Have you seen my creative spark?

I think I lost my creative spark. Somewhere along the span of six years: pulling myself out of a midlife crisis at 25, navigating rocky dating relationships, switching from multiple jobs at work and turning 30…I sort of just lost the fire to be creative.

A few months before turning 30, I had a revelation. It was the most amazing experience I’ve ever felt about myself. I no longer cared what other people thought of me. I was so happy to be me. After struggling with body image issues my entire life, I was finally happy with the way I looked. I created my own personal style that reflected a strong, confident woman. I was proud of my job and proud of how I performed at it. At this point, I also realized who really mattered in my life. Who would love me for all of me. I let go of a couple of friendships where I realized the relationships had developed into pretty one-sided, unhealthy affairs. The freedom of realizing I didn’t have to give so much of myself to something that was causing me stress and bringing me down was seriously life-changing.

I met my boyfriend when I turned 30. And have experienced the most fulfilling, complete sense of acceptance in my life. Having someone like Mike love me for me has made all the difference.

Anywho…

Back to the creative part. I think it’s time for me to take some time out for myself. I began to think: what used to inspire me? What made me light up with energy? Now, at age 31, how am I going to continue to thrive in my personal life, professionally and spiritually? I plan to devote myself to reviving my passion in traveling–learning to take better pictures (Mike has actually inspired me with this one.) I miss Sunday mornings when I would curl up on the couch with a blanket and French press coffee and read for hours. I miss random trips to BookPeople. Not necessarily to buy books, but to look at books, watch people…it’s extremely comforting for me to be in a bookstore. And Whole Foods. But that’s a whole other post entirely. I miss reading the news. I know…I work for a newspaper. I work on the website! Time dictates most of my life…especially at work. Everything is fast-paced. I’d like to take time to fully read an article, not skim it. Read my Google Reader filled with posts from CNN, NYT, Huffington Post to gossip sites to fashion and home design blogs. I want to become more knowledgeable about the world around me. More so than I already am.

So, I pledge to take time for myself each week. There I said it. So I have to do it. Oh! And, we are about to move into our first home, so I’ll be able to do tons of creative things…I’m extremely excited about the big move. AND! I have another travel piece in the works…woohoo! It’s a start, right???

Hello 2011! I’m back!

Hello everyone! (and by everyone, I mean my 3 readers)

I’ve made a resolution this year to post more frequently on my blog. Not just about my travels, but about musings on life and the world around me – what’s interesting to me or what I’d like to explore more of. I’m hoping this will spark my creativity and give me an outlet to explore aspects of life I wouldn’t get the chance to in my day job.

Speaking of my day job, I did recently write a short travel piece about our trip to Rome in 2009. Felt soooo good to write again.

Here’s the story as it appeared on statesman.com:

Exploring Rome’s Appian Way

This ancient road less taken leads to the highlight of our journey to Italy

By Courtney Sebesta

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

We sat at the top of the open-air sightseeing bus on a bitterly cold November morning heading out the gates of Rome. My boyfriend, Michael, and I were determined to veer off the typical tourist path despite our frozen hands and noses. Five days of the Colosseum, crowds of tourists, Roman ruins and the Vatican had us seeking a slower-paced final destination. We wanted to explore the countryside and discover the history along one of the world’s oldest roads, Via Appia Antica.

Known as the Appian Way or “The Queen of the Highways,” Via Appia Antica was built in 312 B.C. and named after Appius Claudius Caecus, who ordered the road’s construction. Roman ruins and monuments line the road, with expansive Italian villas flanking each side. Catacombs are interspersed along the start of the road, which provided a burial ground and place of worship for early Christians whose burials were forbidden inside Roman walls. It is also here among these 330 miles that Spartacus and his 6,000 rebel slaves were crucified in 71 BC.

Michael and I hopped off one of Rome’s many sightseeing buses, the Archeobus, at the entrance to Catacombe di San Sebastiano. This well-preserved, but perhaps least-impressive catacomb lies beneath a church and is where the relics of Sts. Peter and Paul were hidden for a short time during Christian persecution. We learned it’s wise to plan your trip in advance to one of the three catacombs along Via Appia Antica. Hours of operation vary, and San Sebastian was the only one open the day we arrived. Tour time frames are short in the underground labyrinths of this catacomb, but the small groups made for a one-of-a-kind experience.

