I wrote this post the night I arrived in Hiawassee, but due to the technical difficulties associated with staying in a small mountain town, I never got it posted while I was there.
It’s spring break. Sadly, this does not mean days lazing on a beach this year, or lazing anywhere else for that matter. I’m nearing the end of my program and along with that comes the crunch of getting everything finished. I have to take my comprehensive exams the end of April, propose my dissertation the beginning of June, and take a midterm a few days after spring break. It all comes at once. As I said to a friend I visited with on the drive today, spring break isn’t what it used to be.
So, lacking a beach, I decided to drive to Hiawassee, GA. There’s a condo on Lake Chatuge that is available on just such occasions and the price is right for a PhD student dependent upon a university stipend...read free. I decided that half the allure of going to Hiawassee is the drive itself. From Murfreesboro, I head to Chattanooga and battle the 5000 trucks that drive that route every day. However, shortly after leaving Chattanooga I get to leave the interstate and take a route east that dances across the lines between Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina. This road leads through the incredibly beautiful Ocoee River Valley. It is a narrow winding road with steep drops down to the river. Today was beautifully sunny and the trees haven’t leafed out yet (though many are blooming), which means that the river was clearly visible. I just can’t help smiling as I drive this road.
While I love this drive simply for its beauty, it struck me today that there was something else as well. From the moment I left the interstate I began thinking about what I would do while I was here. Of course there will be quite a bit of studying, but there will also be some exploring. I haven’t climbed Brasstown Bald yet and the Appalachian Trail is just up the road. There are hikes galore and waterfalls around every bend in the road. I realized today that one of the things I love most about trips like this is that I get to discover things. I love it. It makes me come alive. I think it’s why I don’t quite fit in Murfreesboro. Unless the world’s largest cedar bucket is something you’ve really been dying to see, there is really nothing to discover in Murfreesboro. It’s just kind of a boring little suburban town. And that is why many people love it. Which is great, I’m glad they’ve found a place to love. But for me, I need to discover things. I lived in Anchorage for 3 years and barely scratched the tip of the iceberg in discovering Alaska. Tennessee is much tamer. While discovering restaurants and music venues is fun, its not the same as cresting a ridge after a long hike, feeling the sunlight on your face and taking in the expansive view in front of you. In the words of David Wilcox,
But you made the climb up to the crest
Seeing it all ahead of the rest
And your expression showed the wonder of the place
Looking westward with the sunlight on your face
At the wide open vista
At the wide open sweet someday...
I'm looking forward to the discoveries, vistas, and sweet somedays of the week to come.
P.S. I'm not kidding about the cedar bucket. Google it.
