy more...

...mom and the sis adding more lights. notice how much darker it is outside at this point. we literally hunted all over town to find lights. that's what we get for waiting until the 23rd...

...my view of the final product from my perch in the corner of the sectional. this is prior to the sudden fall that i caught with my leg. yeah, we had to re-decorate this puppy because all the ornaments decided to fling themselves onto the floor when she fell...

...and this is the next morning. she safely made it through the night thanks to mom's barricade...

...and dad's whack job helped hold the tree up for the night too. who knew scrap wood blocks could be so useful?...

...new tree stand purchased on christmas eve morning and our tree is good to go. she hasn't made any more efforts to fall, so that's been nice. decorating and re-decorating isn't so much fun when it's christmas eve...

i hope your christmas was slightly less eventful, but that you made some fabulous family memories like we did. happy new year!!

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

happy #5

happy#5

playing every type of solitaire known to man on the living room floor with mom.

[credit to Liza for the idea of posting happies each day]

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

happy #4

nothing beats time at home with the people you love. today was spent at church and then at the river with the fam for a stuff your face til you're sick to your stomach style picnic. delish. so much food. so much green (leaves and trees that is). so much cool weather i actually had chills. welcome to the mountains. :)

happy #4

Jim & Sara Hart

the little girl cousins

the boy cousins

and the big girls

spending time with people you love and eating yummy food while you're at it

[credit to Liza for the idea of posting happies each day]

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

happy #3

i'm headed to NC today and can't wait to see the mountains and my family. i feel sorry for the person next to me on the plane. i might squeal. it's been almost 9 full months since i was home in my beloved Blue Ridge Mountains and that is WAY. TOO. LONG. needless to say, this visit is long overdue and much anticipated.

happy #3

seeing the fam and being home in the mountains again

[credit to Liza for the idea of posting happies each day]

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

i pledge allegiance to...

image

allegiant airlines is quickly becoming my best friend. yours truly just scored a flight home for labor day weekend for $120 round trip (taxes included). let me just state for the record that i was paying around $400 to fly home when i was in branson. yet another perk of moving to florida.

i'm scheming fun things to do while i'm home, but let's be honest....i'll probably spend most of my time on the fabulous sectional sofa watching movies & ball games with mom and dad, or reading a book. less than three months until i'm home again in the mountains. do you hear the angels rejoicing? i do.

bekah

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

it came!!

so, for those of you who have been praying, THANK YOU!! my stuff arrived yesterday morning and we (i say that loosely) got it all unloaded and into the house. i have the world's greatest dad. he worked himself like a dog helping the movers get my stuff into the house while i was at work. and he weighed every single piece that came off the truck so we'd have an accurate weight. (turns out my stuff was 1,608 pounds and not 3,280 like they originally quoted.)


pops is the best. not only did he make two drives to FL in back to back weekends, but this is also the week of his Sports Outreach golf tournament. he's swamped, but he made it a priority to be here and help me. again, my dad is the world's best. if you're reading this, i love you dad and really appreciate how helpful you've been through the whole moving process.


now to unpack and get everything settled into its new home. pictures to come once that happens, but don't hold your breath on that.


bekah


live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

asheville

let's be real. i love asheville. it's quirky. eccentric. earthy. vibrant. diverse. perfect. it will always be home.

yes, technically i was born in georgia, but i left before i have any recollection of it. north carolina has been home for as long as i can remember. it always will be. i love everything about the state. i mean, who couldn't? it's the "tar heel state"...duh!!

so, for those of you who haven't had the privilege of experiencing this not-so-little gem of a town firsthand, i'll attempt to convey it's awesomeness. here's why i love this little mountain town with all my heart...

1: downtown. you'll never see the same thing twice. it's a perfect mesh of earthy, liberal, modern, mountain, business....life. so much for your typical southern town. i love it.

2: i never have to use a gps. never. i know this city inside and out. and that makes me happy.

3: i will always call it home. cedar view drive will always be the place where i return. no matter where i go, i'll always come back. and it will always feel right.

4: biltmore village and biltmore estate. who else can boast "america's largest home" in their hometown? yeah, that's what i thought. it's gorgeous, and so full of history. i love escaping to biltmore village to browse the boutiques and slip away to biltmore estate to go back in history. love love love.

5: grove park inn. every friend who ever comes to visit me will wind up walking the halls of grove park with me and sitting in the lobby to chat and listen to the live music. it just feels right.

6: everywhere i go holds a memory. whether it's east asheville with the ball parks and ACA's old campus where i spent the first 12 years of my school career...or west asheville with the fresh market's yummy goodness and the old mcdonald's on merrimon that used to have the indoor playplace with the giant purple creature...or south asheville with the racquet club where we spent every sunny summer afternoon at the pool and church every sunday at Arden Pres...or north asheville with, well, i guess i don't venture into north asheville very much. maybe i should work on that.

7: crisp, cool mountain air. i've never breathed better air. seriously. it could be the middle of the summer and the air is still crisp....none of that "i'm breathing in a cloud" mess.

8: water that literally tastes like you took it straight from the spring. better than bottled. and it's from the tap. no funky sulfur taste or massive amounts of lime junk that leaves the funky white residue in your tea kettle. just pure, clean, bona fide mountain water.

9: small town feel with big city opportunities. maybe it has something to do with the fact that mom and dad both grew up in asheville and returned to raise us there too, but it just feels comfy and right. i can go out and see someone i know, but not everyone. you can feel connected, but not invaded. everyone doesn't know your business, but enough people know and they care. they really care. you're connected.

10: the mall. it's seen quite the facelift since i left for carolina, but it has always been a great place to go and spend an afternoon wandering the stores and spending more money than i should. and it's slightly more enticing now that there's a dippin' dots stand in the food court. um, yes please!!


11: all four seasons. we get all four seasons in perfect doses. winter isn't bitter. spring is budding. summer isn't blistering. and fall is gorgeous. i have never seen a place more beautiful in the fall than asheville. and i'll argue that i never will. see for yourself and join the rest of the tourists that come to drive the blue ridge parkway and marvel at the leaves. stunning.

12: mountains. mountains. mountains. i am not a beach girl (ironic that i'm moving to Tampa?). take me to the mountains every time. 10 out of 10 times i'll vote mountains. some people go to the beach to see the majesty and splendor of our Creator God. i go to the mountains. i find refuge there. i find Him. i love when i come up old fort mountain and see asheville nestled among the mountains in front of me, or when i look outside the plane window and see the blanket of green bumps that are the essence of this little mountain town. they make my heart skip a beat. i love the mountains. always have, always will.

"ASHEVILLE SYNDROME:

some people come down with it for a week.

others are happily afflicted for life.

in this north carolina town,

virtually everyone is seeking a wilderness fix.

and no one goes home disappointed.

in fact, you may not go home at all..."

for me, i don't have to go home. it is home. 

bekah

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.