My Dad is an engineer, so when we were growing up, we moved a number of times based on where his next job was located. When I was in 4th grade, we moved from Angleton, TX to Knoxville, TN for the first time. While I was sad to be leaving my friends, I absolutely fell in love with east Tennessee. The scenery was beautiful, it snowed, and there were hills to sled down. What more can a little girl ask for!? I think we lived there for about a year, and then we moved to Cleburne, TX. I really can't remember, but I think we moved back to Knoxville during my 7th grade year and stayed there through the end of my freshman year. When I found out we were going to be moving again, I was devastated. I loved my school and was actively involved in band, softball, etc. The way my high school was situated, when I was outside for band or softball practice, I could look straight out and see the beautiful Smoky Mountains. East Tennessee is just pretty, and there are 4 seasons which I love! Anyway, we moved back to Angleton, TX where I finished high school. When thinking about colleges during my senior year, I thought about how awesome it would be to move back to Tennessee to go to school. I sent my SAT/ACT scores to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville just for fun, but in reality, out-of-state tuition was out of the question, and for those who have read my earlier post, there was also a special fellow who I really liked who ended up going to Texas Tech. The Tennessee relocation stayed a dream at that point.
I attended Texas Tech and loved it. While I was in college, my parents moved back to Tennessee a third time - this time to Chattanooga. This gave me the opportunity to go visit and get my mountain fix during holidays. After a few years, they moved back to Angleton, TX. This family has burned up I-10, I-20, I-65, and so on. :) The summer before my senior year in college I was in my accident, and that put me in a tailspin in multiple ways. As I was approaching the finish of my bachelor's degree, I researched the University of Tennessee again for graduate school, as well as some other nearby universities. I really think had the timing been a little different, I might have been able to make the move at that time, but I was still having surgeries up until a few months before graduation, and emotionally I was still a big mess. I had such a wonderful support system in Lubbock and at Tech, that I just couldn't pull myself away. The professor I was working with as an undergraduate encouraged me to stay with his lab and to pursue my master's degree there at Tech, and so I did. I finished that and in the meantime, I met Devon. We actually met online (that story is for another time), and in our first online conversation, he told me how much he loved the mountains and dreamed of moving closer to them. He had bought a 4WD forest green Subaru with intentions to move towards a mountainous area, perhaps Denver. How perfect! We dated and married about a year later. Once we were married, and I had finished school, we talked about where we wanted to relocate to. We liked Lubbock, but we were both looking for a change, and as a software developer, there weren't a ton of job opportunities for Devon in Lubbock. We did discuss Tennessee briefly, but I missed my family terribly, so we decided to move back down to the Houston area, and here we are today. While there are many great things about Houston, I do yearn to move back to Tennessee. I want my boys to enjoy all of the neat things I got to experience as a kid - building snowmen, catching fireflies, bagging leaves (yes, it was fun for me! :), seeing the trees change colors, four seasons, etc. Life also seems a little slower. My parents exposed my brother, sister, and I to as many things as possible, and I want to do the same for Ian and Matthew. We are very happy and comfortably settled here, but it's nice to make trips back to Tennessee. It's a very special and nostalgic feeling to be able to take your children places you loved as a child.
Other than the long car ride, everyone seemed to have a great time. Some highlights:
Getting out of the car at the Mississippi-Alabama state line gave the little guys a chance to run up and down some hills, and Ian liked this set of trees. The last picture was a family picture before getting back in the car. Matthew was not pleased with this idea.
First night in a hotel on this trip. Matthew loved his big, comfy bed!
Our hotel in Pigeon Forge had a little balcony outside. I caught the boys playing hide and seek. Ian loved the balcony and asked to sit outside several times during our stay. It seemed to soothe the little guy.
Ober Gatlinburg!! The boys (including Devon) had a blast. Devon and Ian went down the alpine slide much faster than Momma. Ian let everyone know that. :)
Smoky Mountains National Park. Incredibly beautiful. We stopped at a pull-in where Tennessee and North Carolina meet. The air smelled so fresh and clean. It was about 67 degrees and felt so nice. Part of this was due to the polar vortex that brought unseasonably cool and dry air in the middle of July! On the way back down the drive, we pulled into the Chimneys Picnic Area. Absolutely awesome. There was a light misty rain. Once in this little area, there is a mountain stream you can walk down to and massive rocks. The water was so clear that you could see straight through it with a beautiful tree canopy above. I can't describe how peaceful this place was.
The little guys thought the mountains were neat, but I think they had more fun at The Track in Pigeon Forge. Ian got to ride in his first go-cart (Daddy driving of course), and Matthew rode some kiddie rides.
After a few days in Pigeon Forge, we drove to Nashville. The drive is about 2 1/2 hours long and is beautiful as well. Once in Nashville, we checked into our hotel and found a park for the little guys to run around. We visited Pinkerton Park which was lovely - multiple playgrounds and a bridge over a river. I also loved their mutt fountain. I hadn't seen one before. They had a little water fountain for four-legged friends. I ended up seeing a few more of these in Nashville.
Our second day in Nashville, we drove around to see some of the local sites. We visited Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro and downtown Nashville. I didn't get a picture, but I did get to see my best budro, Erin who I hadn't had a chance to see in over 10 years!! It's so nice to reunite with friends.
During our stay, we visited The Islands area in Pigeon Forge. Every half hour, they play two songs. I happened upon the dancing fountains synchronized to one of my favorite songs, "Home." A Godwink maybe? ;)
"Hold on to me as we go
As we roll down this unfamiliar road
And although this wave is stringing us along
Just know you're not alone
Cause I'm gonna make this place your home."
Beautiful collection of pictures and a wonderful write-up. Thank you for doing this sweetie. :)
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