Sparse lighting along the cavelike walls gave off an eerie orange glow highlighting the maze of burial niches. Almost every visible surface of the walls had been carved out for placement of bodies. Tributes inscribed on walls to Sts. Peter and Paul, plaques marking graves and intact family mausoleums would have made for amazing photographs, if photos were allowed. Every step we took seemed to take us deeper and farther into the earth. Claustrophobia can quickly overcome visitors, and I found myself wanting to get back to the surface among the living.

The sun had warmed the quiet street once we emerged from underground. Using our tour map, we decided to forgo the bus and take in other sights by foot. It is surreal to see crumbling monuments and parts of ancient statues nestled inconspicuously along the countryside. Except for smoke rising from villa and cottage chimneys and a few cafés tucked off the side of the road, time seems to have stood still along the Appian Way.

Many visitors opt to visit Appia Antica Park, or Parco dell’Appia Antica, where travelers can rent bicycles, explore preserved Roman countryside and buy passes to sights along the road. If you don’t make a trip to the park, you shouldn’t miss seeing one of the most famous monuments along the road. The Tomb of Cecilia Metella honors the wife of one of Julius Caesar’s commanders and is one of the best-preserved monuments in the area. Near the Tomb lies the Circus of Maxentius, which is smaller, but more intact than the Circus Maximus.

We decided to skip the park and stop for a lunch of paninis and a glass of wine at a small, brightly colored café at the corner of the street. After lunch, the two friendly shop owners led us to a shed full of cruising bicycles where we chose two for a small fee. We picked out the bikes we wanted, hopped on and hit the road for our hour-long ride.

Amazingly, the Appian Way is still used by vehicles, but on this particular day, the street was quiet and barely traveled. It’s a pedestrian zone on Sundays with a large part of the road closed to traffic. It was pretty clear from the beginning of my ride I was going to miss modern pavement. Parts of the road have original cobblestones, which are actually large blocks of lava and aren’t very conducive to bike riding. I tried my hardest to stay on the main road but often hit large holes and crevices in between the stones. The ride becomes smoother along the smaller replacement stones as you bike farther down the road. If you aren’t as adventurous, take the dirt trails alongside the road. Your rear end will thank you.

Taking a day out of our jam-packed Roman holiday to journey off the beaten path became the highlight of our trip. The Appian Way is a classic example of Roman ingenuity and fortitude. It’s hard not to be impressed and humbled while traveling on the same road ancient Romans used in daily life.

Skyline Chili and Kentucky Bourbon…yes please!

CINCINNATI, OHIO AND KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL — Welcome to the home of my good friends Mark and Melanie Spencer! Boy, have I heard a lot about Cincy and Northern Kentucky and I can honestly say, the bragging was true. Such a beautiful place. Mike and I stayed with Brandy and Ash–the newlyweds–and we were so excited to see them. We arrived at night (seems to be a trend for us on this trip) and Brandy and Ash took us to dinner across the river, which meant across the state line, into Kentucky. Weee! We ate at Dewey’s Pizza–delish and had a local beer, for the life of me, I can’t remember which one. We ended the night at a bar and the boys drank a Cincy beer sampler. Nice. A relaxing way to end the day with friends.

The next day, I was bound and determined to head to places Melanie suggested. I love my Melanie and I knew she wouldn’t steer me wrong. Especially in her hometown. We headed to Clifton and Ludlow Avenue. Ahhh…a little slice of Austin! Cute stores, restaurants, a theater, coffee shops and…SKYLINE CHILI! We were warned about this chili. It’s different. Mike was scared. Ash did a good job with frightening him. I was not afraid! I wanted something unique and dammit, I want a large Skyline Chili with cheese! And a chili cheese dog! Woohoo! Yes, my friends, this was a chili from a whole other planet. You eat the chili on a bed of spaghetti. The chili tastes oddly like cinnamon…with plastic-y cheese on top. It was heaven! I ate it all. Next stop, Graeter’s for ice cream! Another famous spot. Now, this is around 11:30 in the morning, mind you, and I’ve already eaten 5,000 calories in spaghetti chili. Gimme that ice cream. Delish!

After walking around Ludlow, Ash was determined to find Skyline in the grocery store for me to take home. I also picked up a few cans for Melanie and Mark.

We decided to hit the road along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. I’m not a big bourbon drinker. At. All. But, this was a must! So much history, such beautiful country-side. Rolling hills, bright green fields, beautiful thouroughbreds grazing along streams. These horse ranches were unbelievable. The boys took off in the Mustang convertible and us ladies followed behind them. We were originally going to hit Wild Turkey (shout out to my Papa Fred!) but they were closed. Luckily, we headed to Woodford Reserve and I’m so glad we did. Such an elegant, historic place. We booked a tour and learned how Kentucky bourbon was made. The smells of fermentation, oak barrels and bourbon aging in the barrel room were wonderful smells I will never forget. We had a tasting after our tour and then it was sadly time to leave and head to the airport in Nashville.

