My wife & I have friends from our Navy days that live in Norfolk, VA, Jacksonville, FL, Birmingham, AL, Shreveport, LA & Dallas, Texas. We stay in touch with each other, & try to visit together as frequently as possible.
Not including our families who live "up North," we have established more connections in the generation of time we've been in the South, both new & old, than we ever had done before. In a recent blog post entitled "Native Transplant," I mentioned that I had put down roots in the South that had become well nourished. I also said that home for us now is in the Deep South.
The connections with old & new friends alike make a place become a home with all the warmth & closeness that leaves one comfortable & well satisfied.
Meeting in Tallahassee with our friends from Jacksonville, we stayed at a bed & breakfast in the quaint town of Thomasville, Georgia. Sharing these moments with them as we talked & toured the town heightened our experience of seeing new places, & deepened our bonds with people & place. In addition, they have come to Pensacola, Florida to be with us, & we with them at their home.
It's a full days drive to Dallas from Pensacola, & we have been up there several times over the years, but our friends there generally come our way on an annual basis mainly because they have family living close by in Alabama. These visits are always welcome because we hear about their extended family, all of whom are good friends as well. These folks were northerners too, coming from Wisconsin & Ohio respectively.
Our friend in Shreveport, a retired Public Affairs Officer, has lived in a number of places around the country, but decided to settle in her girlhood home to be close to her family. My wife & I feel that this is important, but unfortunately for us, it is not possible. We know Shreveport well. The city has grown & now boasts a vibrant river front.
Norfolk & Virginia Beach are among our favorite places, & we considered relocating there in our retirement years. We met our friends who live there almost forty years ago when we were stationed together at Pearl Harbor. Also originally from Louisiana, they decided that the Norfolk area provided everything they needed to be active & comfortable. We've had the chance to visit with them several times over the years in Virginia Beach.
Visiting for us makes those important connections that really says you care about the people in your life. This gesture deepens the bond & adds an important depth to the relationship. There's nothing like quality face time!
Also from our time in Hawaii are our friends in Birmingham, & although we have seen them since that time, we regret that we haven't visited them at their home. Birmingham is a lovely city & an easy day's drive from Pensacola. We mean to take a few days to explore Northern Alabama, as well as having an overdue reunion.
Time is always of the essence, & making plans to include good friends in our travels enriches the experience even more.
I feel a wonderful sense of connection with the South, & for the most part this is due to the folks that we know & love.
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