Dreamin' in Georgia
I’m married to a dreamer.
At first glance, my organization-loving, number-crunching, analytical-minded husband seems like he’d be the last person to dream, but fortunately, this isn’t the case. And lucky for me, that means that when I nudge him after endless hours spent on websites toting famous towns and say “Hey! We should go to (insert city and state here) this weekend!”, he often responds with an, “Okay!”
We bonded over our love of communities, city planning, town culture, and generally, what makes the heart of place so inviting, as if you’d finally found home. We’ve dreamed of countless cities in which to live. We’ve listed nearly every conceivable pro and con for every city we come across, from historicity, coffee shop aesthetics, walkability to the town’s center, population culture, agricultural opportunities, to the level of humidity in which my hair can live (because let’s be real—this mane is a MESS at any drop of moisture).
We dream of businesses and kitschy titles, fictional communities and future partners, next careers and small town life, ideal evenings home from work and lazy sunny weekends, ways to leave a legacy long after we’re gone and we dream and dream and dream some more.
The funny thing is, I distinctly telling God two ultimatums about the man I would marry. Two things I absolutely would NOT accept in my forever person. One I’ll save for another day to discuss. The other I’ll share here today. And believe me, the humor isn’t wasted on me thinking of myself telling GOD what I would and would not accept. Well, he got the last laugh (and is anyone surprised?)
Blaine is, in fact, the very embodiment of both those things.
“God, I will never, ever marry someone in the military. Amen.”
Whoops.
Cue God laughing.
And so now I find myself, with absolute joy and 100% by choice, married to a man who is in the military. And there are a hundred tough things that many women who have gone before me can list off, and one day I’ll write about my experiences with it thus far, but today, I get to celebrate it.
Why?
Because I married a dreamer. In the military. My equal when it comes to thinking of, designing, and planning an intentional life for ourselves. The fact that we’re contracted to live wherever the army tells us for the next couple years may seem to lend itself to squashing this love of dreaming. After all, we ARE extremely limited in our choice (next to none) and ARE obligated to go where the army sends us. However, I think this has fueled in us a passion even more to make the most out of where we are, what’d we like, and to dream BIG. Because of the military. We’re already limited, so why not dream without limits.
The future before us changes so stinking often. In the next few months we’ll be packing up our first home as newlyweds and making the trek to our new place in the Midwest (or south...or southwest...or mid-south central... No one really knows what to say about this state's location--not even the state's own residents. We've looked it up!) And then, months after that we’ll be making our next big move to a place we’ll call home for a few years. With so much change and so much unknown, how could anyone NOT dream. A freedom, of sorts, has been afforded to us. We’re not settled, at least not in the traditional sense. We can’t wait until we have permanent roots that go deep and wide, but until then, we go where the army and God send us, and dream. So we drop what we’re doing, hop in the car, grab some coffee, GPS our next adventure and dream.
This weekend’s dream? Savannah, Georgia. This city is the first place that comes to mind when I think of the classic southern gentile culture. Steeped in a rich and impactful history, this town begs to be explored and appreciated. We found ourselves lost in the Spanish Moss-covered trees, standing in awe at each new monument and square, agape at every ivy-covered mansion, and marveling at this stunning coastal town. The palm trees and old oaks, the ornate architecture, the riverboats on the water, the delicious food, the refreshing drinks, the well-established culture—we were sold! It felt like we’d found ourselves among a hidden gem. Spoiler: it is most definitely a gem and most definitely not hidden (just was to these west coasters!)
We spent the day holding hands, taking pictures, strolling—and that is the proper adjective for the pace at which to enjoy this place—through each square in what felt like a southern, summer-inspired haze (the 78 degree weather with humidity could’ve fooled us into forgetting it was still winter!) We ate on the rooftop of an ivy-covered brick building looking over the heart of town and it's cobblestone streets. We explored and sweated and laughed and most of all, most memorable of all, dreamed. Of a life we may or may not have there. Of memories we may or may not relive. But we dreamed. And oh, how sweet it is to dream.
Our first stop was an adorable Parisian cafe called Cafe M. After our long drive down, coffee was a must. Right off of River St., Cafe M was founded by a french couple who fell in love with Savannah and the city's European style in walkability, architecture, and community, and decided to open up shop there. We sat out in the cool yet slightly muggy morning air and tried to avoid being eaten by tiny mosquitos. In additional to our delicious lattes, we enjoyed a chocolate croissant and a chocolate cronut because...when in Savannah, right?