Thunderstorms followed us all the way to the airport and I was so afraid of missing our flight home. We made it back in time and caught our flight. It was such a spectacular road trip. Something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. I’m so blessed to have shared it with my sweet Mike. Nine states and one foreign country in eight days. They said it couldn’t be done, but we did it! And had a blast every single minute!

Niagara Falls, or, where’s my wooden barrel?

NIAGARA FALLS, CANADA — Let’s just say an entire day of driving, hungover, on my birthday, wasn’t exactly ideal. But, the destination was totally worth it. The Falls! We arrived at our Marriott hotel on the Canadian side around 8 p.m. to see the Falls lit in multi-colored lights. A bit cheesy, yes, but it was still so very beautiful and breathtaking. Our hotel room was amazing. We were exactly in the middle of the Falls and had a huge picture window. Mike had the front desk bring up a fruit and cheese plate with wine (I’m sold!!) and we rearranged the furniture so we could sit on the couch and look out at the Falls. How romantical, indeed.

Mike really wanted to get night photos of the Falls, but I was just too exhausted and used the excuse of it’s-my-birthday-so-I-can-do-what-I-want-to-do. The next morning after breakfast, I posted a photo of the Falls on Facebook and low and behold, who did I get a message from? Brad Alexander. My good friend from Columbus who I grew up with. He was in Niagara at the exact same time! I could not believe the coincidence! We tried to make plans to meet up, but he was on a different schedule than we were and I knew we had to make it to Cincinnati that night. Mike and I headed to the Maid of the Mist tours…yay! So excited for this! I get to go on a boat and get close to the Falls! Mike poo-pooed my original idea of going over the Falls in a barrel. How sad. If Annie Taylor could do it, then I could, too! Miss Taylor was the first person to successfully go over the Falls in a wooden barrel in 1901. She survived and I assumed she was a pretty tough ol’ broad. Here’s to you, Annie!

We bought our tickets, boarded the boat, threw on our huge plastic trash-can bag raincoat and headed to the Falls. Mike actually brought his camera out, which became soaked, but he got great photos! What a tremendous feeling idling near the crashing water. The power of nature is breathtaking.

Again, we had to hit the road. Next stop, to see Mike’s best friend Ash and wife Brandy in Cincinnati. Our trip was almost over…

Bawwhhh-ston or ‘I’m from Dorchester’

BOSTON, MA — Woohoo! We made it to our destination! I was so excited about Boston…I’ve always, always wanted to go. We pulled up to our amazing hotel in the financial district bright and early Thursday morning to meet Affandi for Mike’s birthday. Affandi is one of Mike’s best friends from Oklahoma and is one of the greatest guys I’ve ever met. We wasted no time and hit the ground running.

We took the train to a neighborhood near the Boston Common to have lunch at a pizza place Affandi loved. I really enjoyed the walk along a residential street with townhouses and luxury shops. The eatery had patio seating which was perfect for the sunny day we were having. Sangria and pizza. Excellent. Then the rain came. We sat inside and finished our meal, but once we went outside, the temperature had dropped about 10 degrees and it was rainy and damp. So sad!! But, we continued on our walk with our tour guide Affandi. Lucky for us, Affandi considers Boston a second home (he lives in Portland, Maine and makes the trip to Boston often). We went everywhere. But, decided to stop for happy hour at the oldest bar in the United States. That’s right, friends. The oldest. The Bell in Hand Tavern. We found a spot near the corner window–best for people watching–and ordered a Sam Adams (or 3 or 4). The rain began to pour as we waited for Mike and Affandi’s childhood friend Tara to meet us. Tara has lived in Boston for about 3 years now (I think) and she took us to her apartment in the Italian neighborhood. So awesome.

