Wednesday, April 2, 2014

From the Land of Ma'am: Days Two and Three in Savannah

Happy Wednesday!!  This week has been an intense one for me, so I am distracting myself by doing another reflection post on my trip to Savannah. 

On Saturday morning I was up bright and early so I could start the day with a run.  Since I didn't know Savannah well, I contacted a local running club and asked if I could run with them.  People used to do this with my running club when I lived in Minneapolis so I decided to give it a shot.  Best.  Idea.  Ever.  The group was super friendly and I ended up running 6 miles with a couple that ran the same pace as me.  It was nice to not have to worry about a route and the miles flew by since we were busy chatting. 

All smiles after my 6 miles!
I worked up quite an appetite after that run, so I showered and headed out to brunch at a restaurant recommended by the couple whose home I was staying in.  I had a delicious ham and cheese omelet.  I was definitely in the clean plate club that morning.
  

After brunch, I did some more walking, checked out the farmer's market in Forsyth park, and popped into some stores, including a store owned by a friend of Nilsa's.  One thing I loved about Savannah was all the cute little shops and boutiques.

After all that walking, I felt I had earned a fun drink and some reading time so I went to a cute coffee shop, did some reading, and sipped on a delicious mocha.


After relaxing for awhile, I headed to one of the squares to do a walking tour of Savannah.  I had done some research on tripadvisor.com and Savannah Dan was highly recommended.  He lived up to his recommendations as he was very interesting and entertaining.  I learned so much about Savannah and the state of Georgia.  For instance, Catholics and Jews were both banned from Georgia when the colony was initially established!

Savannah Dan sure can rock the seersucker suit and bow tie look
Dan also pointed out some of the areas that were featured in the film, Forrest Gump.  Like this steeple is the steeple that the feather floats by in the opening scene.


After the walking tour I went to mass at the Cathedral.  Obviously they eventually reversed that "no Catholics" rule.  Ha.  But I will tell you - I have learned that Catholicism is NOT popular in the south!  The Cathedral was very beautiful, even more so inside but I didn't take any photos as I feel weird taking pictures inside churches...

After church, I freshened up and headed to dinner at Cha Bella, which is a farm to table restaurant.  Almost the entire menu was GF, so that was nice.  I started off with a caprese salad for an appetizer which had some yummy bacon on it and a great balsamic reduction.


My main course was chicken rolatini - it was chicken wrapped in bacon with carmelized onions in the middle and it came with some smoked gouda grits and roasted root vegetables.  It was delicious.


I headed back to my accommodations after dinner.  The host couple was having a small dinner party and they had just finished eating when I got back.  They invited me to sit with them for a bit and I figured - why not!  It was nice to finish the evening with some conversations with new people.

On Sunday I headed out to the Tybee Island area.  My first stop was at Fort Pulaski, which is an old Civil War fort.  I toured the fort area, which was really neat.  It was chillier and SUPER windy, so my visit was shorter than it would have been otherwise, but I am still glad I went.  It was neat to see something that was established back in the 1770s!  And it was cool seeing the big cannons.


My last stop was the beach at Tybee Island.  It was about 55 degrees and super windy so not exactly prime beach weather, but I was bound and determined to go!  I rarely get to see the ocean so it's always such a treat for me.  The sand dunes provided some protection from the wind so it wasn't as cold down there as I thought it would be.
 

I sat in the swing, rocked back and forth, read my book, and let the sound of the crashing ocean waves soothe my soul.



So there you have it.  Another wonderful weekend getaway.  I've been struggling with quite a bit of stress and anxiety lately related to work and my job search but luckily I was mostly able to leave that stress and anxiety in Charlotte.  I felt such a sense of peace and contentment on this trip and I only wish that I could bottle up those feelings for the inevitable days when I get the Charlotte Sads.  But luckily I have lots of pictures on my phone to look at when I need a reminder of the peace and beauty of Savannah.

And - I got to add another state to the list of states I've visited as prior to this trip, I'd only been in the Atlanta airport which doesn't count as visiting the state.  So this trip brings the total # of states I've visited to 29!

In closing I will say that I have loved taking these trips and I really have tried to make the most of my time in North Carolina, but I sincerely hope that this is my last adventure in the south.  It's not that I don't want to see more; I'm just ready for this chapter to come to a close.  I'm thankful for the adventures I've had but I'd trade them all in to be home around family and friends.  I think it's probably easy to read these posts or see my photos on Facebook and think "I wish I could take those trips" but I think what people sometimes fail to think about is that while they may be envious of the trips I've taken and the fun things I've done, I don't think they would be or should be envious of the experience I've had over the past year...   But my fingers and toes are crossed and I'm really hoping that God answers my prayers and that a one-way trip back to Minnesota is on the horizon for me.

19 comments:

Becky said...