I was left in awe at all the charming restaurants, shops, and quaint stores with their colorful awnings all along the river. As we walked along River St. (and as i tried my very best to not trip on the cobblestone--being a klutz has it's natural risks), we marveled at all the life happening so close to the water. Just a few steps up and we found ourselves under ivy-covered arches overlooking the sight below.
Our entire time in Savannah felt like a dream, and maybe I've overstated that in this post, but I can't help but describe exploring the city as being pulled along at some leisurely, southern pace. We next found ourselves at City Market, an area lined with shops, a Prohibition museum, eateries, and best of all, the world's most delicious cookies. Every single Savannah tourist website said stopping by Byrd's was a must and they were not wrong. Their cookies melt in your mouth (but actually, they do! It has something to do with the way they make them) and we quickly snatched up a bag of one of their most popular flavors: Georgia Peach. Ordering a bag online as I type--the one we bought didn't last us more than one day!
My second favorite thing about City Market besides the cookies was the restaurant across the street advertising to-go drinks (um, yes please!) Their offering of the day was a Georgia Peach Sangria in a portable cup which Blaine and I quickly purchased. Off we went to wander the first of 22 squares finally basking in the day's sun. Savannah is Georgia's first planned city which made exploring it extremely easy as the city's layout is based on a grid. Every couple hundred of yards we found ourselves in a new square with some sort of monument or display to marvel at at the center of each one.
Remember that iconic scene in Forest Gump? The one where Forest is sitting on a bench and likening life to a box of chocolates? 1. He was 100% accurate and man, Forest, if only my 8 year old self had known how true those words would be and could appreciate them. 2. That scene was filmed in one of Savannah's famous squares, Chippewa. Although that bench is now in Savannah's History museum, it was still surreal to visit that famous spot and replay the scene in our mind's eye. Another winning point for Savannah? It's the birthplace of the Girl Scouts. Hmm, I'm just now seeing a theme with this city and cookies...
It felt impossible to walk through the streets of Savannah and not stop to take in every building around us. Besides being ornate and historic in nature, each of these buildings offered a vast variety of architecture spanning hundreds of years. We often imagined what the first use of each place was and what it must have been like living here when these gorgeous buildings were a part of every day life and construction.
Yes, we were those people standing next to every beautiful wall and grinning away, but how could we not when nearly every wall and building had such rich color and design. I'm imagining a brick house covered in ivy in our future...
Ooooh, give me all the ironwork and greenery. Swoon! From the rooftop of our lunch stop to the historic streets and porches, we saw it everywhere. Savannah boasts of beauty in the details as nothing in the city's design seemed to be accidental or haphazard. We loved the intentionality behind every home and the fact that they had a name! The Bradburn Manor Est. 2017 has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?
The famed Jones St. was another must-see that came highly recommended. Fun fact: back in the day, my stepdad lived on this gorgeous street in a carriage house behind a mansion. We had fun trying to locate that house and snapping photos of all the homes--some turned hotels, some still in residence, and almost all named and dated. I wonder if these people ever get tired of tourists traipsing through their streets and taking pictures of their living room windows. I had to catch myself a few times and remember someone could very well be trying to enjoy their Netflix in peace without a looky-loo admiring their home from the porch. That's just (ha!) the cost of living in a draw-dropping historic mansion, I guess!
Forsythe Park is arguably the most famous and most stunning of all the squares. Cherry blossoms, palm trees, and moss-covered oaks lined the pathways that led us to the heart of the square, an ornate and picturesque fountain. Fun fact: the city of Savannah has one of the largest St. Patty's Day parades in the U.S. and dyes the water in this fountain green to kick-off the celebration! All around us were people doing what they do best at a park; lounging, taking pictures, playing with dogs, riding play structures, and soaking up the hot winter day. This stop made me want to hop into one of the many hammocks people had put up amongst the trees, write poetry, sip sweet tea, and pretend I had the loveliest southern drawl. Alas, this didn't happen as Blaine would have, rightly so, left me if I had.
After a long day on our feet, sweating in the sunshine, and exploring to our heart's content, we decided to cap our day with a quick pick-me-up before we hit the road. We stopped at The Collin's Quarter and were greeted with the most refreshing blast of air conditioning and stunning decor that had us believing we were in a minimalist-industrial-Pinterest-designed dream. I grabbed a delicious spiced lavender mocha, perhaps to balance out the strict utilitarianism of Blaine's short black. What can I say, the guy loves simplicity. And apparently he loves me too--enough to adventure with me on this dream of a southern day trip.
