In Which I Go South

I'm still very much riding the sick bus, and having to give up some lovely adventures in favor of a box of tissues and bed. On the plus side, writing blog posts doesn't require getting out of said bed so I've decided to give this goal I've seen going around a whirl. The goal is this: Blogging Every Day in May, or #BEDM. I'm already a fan because the hashtag includes the word bed, but I also think this could be quite good practice for when I have a job. You know, doing something every day and producing results. Now, for all of you who've been on here recently, you might've noticed that I didn't post May 1st or May 2nd. But that's okay because in the grand scheme of this #BEDM thing, two days at the beginning will be forgotten by the end!

So pretending like we're on day number four.

Blogging Every Day in May | Day Four

Just over two years ago, my dad and I took a trip down south to good ol' Alabama. We were there for the weekend to tour the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. I obviously did not choose Alabama, but I thoroughly enjoyed our drive from the airport in Atlanta across Alabama. We made a stop Birmingham as well as a stop at the highest point in Alabama in Cheaha State Park. It was an extremely foggy day at 2,413 ft, and surprisingly chilly as highlighted by my outfit above. My dad and I walked the short distance up the viewing tour in complete isolation. Apparently it's not a very popular tourist spot in mid-March....

Regardless of the fog, the drive there was beautiful. I'd never been to the deep south before, and I'd never really thought about what it must look like there. It had always been associated with the Civil War in school, or with the high poverty and obesity rates. The south never looked like anything in my mind beyond a plantation, sweet tea and pies. Beyond the civil rights protests down the streets of Birmingham and Montgomery. Beyond that warm southern hospitality (which one can never picture).

To finally see just how beautiful of a place it actually is really surprised me. That short trip once again made me realize how little I really know about the world. And fueled my desire to travel even more. Because in traveling, I become a more open, more empathetic, more knowledgable individual.