stone mountain: an orientation

I am slowly acclimating to my Georgia home and my new ID reflects this reality. Sometimes I imagine I'm still in Oregon, only not with my parents. If it weren't for the 8-lane freeways, it might be a little easier. At any rate, I simply cannot grasp how far I've come. 

This week I learned the Cardinal Directions from my house and where my grocery stores are. Also, that cockroaches are a thing and that they FLY--ew. You know, basics.

I've also learned how to navigate the area enough to be able to find my way home without GPS in many cases, or to argue with my GPS in others. 

Today I climbed Stone Mountain, which for all my Oregonians, isn't really a mountain at all; it's a Butte. A granite Butte. Apparently, it is the most visited site in Georgia and it isn't far from my house. It's famous for a 360° view of the Atlanta area, and a particularly good view of the Atlanta city skyline. It's kind of overwhelming to suddenly be face-to-face with your new home in that way, but it felt great to be outdoors, even if it was crowded. There are also some lakes in the park, which I look forward to going back and exploring.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

chaos: my 2023 word of the year

Every year, I pick a word as a kind of marker, a thing to grow into and learn about. I never thought I would choose the word chaos, yet here I am. Chaos holds mystery, power, and potential. It's an invitation to be flexible and accept change. It's leading me to try new things, change my mind, go on last minute adventures, and enjoy all the colorful things in my life.  I suspect that the embrace of chaos may just lead me to peace within myself. I definitely hope it leads to a more tangible sense of playfulness and exploration. So, here's to 2023, and all the chaos it will bring. 
Read more

Top Ten Favorite Writing Resources

When it comes time to put words on paper, I entrust my carefully formed thoughts to the most efficient and easy to use mediums I can find. The following are all things that have helped me before. None of them are sponsors, I've just genuinely appreciated them so much I want to share them with you. I did not arrange them in any particular order of importance. 1. Nanowrimo     Every November, you can find a plethora of aspiring authors crafting their novels. So inspiring. The have pep-talks and helpful forums that encourage your word count and kill your "inner editor". Fantastic way to get the writing juices flowing. 2. Write or Die     I use this when I'm stuck. Full of fun features such as a timer and word counter, this is any easy to use website that makes you write by penalizing you if you don't! Definitely helps with fiction writing when you're in a pinch or need to move on in your story. 3. Written? Kitten!    This is a website that rewards y
Read more

Lord, have mercy.

This week has been heavy for me. And I’m not going to sugar coat it. Adjusting to a new place, community, and work while being separated from loved ones is hard enough, without a global pandemic, political unrest, and the threat of fires. In many ways, my life may look like I have completely moved on, but I am still grieving. I think that’s the right word for it. While I am safe, others are not. The places I love are on fire. The people I love are being displaced. They’re struggling to breathe. My heart is with three communities, my current home in Atlanta, my home where my parents live, and the home of my undergraduate university, where most of my friends and mentors are. ____________________________ If you are experiencing grief, it is an appropriate and healthy emotion, a very human emotion. It’s okay to grieve and you needn’t justify that to anyone. It’s okay to acknowledge that everything is not okay and still do normal things. No one has the right to tell you if y
Read more