Georgia On My Mind

Hello friends! I have some exciting news to share with you... 

This California girl has hit the road...

and moved to Georgia!

Okay, okay, so as I've been telling all of my California loved ones, it's just a temporary move, but I've been offered a really great position at a top university and I simply couldn't pass up the opportunity! Of course I'll be taking all my dear ones along with me on this journey. So pack your bags...we're headed toward the highway! 

Our first stop is in Williams, Arizona, just an hour south of the Grand Canyon. It was actually my first time there! Williams is a charming little town off Route 66, and of course the Grand Canyon is simply spectacular. Our dog Ozzie thought so too.

From Williams, we continued onto Albuquerque, New Mexico, where we explored the historic Old Town and all its (hidden) treasures.   

From New Mexico we crossed through Texas...

and made our way into Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. I absolutely fell in love with Bricktown! The charming street lamps lit up the bridges that spanned the canals, and all of the riverfront restaurants looked so inviting. I was especially taken with a painting in a boutique window that had the lyrics to my wedding song printed across the symbol of the city me and my husband spent our honeymoon in.  

  

The skies of Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama were bright blue and filled with strange clouds. A witch's hat turned into a heart as we drove along a tree-lined highway.  

We spent our last night on the road in Memphis, Tennesee, which has now become one of my very favorite cities! It reminded me a lot of New Orleans, but with its own distinct Memphis flavor. At the Blues City Cafe we dined on melt off the bone ribs and the hands-down BEST gumbo I've ever tasted! 

Our final day on the road we made the 6-hour drive from Memphis to Atlanta, Georgia (of course we hit stop-and-go traffic in the very last hour of our 5-day journey!). Finally though, we made it to our home sweet new southern home...

Okay, so I was a little tired by this point...ha! Well friends, now there's boxes to unpack and furniture to set up, but I have to admit that I've been a little distracted. All I've really wanted to do is sit in my backyard listening to the symphony of cicadas, crickets, and frogs, while watching the silhouettes of bats swoop in and out of the pine trees at twilight. 

So far, southern living has been as sweet as southern tea. I look forward to sharing our memorable moments with you as we settle into life in the Peach State. 

~Nel~