I Believe in Treehouses

I believe in treehouses.  As a child, I was fortunate to have parents that did as well.  We lived in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in a home with a large yard, tall trees, and that very special treehouse.

Every day after school, I would rush home to change into my play-clothes and wait for the doorbell to ring.  Then would enter my best friend, neighbor, and partner in crime—it was time for play.  But what should we play? Where should we go? The answer was always the same: The treehouse, where everything begins. 

The treehouse could become anything of the imagination.  Some days it was a ship, being tossed along rough waters. It would wreck upon a desert island, beckoning to be explored by a brave pair.  Other days, it was a private jet, carrying two of the world’s greatest spies on their top secret missions.  But then on other days, it was just a home; it was a place in which we raised our “families”.  It was a place that every once in a while, we decided, needed a good cleaning. It was a place in which we prepared four course meals with the finest ingredients.    We were proud of our house, especially the “our” part.  Truly, anything we wanted to happen there, happened.

Since this time, my family has moved away from this wonderful treehouse.  We relocated to a new neighborhood, with equally large yards and tall trees, but no treehouses in sight.  When I go back to visit my old friend, I cannot help but take a glance into that familiar back yard.  From the road we stare at our abandoned memory’s rotting wood. Sometimes we say things to each other like “Those people there now, they are really missing out.” How could they not see this great thing they have before them?

I believe in treehouses, but more importantly, I believe in all of the possibilities they hold.  I believe life, like a treehouse, is full of its own possibilities, and that is what excites me to live.  Travel, adventure, and success lay beside the simplicities of life, all for our choosing.  As I live, I never want to be the person who people look at and say, “They are really missing out”; I want to be someone known for pursuing the possibilities and climbing the ladder, for that is where everything begins.

Tennessee Snow Day:)

Later 'noogs, I need some hot chocolate ;)

ChattaFoodies: Alleia Restaraunt

          Last week I was finally given the opportunity to dine at Alleia. I have seriously been waiting for years to try this place out, never having any friends who were brave enough to try new (and a tad bit pricier) fare.   I had heard it makes its visitors feel like they are dining in a restored castle. Being one who loves castles for their association with princesses, pretty dresses, and all things fancy, of course I wanted to go! As my friend and I drove to the restaurant's Southside location, the sun was setting around us, giving the city a warm, yellow glow, despite how cold it was that evening.

 

'Nooga Skyline

As I look back on my life up to this point, I see for the first time how it breaks down.  While I never saw my life as phases as I lived it, I now see how distinct and fleeting these were. I think we all can look back at some time in our life, see how much we have changed, see how we have grown through whatever came our way. We can see how the experiences we chose may have hurt us, while those that just happened upon us may have turned out better than we ever could have imagined. We have all had our mountains, our valleys, and are constantly presented with the mass of trails that wind around, over, under and through them.
 For a long time, I was lost on one of these trails; I thought I was climbing up one mountain in particular, thinking all the terrible things I was experiencing were just the normal struggles, things everybody does to get to the top. But then one day, the smoke cleared, and there was no mountain in sight; I was just lost in a jumble of trails. The weird thing was that after seeing that I was in this tangle of trails, I started to feel completely, absolutely free. I no longer had people and situations guiding me, but was left to make my own choices, and boy were there tons of them! I went down trails I had never seen before, becoming the person that I had only dreamed of being. I took advantage of opportunities, and became a "Yes-man" of sorts.
In the midst of this craziness, I developed new, exciting relationships with both old and new friends.  In one of these relationships, I discovered even more.  When I first met this guy, I remember thinking how perfect he was. I mean, one time I caught him doing dishes after dinner at a friends house while the rest of us were off being idiots--what a man! (And a handsome one at that!) But it was not until we got closer that I realized truly how great of a man he is. After a movie date at my PARENT'S HOUSE (see) and a dancing lesson next to a starry lake, I knew I wanted to be his. Canadia (Oh yes, did i mention he is from Canada?) has made the past seven months the seven happiest and most content of my life.
 So now that I am climbing around on those trails all happy and content and possibly making you puke rainbows right now, I do not want to forget a single minute of it. In comes this blog.
But why Chattanooga Skyline? Lots of reasons. For one, duhh I am from Chattanooga, Tennessee, born and raised, and I love it like people love New York or Paris (both of which have a special place in my heart as well). On top of that, The "Scenic City", as it is called, bears close resemblance to my life as I now see it. When you really think about it, Chattanooga does not really have what I would call a "city skyline". You know, the shape you see of the city from a distance? Chattanooga's skyline is different to every person. While some consider it to be the beautiful bridges towering over the TN river, others see it as the aquarium arches, Bluff View, or even Lookout Mountain. What I am getting at is, Chattanooga is all over the place! It has its city-like aspects of fancy buildings, businesses, and art, but it also spotlights the beautiful mountains and river that encompass it. Like Chattanooga, I am a medley of ideas and interests, that somehow manage to get along, and will soon be here to share with anyone who decides to read this (Will anyone read this?) There will be clothes, music, art, stories, and way too many pictures of my cat--but it will all be my life, day to day, as I travel its trails here in Chattanooga.

Later 'Noogs :)