Where Longing Will Lead To

What is it about lockdown that makes you long for something? Not just the fact that you are limited in what you can do, in where you can go, and who you can see, but being alone with your thoughts, with your memories, and your thoughts of what you want your future to be. Do I dare even think about it, a vacation? A much, much needed vacation in a time where there is no lockdown and no social distancing, no being alone. Just thinking of a vacation away from this "vacation" makes my heart ache.

Being alone with my thoughts though has made me think of a place I would love to take a vacation to. A place I won't soon forget, yet a place I won't soon see either.... Tennessee. It's mountains, it's cool, calm breeze's, and it's small old timey towns, once you get past the big new timey ones. I would start my Tennessee vacation in Downtown Gatlinburg. It's a tourist town with many types of attractions ranging from moonshine distilleries on every corner, arcades, stores full of sugar, ice cream and fried goodies on every street, any type of restaurant you can think of, and multiple Ripley's attractions.

After being a typical tourist, the next thing to do would be to explore the amazing natural architecture mother Earth has presented in and near Gatlinburg. The Smokey Mountains, rivers, waterfalls, caves, so many beautiful wonders to explore all across the state. I would travel next to Sweetwater just for one attraction, The Underwater Sea. An amazing and huge historic cave system where America's largest underground lake presides. Artifacts from Cherokee tribes have been discovered, along with writings from the Civil War, large rocky rooms, cave flowers, and of course, a giant lake filled with blind cave fish, so deep that to this day we still only know it's bigger than 13 acres.

When it's time to stop wandering around this amazing beauty and connection to the past, I would move on and head towards Caryville, Tennessee. I would go to the local malls, the local Walmart's, and the local diners. I would go to a rundown restaurant that is only found in few state's, even if the buffet wasn't the best. I would go up to Eagle Bluff on the mountain and just let my gaze wander. To just feel the breeze and just free my mind of any and all burdens, and just take in the fresh nature aroma and enjoy the blessed world. Even though my significant other would think most of these things would be lame, I don't think I would want to do this reminiscent vacation with anyone else by my side.

The reason I would choose to once again vacation in Tennessee isn't for the fried sugary goods, or for the cave water only touched by so few, or the second-choice diners and many Walmart's. It's for those memories that were brought back to mind from being on lockdown. The memories of all I once did when we were free to do and go where we pleased, when I was a child and had no worries other than what me, my dad and grandma going to do next, while I visited my grandparents that summer.

My memories, thoughts, and wants flood my mind of all the things to do once this isolation is over. One of the first things, will be to make my vacation dream true, and to end the vacation with a visit to my grandma. For even though she can never take another journey on this Earth, she lives through me, and I will journey for and with her, and always come back to my second home. The longing leads to where the heart aches to be.