Growing Up Southern

-->

Photography By: Jessica Shaffer

It’s safe to say, I never envisioned my life going the way it has. At age 20 I married my best friend, by 22 we had set up our nest egg, and by 24 my husband and I were living our “dream life.” Granted we haven’t had the blessing of children yet, but I have no complaints.

Fast forward, 26 years of age – and now living somewhere I never thought I would call home. If you know me, I always envisioned getting my degree in Broadcast Journalism, getting a great internship at a local news station, and finalizing my dreams in sunny California giving my opinion in the style segment of Good Morning San Francisco. But, life has a funny way of saying, “This is your new life, run with it.”

Photography By: Jessica Shaffer

Living in Raleigh, North Carolina has turned out to be a very sweet and unexpected treat. The southern charm and hospitality has been unchained. Everywhere I go I am eagerly surprised to find a new and promising future. Specifically where Gary and I have made home - North Hills has proven to be the perfect place to start navigating the rest of our lives. Other than the obvious convenience of living in a town center apartment, I have found that this has been the perfect platform for me to realize what I want to see in the next ten years.

The move from the Washington D.C. suburbs to Raleigh has made me realize the one intricate detail about who Gary and I are. We care and desire quality time with each other.  Needless to say, quality time is hard to come by when you are traveling an hour or more to and from work. When you do the math, you spend nearly two hours a day in traffic, five times a week multiplied by four weeks of the month, and 12 months of the year… a grand total of 480 hours a year sitting in your car waiting to get home. And let’s not forget the days that there is an accident, or maybe a holiday is around the corner and everyone decided to leave his or her house at the same time. It adds up quickly.

Photography By: Jessica Shaffer

These days Gary travels a total of thirty minutes a day round-trip to and from work. He gets home relatively early at about 4:20, and we have the opportunity to share how our days have gone, dinner is hot and ready on the table by 6, and if we feel adventurous we try a new restaurant out. There are bike trails, running paths, lakes, and outdoor activities at every corner. We’ve already taken late night strolls in downtown Raleigh and found many cute corner restaurants’, shops, and boutiques. Everything is lending itself to a better and happier lifestyle.

Photography By: Jessica Shaffer

So, you may be wondering what all this is about. I’ve come to the conclusion that life is whatever you make of it. Gary and I were really never the kind of people that enjoyed making hundreds of thousands of dollars to only enjoy minimal moments of time with each other. For us, making a move to a slower paced community was a given. I have to say, for the first time in a very long time…I’m really happy to see, and feel what it is like to venture out and call somewhere else home. I figure this is only the beginning for Gary and I. There’s so much more for us to experience and live for. But I’m just happy to know now, that I’m enjoying every minute of “Growing up Southern.”