"I felt such a sense of peace and contentment on this trip and I only wish that I could bottle up those feelings for the inevitable days when I get the Charlotte Sads."

Yes, this! This is how I feel about my trip last weekend to NYC - it was exactly what I needed and Monday I was still flying high, but by Tuesday, not so much.

Love these photos - glad you got to explore this city (and a new state - woo) while you're still in Charlotte!

Kelly (She Wears a Red Sox Cap) said...

I have enjoyed reading about your adventures in the south since I've really never been anywhere in the south, but I'll still be happier when you are back in MN for good! I think it's great that you have made the best of being there though by visiting these places.
Savannah sounds like an awesome city, too bad you were not relocated there in the first place haha.
Lots of ocean up in Boston... Haha

missris said...

I'm so proud of you for taking these side trips and taking advantage of and making the most of a sucky situation. I'm confident that things will work out for you!

Leigh said...

Savannah sounds like such a neat city. Adding it to my must visit city list :) Fingers crossed this is the last trip for you and that the perfect job comes your way :)

Jeanie said...

Well, I just loved this Lisa -- I loved that you ran, saw the ocean, ate what looked like divine food and really got a good sense of feeling and being during the trip. You're right -- lots of us would love the trips, but I think you have paid a high price for the opportunity -- higher than most of us would be willing to pay. Sending good vibes for a breakthrough sooner rather than later!

Nilsa @ SoMi Speaks said...

I heard Claire wasn't even working on Saturday when you went into her shop. What the what?!? She always works on Saturdays. Wah! Anyway, so glad you were able to feel some sense of peace on this trip. It's such a beautiful city and so unique / unlike most other cities I've seen.

I totally agree that most of us would trade your fun adventures and crappy work/health over the past year for something much more predictable in a place we'd like to call home. But, it is cool that this crap year has provided you an opportunity to see some really lovely parts of the South that you likely wouldn't ever see otherwise.

Nora said...

It's so fun to take local tours like that and learn new things! So glad you were able to get away and that you found some fun food & haunts while you were there, too :)

Abby said...

I can sort of relate to you on feeling a sense of hesitation about posting pictures about trips/travel on facebook. Because people will say things like, "Wow! You sure do travel a lot." -- but you and I both travel to distract us from the situation we are in. You're situation is way different from mine, but the travel distracts me. If we honestly had it our way, we'd be at the lakes - in MN with our families (and me with Ryan!)

Savannah looks beautiful! So much history. It looks so relaxing. Awesome!

That dinner looks great. Caprese salad is my favorite! If it 's on a menu, I am guaranteed to order it!

I love that you hooked up with the running club! Such a good idea. Isn't it cool how runners can just pick up and socialize so easily? I'm so happy to see you running again!

Elizabeth said...

So glad to read about your time there. I loved the walking tours and Tybee as well, and the idea of hitting up a running club and that food both sound equally amazing. You can sense the peace that overcame you on the trip and I'm glad that you were able to feel a bit of restoration somewhat. This chapter will come to a close, I just know it. Can't wait to see where and how life leads you next! Enjoy the weekend coming upon us as much as possible :)

Emilie said...

Your pictures are adorable - looks like such a fun little city. Congrats on your six mile run, too!

Stephany said...

Ah, Savannah seems like such a wonderful little city! How great you got to visit it! I'm glad you've been able to visit some of the south while in Charlotte. One of the only "good" things about being there? Fingers and toes are crossed you'll find your way back to the city you love very soon!

Carolina John said...

I've been in that swing before! Tybee is a lot of fun. I'm so glad you had a wonderful trip! Getting into a local running group is a great idea. I'll have to try that the next time we're down there.

Jolene - EverydayFoodie said...

Caprese salad with bacon on it!!!!!???? YES!!!!

San said...

What a wonderful trip, Lisa. I am glad you got to enjoy this little getaway!

Shoshanah said...

While I know Catholics aren't big in most of the South, it definitely isn't that way in Louisiana. Of course a lot of that is because it was a French colony. But still, I've never lived in a state where everywhere (including fast food places) advertised all their Lenten specials because so many people keep it.

Amber said...

I'm so glad you had such a great trip to Savannah, it looks like a really beautiful city and I would love to visit one day! So many places and so little time though. Hopefully I'll be visiting you in the midwest again soon!

The Many Thoughts of a Reader said...

Savannah is a place I really want to visit. I was sharing your instagram photos with the husband and trying to entice him into a 'romantic' weekend some time! I remember Tybee island from Saving CeeCee Honeycutt!

Marlys said...

Everything about that trip was wonderful! The food looks fabulous! I love to "travel" with you! Thanks for sharing!

CLM said...

My favorite book set in Savannah is called Savannah Purchase by Jane Aiken Hodge. I think you would enjoy it! On my one visit, I wandered happily trying to locate places from the book.