Up in the woods
A small note on my summer vacation
For the past few days I have been in Georgia, the country. It has been a beautiful place filled with lots of charms and quirks. To me, it also has an “old world” charm. This charm is very difficult to encapsulate through reels or social media, but it has really captured my attention. During an early morning hike, I decided to check out a church on a big winding hill. I walked into the entrance full of flowers and fig trees. The air was quiet and the only other people there were the nuns who were opening the church for the day. Compared to the other churches in the area, it was small but it had a cemetery. The headstones were interesting to look at because they showed a clear evolution of death rituals and artistic styles. The older ones from 1800-1900 had hand carved stones with motifs of grapes, Christianity, and personal objects. Over time as technology got better, the plots became sleeker and more modern, with photographs and black marbling. Although grim to look at, it makes me wonder about the choices and the decisions made to make one’s headstone.
But I think the thing that caught my attention was this beautiful tree. It was in the middle of the cemetery and it was enormous. The roots were strong and took up a large part of the plot of land. The branches were long and stretched out with beautiful green leaves. The tree looks like one of those ancient trees I would read about as a kid, the kind that would be as ancient as the land. At any moment, the branches and trees would sprinkle generational knowledge. It felt ethereal, the type of magic that I only read in books. An otherworldliness that could never really be captured on camera and the kind of whimsy I hope to continue to experience for the rest of my life.
When traveling around Georgia, I feel a sense of wisdom exuding throughout something I rarely encounter my travels. A culture that has kept its virtues and ideas through the centuries, and endued through endless obstacles. Walking through the grass, the fields, and the ancient wineries, it feels like there is so much more that can be imparted upon humans. For me, it feels like I am a student soaking it all up and it’s like reading those old stories of the past but through the land I trek.
On a personal note: I have lots of posts and ideas backed up and I need to flesh them out. They will be out very soon.
Best,
Lisa
A wise Deku Tree and a cute kitten 🤩
Sounds amazing😍