She was meeting friends at Fenway for a Red Sox game that night, so we thought we’d just go with her to catch the atmosphere around the Park. We went to the Cask ‘n Flagon–at the corner near Fenway and is a tradition for many people to visit before games. There I had lovely clam chowder and there Mike proclaimed he would announce himself from Dorchester to Bostonians he met. Tara informed us that Dorchester was probably the worst part of Boston. Mike wore his label proudly. As we soaked in the Red Sox mania, I thought it would be fun if Mike went to see how much people were scalping tickets for. Mike came back with the greatest birthday present for himself. Two tickets! In the seated section! Along the first base line! For $20 a piece! Those who know me, know I love the sports…I was beyond thrilled! Beer, hot dogs and singing along to “Sweet Caroline” to a Texas Ranger’s victory We, of course, were cheering for Boston. I wasn’t too sure of what to make of the crowd. I had heard Sox fans get pretty rowdy. But, they were wonderful! So happy (even with a loss) and friendly and really into the spirit of the game. This, I must confess, was my very first professional baseball game and I loved every minute of it. We were even lucky enough to stumble in a room where they had the two World Series trophies on display. We took an awesome picture with them and the promoters told us we had the most enthusiastic photo they had seen all night. That’s right.

After the game, we caught the train back to our hotel and I was ready for some sleep. I left the guys in the hotel bar to finish celebrating Mike’s birthday. The next morning, nursing a hangover, Mike and I went for a walk along the Freedom Trail. What a thrill for me to see so much of our nation’s history. We toured Paul Revere’s house, walked through cemeteries and stopped at assembly halls. Unfortunately, we had a long day of driving ahead of us and we dropped Affandi off at the bus station. Oh, yeah, and happy birthday to me! Next stop, Niagara Falls and Canada!

Washington, D.C. and the very expensive drive to Boston

WASHINGTON, D.C., (PASSING THROUGH BALTIMORE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK CITY AND NEW HAVEN) — Our time in D.C. was mostly spent inside the Smithsonian, and that was just perfect for a dorky journalist. It rained all…day…long in D.C., so we hoped from museum to museum. First up, the American History Museum, followed by the Natural History Museum–Dinosaurs! Prehistoric sloths! the Hope Diamond! Moon rocks! Excellent. On to the Air and Space Museum–Apollo missions! Spirit of St. Louis! Orville and Wilbur! Flight simulators! History of flight attendants! Loved everything–this was Mike’s favorite museum. He remembered almost everything from his childhood trip to this museum.

After a walk through history, we decided to end the day at the Capitol and at the Lincoln Memorial. I guess no one pays attention to national landmarks as a sign of reverence and respect because once I got inside the Lincoln Memorial, 5 million teenagers were swarming around–giggling, screaming, running. All in front of a sign asking visitors to be silent. Sigh…It really ruined such an emotional moment for me. Mike took some great shots of the memorial and the Mall at dusk.

Time to hit the road. This is all such a blur to me, and really, this part of the trip shouldn’t be blogged about, but I must share my frustration with New England toll roads. They are everywhere. And they are expensive.

We left D.C. around 9 p.m. and decided our destination for the night/morning would be New Haven, CT. I have never driven on so many roads with so many tolls. Just crossing the George Washington bridge was $9. Wow. Jersey was Jersey. Blah. And, all these roads were a little spooky late at night.

We hit New Haven around 2:30 a.m. and just crashed at the nearest hotel. Happy birthday, Michael! Excitement built for the next day where we would spend his birthday in Boston with one of his best friends, Affandi.

National park to the Nation’s treasures

VIRGINIA COUNTRYSIDE, SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK, WASHINGTON, D.C. — What a beautiful drive through Virginia. Again, I’ve never been to the places we’ve gone on this road trip, and I have seen so much beauty so far.

We stopped for lunch at a cute country store in the mountains before hitting the Blue Ridge Parkway all the way up to Shenandoah. Perfect weather to put the top down on the convertible. We have seriously been enjoying the convertible. I pull out my scarf like a Hollywood starlet and away we go. Weeeee!

The road through the mountains is so beautiful. Winding roads, manicured greens near the edge of the road, many pulloffs along the way for scenic views. Almost every scenic overlook is amazingly breathtaking. Mike found a spot where Ansel Adams shot some of his famous photographs–Mike greatly admires Adams and counts him as a huge inspiration. The Shenandoah National Park is so quiet and peaceful. Sometimes, you think you’re the only person for miles and miles…they have great rest areas and ranger stations.

It was getting to be late in the afternoon and we still had about 2 hours ahead of us before we made it to Washington, D.C., so we found a D.C. hotel online for an amazing price and headed that way.

We made it to D.C. by 8 p.m. and checked into the Mayflower Hotel, just blocks away from the Mall. There’s something about a bustling big city that puts a spark in me. I love the feeling of conquering something so big and being around so much excitement. We hadn’t had dinner yet and were starving, so we asked the concierge where we could get a great “classic D.C.” meal nearby. He pointed us in the direction of the Old Ebbit Grill near the White House. I was told that it was a very famous restaurant where politicos and journalists went. My perfect kind of place.

