I’ve lived in Tennessee since September of 2001. My parents moved us here on a bit of a whim. They sold our house and moved us to a very small town in east Tennessee. I felt as if my world had collapsed. I was leaving my friends, my family, everything I knew. I assumed that everyone in Tennessee would be toothless and uneducated. (Definitely NOT the case. Why does everyone assume that people from the south are uneducated?)
I’m from Florida. I was born there, and most of my family still lives there. It’s where my second home has always been–my Granny’s house–which I guess was always really my permanent home, since we moved around a lot. It’s a long story, but that house is no longer in our family. I miss it because there are so many memories in that house, but it wouldn’t be the same today, anyhow. That house held many Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. It held many tears and the sounds of joyous laughter. It held the memory of when Granny took me into her room and gave me a gold locket when I “became a woman” at the age of eleven. It holds the memory of when Pawpaw woke up early one winter morning to spray the trees with the water hose–so we, his grandchildren, could see icicles hanging from the trees. It was where I was when my parents brought my little brother home from the hospital. It was also the last place I saw Granny.
I’m going to Florida next week with Husband. Since we’ve been together, this will make our third time visiting my “home state.” We went once in January 2008 and again in January 2010. Sadly, this will probably be the third time I’ve visited Florida in about five years. I rarely see my extended family. The trip is a 10-hour drive, at least, and it’s hard to find time to make the trip.
Though I’ve grown to love Tennessee as my “home state” over the years, I have a special place in my heart for Florida. I love the warm weather; I enjoy the busy-ness of my old hometown; I adore seeing my family–aunts, uncles, cousins. I love that when I go back, even though I was only twelve when we left, I know my way around like I’ve been driving there my whole life–I can even see the roads in my head right now. I love seeing the changes, though I sort of hate it at the same time. Sometimes, when I go back, I’d like it to be as if I were stepping back into my childhood, but it’s really not.
On Monday morning, Husband and I will be making the 10-hour trip to my hometown. We’ll be there until Friday, and I’m mostly looking forward to taking trips to places of my childhood … But I’m also looking forward to accepting the new parts and relaxing a little bit.
Don’t worry; I’ll take my camera to show you around.






