let's rewind

We went to Georgia & Alabama a few weeks back and it was my first experience in the South. We had an amazing time exploring and visiting family. Some of my best moments were just driving and look at the landscape before us. I have to share some of my favorites from the trip.

First, a shout out to all the really nice people in the South. I get what people have always been saying. People were genuinely nice and had a deep respect for each other.

So, I am a bit of a hotel snob but I let my dad do the hotel booking in Georgia. After all, there are not many hotels in Americus, Georgia. So he booked us at a particular hotel (no names) that was pretty disgusting. It wasn't his fault, he didn't know and my dad has great taste. There is something about being a mom that makes you see exactly how dirty things are. I many not have cared as much before I had kids, but watching my daughter crawl on that floor made me want to vomit. So, after one night I told my dad that I couldn't do it and we drove over to the Hampton Inn next door. Wow, when we walked inside it was a breath of fresh air. There was actually someone on their knees scrubbing the tile floors. So I have to say that my hero of the vacation was the Hampton Inn, a hotel I probably would have never gone to before, but I hold dear to my heart now. And of course to my dad for moving us.

I had sweet tea for the first time. Okay it wasn't a favorite but I was really excited to try it!

All the beautiful churches everywhere you went. They were all different and amazing in their own way. 

The run down houses, although sad for the people who no longer have them. They added a realness to the landscape that I found beautiful and both sorrowful. 

There were so many of the same So Cal restaurants on our trip that we always eat at. I was a little disappointed. Plus, we had home cooked meals every night so we didn't get to explore too much. On our last day there, we stopped at a Zaxby's, which I had never heard of, and it was good! I wouldn't eat there every day since everything is fried, but it was yummy and so clean.

My true favorite though, of all the vacation, was just spending time with my dad, my kids and my husband. Sitting in a car for four hours is not a bad thing when you get solo time with busy people. It was awesome. And of course, seeing family that you love, especially when you see them every few years. I love to rediscover people in my life as I get older. It takes on a new meaning.

XO