We walked to dinner, which meant passing by the White House. Gorgeous and just like I thought it would be. But, really, what’s up with the school kids EVERYWHERE? It’s 9 p.m. on a weekday night, kids?? Tons of tour buses full of kids! We were dumbfounded.

The Ebbit Grill is huge…hard-wood and glass everywhere and packed to the gills. The Grill has two bars and all of them were slammed. We found the food to be delicious and really enjoyed the atmosphere. The Grill has a very famous Oyster Bar, which I’m sad to say I wasn’t about to try…I do not like the slimy things. My one regret of the trip: I really wish I had packed a nice outfit (or 2) for D.C. It completely slipped my mind that there is no such thing as a casual wardrobe. But, I felt a little sorry for everyone–no one looked comfortable.

After our meal, we walked along the Mall and took beautiful night pictures of the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. We knew we would have the next day to take more pictures, but little did we know that the rain would spoil our fun.

Nothing finer than the Carolinas

HILTON HEAD, CHARLESTON, MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. AND RALEIGH/DURHAM N.C. — Unfortunately, this part of the journey was a complete whirlwind. All in a day and a half. Whew. But, I seriously wouldn’t have traded seeing this part of the country for the world. Beautiful trees and forests everywhere. A blending of different vegetation from the forest to the sea. Hilton Head was what I imagined it to be. A playground for the wealthy. Gated resort communities and golf courses as far as the eye could see. We thought we could go to a beach, but unfortunately we weren’t privileged enough to enter all the private beaches we came across

We moved along to Charleston. I wanted to spend a day in Charleston so bad, but there just wasn’t enough time. What a beautiful charming southern city. All of the homes were so unique. All packed in tightly. These stately homes faced each other…very narrow with a strip of garden/yard in between them. The “doors” from the expansive porches faced the street. So interesting. And, the view of the sea was magnificent. So many sailboats. I’m so sad we didn’t get to stay.

We needed to make it to Myrtle Beach by sunset because we were determined to walk along the beach. We made it with 45 minutes to spare! A beautiful beach and a romantic walk pretty much made all the driving worth it. We decided to eat at a cafe along the beach–too bad it was so chilly because we would have loved to sit out on the porch listening to the crashing waves.

Mike had heard that the number one mini-golf course was in Myrtle Beach, and by God, we were going to go! Myrtle Beach is the capital of mini-golf, don’t you know. I have never seen so many miniature golf places in one area in my life. Huge, life-sized dinosaurs, gigantic pirate ships, lights and special effects everywhere. We found the course, Hawaiian Rumble with a huge volcano in the center that smoked and erupted! YES! We received plastic leis and hit the “island.” Mike, of course, beat me but we had a blast even if it was midnight.

After a night in the absolute worst hell hole of a Motel 6, we journeyed onto Raleigh/Durham–We’re all about Motel 6s if the price is right and the place is nice, but this…this was horrible. (I will not even get into the specifics of this night of terror.) We arrived in Raleigh around 10 a.m. and I decided to use Yelp.com to find a fun, down-home breakfast spot. We agreed upon Finch’s. Wow. Talk about blast from the past. A diner filled with locals of all ages. The owner Peggy greets us and tells us to sit anywhere we’d like. She’s running this joint–alone. As in, she’s the only waitress and server. Short-order cook chats with patrons at the counter about UNC basketball. Middle-aged black and white men shooting the shit over college basketball. I was loving this place. Our coffee comes out in “gimme” mugs. Each mug is different, either featuring a local business or mismatched mugs not belonging to any kind of set. Reminded me of back home–our Camphouse in the woods is fully stocked with these kinds of mugs.

The food was excellent and super cheap. Just what we needed. We rode around town for a bit…another charming southern town. Drove past the beautiful campus of North Carolina State University. It was time to hit the road onto Virginia where we would spend the rest of the afternoon at Shenandoah National Forest. Woohoo!

The deep south, the deep fried

Day 3: Savannah, GA: Oh Savannah! How we have looked forward to your sweet southern drawl and easy way of life. Mike really wanted to go to Savannah and I’ve always been charmed by what I’ve heard.

I really can’t explain the feelings that overcome you when you are in such a magical city. Savannah is a “city of squares,” meaning, the center of the city is designed around public garden squares every other block. The smell of the sea, lush greenery, moss hanging from large, ancient live oaks and the most beautiful historic homes are the epitome of the south.

