Oh Charleston...

I miss Charleston the same way I would miss an old friend. Don't get me wrong, I am a full blooded Texas gal and love most things Texan (my husband being my favorite one!) There is just something mystical and charming about Charleston that always draws my heart and mind to the place I once called home. Let me try to paint you a picture of what my heart remembers. You drive in to Historic Downtown Charleston and your tires land on old brick paved streets lined with tall palmetto trees, enormous live oak and cypress trees dripping with Spanish moss. The trees are in the courtyards and the parks with families strolling along beneath them on their way to Waterfront Park. Here there is a covered pier over the marsh grass with rows of porch swings where couples sit and watch the birds and wildlife while the ocean water splashes into the reeds. Occasionally a dolphin or manatee will swim by and say hello and then be off again on a secret journey to who knows where. Behind them sit the majestic antebellum houses and historic store fronts. The grand rainbow colored homes are adorned with towering white columns or ornamental iron fences, window boxes overflowing with flowers and greenery, long covered porches with hanging ferns, swings, and rocking chairs, all gently rocking from the light breeze while hindering my view of the garden hidden behind the home. Market street is buzzing with people, tourist, locals, the women weaving grass baskets in the corners, fudge samples, and women in straw hats looking at purses, jewelry, and trinkets. A horse drawn carriage passes by while the driver tells the history of the buildings and cemeteries to his fare. You can smell the southern kitchens all around you. Herbs, seafood, wine, and fruit smells mix with that of the salt water and linger long into the humid evenings.... I could honestly sit for hours and write about what I remember about Charleston. I haven't even yet touched on the beaches, the swamps, or even how much I loved living on base. In my heart I am sitting there engulfed in her southern charm this very moment. I can't believe how vividly these memories of a place resonate in soul.