Savannah, GA

This past weekend I took a trip to Savannah, GA with my BFF, Amber. We left Friday afternoon and came back Monday afternoon so it was a nice long weekend trip! It was so great to spend time with Amber since I never get to see her. However, this trip was more than just a trip with my friend, though, this was the first time I have been to Savannah since my Papa (my Mom's dad) died. Oh, this trip was so good for my soul!


My family went to Savannah a lot when my siblings and I were kids and even more in my high school years when my Papa was having more issues. I have always felt Savannah was my home away from home and I even remember asking my mom if we could move there once. I just love that city and I love the memories that invaded me when I went down there this weekend. Driving down DeRenne passing over familiar street names such as Abercorn, Waters, and Skidaway started the flood of memories. Walking along River Street and passing restaurants we frequented also did it. But on Saturday morning we went to Papa's house. We drove through his neighborhood, which looked exactly the same, and sat outside of his house for a minute. Good grief, there were so many good times in that house - Thanksgivings, Christmas', games in the side attic, the spinning bar stools, the pad of paper on the fridge, the box's of non-kid cereal in the cabinet, the sippy cup I loved to drink out of, cranberry and orange juice in the fridge, my first taste of wine, the globe that lit up, his many books, Grandmommy's ring that she let me wear, the toys in the nightstand in Mom and Dad's room, the exercise bike, and I could go on forever I think! But the one thing that meant the most to me as far as memories in Savannah goes happened Saturday night. You may find this a little weird, maybe not, but I had a dream that I was in Savannah with my Papa and my family and he pulled me aside and told me how much he loved me. You have to understand, I knew Papa loved me but he rarely said it. And I know that meant the most to me because as I type this my eyes are full of tears! I have no grandparents left and the memories are all I have to hold onto. So thank you, God, for giving me these little glimpses and memories to bring back those sweet days I had with them.



Now that I have completely overwhelmed myself, I'll tell you about the fun, lighter aspects of my trip! The drive was long but I had great company! Amber and I met in college and she is now a Middle School teacher in Dalton and I am back in Gwinnett so it is really hard to get together with her. So we had plenty to catch up on! Saturday we hit up River Street and stopped to watch the beginning of the GA/TN game (thank goodness we did not waste our time watching all of it) then we headed out to the beach. This is when all the fun began! It took us almost 45 minutes to find a parking spot as there was a Pirate Parade starting...yeah! SO we got a spot and paid for parking then about 10 minutes after getting onto the beach the rain comes pouring down! Our dresses were plastered to us and we were soaked to the bone! And as cold and wet as we were, it was still a blast! We had several great meals, too. I got to enjoy Oysters and Scallops and I still couldn't get Amber to try them (but I can't blame her!). We were able to go back to Tybee another day to enjoy the beach in the sunshine and take a few pictures, we got DELICIOUS milkshakes from the Sugar Shack, and we went to Fort Pulaski to stand where Civil War soldiers fought. It was amazing to stand where they stood, where history happened.

It was such a wonderful weekend full of fun, laughter, learning, sharing, and so much more. Thank you, Amber, for the trip. We should make this a regular thing! Thank you, God, for sweet memories.