We checked into a very nice hotel (Mike was awesome at finding nice places to stay at a reasonable price) near City Market…the center of town in the Historic District. That evening, we sought out a place to eat seafood and found a cute little cafe where I had shrimp, grits and collard greens (to die for) and Mike had a steak (now that I think of it, I’m pretty sure Mike had a steak in nearly every town we went to. The Northeast Steak Tour 2010.) After dinner, we strolled along the squares, passing by tourists and locals, horse-drawn carriages and the smells of great southern cooking. We found a pub on a side street and ducked in for a beer or two. Molly Macpherson’s is an authentic Scottish pub with a great atmosphere…again, the people are so friendly. So much history in this pub–we found out that apparently there is a big Scottish delegation in Savannah. So much so, that they hold a Scottish Games each year. Imagine how thrilled we were to find out that we could ask the bartender for a to-go cup if we didn’t feel like finishing our beer.

The next morning, Mike and I woke up really early to walk along the river. Beautiful sunrise and the smell of the sea–ah, the Lowcountry. We decided to take an old-fashioned trolley tour of Savannah’s Historic District, followed by reservations at Paula Deen’s restaurant, The Lady and Sons. Oh, how I’ve wanted to eat at her restaurant for so long. Mike, however, had never heard of Paula Deen. “Who is this person?” he asks. Oh, silly boy. You will soon learn. Learn with the 10 pounds you are soon to gain. We made reservations, showed up at the appropriate time and were herded like cattle to the upstairs. A very friendly staff and the smells…oh the smells! We decided to try the buffet…butter and fried food paradise! Country fried chicken, baked chicken, mac ‘n cheese, greens, black-eyed peas, corn, mashed potatoes, okra, grits, hoecakes and butter biscuits. For dessert, we tried the peach cobbler and homemade banana pudding. God bless you, Paula!

After our legendary lunch, we took a quick look at the Roundhouse Railroad Museum where train cars were dropped off and picked up–very interesting to picture a bustling railroad station in the 1800s. It was time to hit the road and head on through the Carolinas. Savannah was an absolute dream!

Deer, squirrels and bears! Oh my!

Road Trip: Day 2. We awoke to a beautiful mountain sunrise and a very brisk morning. Our plan was to hit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and hike a moderate 5.7 mile trail to Rainbow Falls, an 800 foot beauty. The hike started at the base of a mountain and I was pretty impressed with the intensity of the trail. Rocks everywhere, tree roots and pretty steep…not your average well-traveled trail. It ran along a beautiful river and the scenery was just amazing.

At the very beginning of the hike, Mike saw a great photo-op and asked me to walk over to a rock, but while he was talking, I saw something furry and black out of the corner of my eye. Now, Mike had just read about what to do when you encounter a black bear. I thought, holy sh*t, it’s a bear! I immediately whispered to Mike, “OMG, OMG a bear! Mike, a bear!” I stood, mesmerised, knowing that the bear wouldn’t attack unless threatened. We were very quiet and I thought for sure we could get a great photo. The bear had to have been about 20 feet away from us! Mike snapped a few photos, but I could sense his fear. BEARS CAN SENSE FEAR!!! I don’t really know if they can, but I love to think they can. Mike started pushing me, urging me to GO! GO! GO! (I like to tell the story a bit differently: Mike screamed, threw his camera on the ground, pushed me down, ran over my leg and ran up the trail, leaving me to be mauled and mangled by the giant black bear.)

We both agreed that seeing a bear in the wild had to have been the coolest thing ever. We sojourned on and finally made it to the falls. An amazing beauty. But, by the time Mike had crawled to the edge of the falls for a picture, a cute little squirrel found me. Aw!, I thought. It’s a little Stella! The squirrel kept inching toward me, then leaping rocks toward me. I froze. What if this was a killer mountain squirrel? This squirrel is seriously going to jump on my leg, crawl up my torso and scratch my eyes out! He looked me up and down, probably wondering where the food was. (Humans always feed native wildlife. Idiots.) He eventually found out I wasn’t worth the time and moved on. Making our way back down the mountain was breezy until Mike made me take a shortcut, where I promptly fell on my rear. Twice. We came upon a deer around the same area where we saw the bear earlier that morning. We had a great time bonding with nature. Ah, Tennessee…you’ve been great!

Onto the Deep South! We began our afternoon drive to Savannah!