Roots and Wings

"You can have roots and wings, Mel" -Josh Lucas as Jake in Sweet Home Alabama

This quote really resonates with me, especially having been visiting my hometown in SC for the past few days. Roots keep you grounded, and coming back to SC often does that for me. Wings allow you to fly, to have new experiences, to learn new things and see the world.

I love SC. I love being from SC. I'm just not sure if I can ever live here again. As a friend of mine originally from the Mid-Atlantic said in an email the other day, " Here in South Carolina, it seems as though nothing exists outside of SC, maybe because so many people stay here and never leave. In the Mid-Atlantic area, you have D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and are closer to New York, etc. It just seems as though the world is bigger up there." I agree. However, there is still a bit of excitement as I drive over the state line into SC. Suddenly, things slow down. Some of the traffic that I've been fighting all the way from Virginia disappears. I even feel myself relax.

I realized something very important on Christmas Eve. In the past, I've always felt very at home singing in the church I grew up in on Christmas Eve. It felt right and natural. This year, I looked out at faces I've known my whole life. I saw people I went to high school with and had no desire to speak to them. I felt like a guest, not a part of things. The reason? I wanted to be with my friends in Annapolis. I absolutely love spending time with my family, but 90% of me is more at home at my "adopted Episcopal" church in Annapolis (I actually attend a PCA church on a regular basis) than the church where I grew up. I was receiving voicemails and texts from my Annapolis friends and it made me a little homesick. I've never really felt that way before.

Yet, at the same time, being at my parents' house is so comfortable and familiar. I know where everything is, and I can still find my way around Columbia. Being here still feels right- but I think it feels right to the part of me that wants things to be easy. Last night, a thunderstorm came through about midnight and I was lying in bed being quite reflective and loving the sounds of rain in an old house. Something about listening to a thunderstorm in our townhouse is not quite the same. Now, don't get me wrong- the South has fine culture! My family and I had our Christmas dinner at a 5 star restaurant in Summerville, SC. While I know DC has equivalent restaurants, I doubt they have the charm that I experienced yesterday. I also love the people in the South. They are eccentric, odd, lovely, and charming all at the same time.

The next question is whether or not I'll ever come back to the South. It's definitely not one I can answer now. Right now, I can't see myself leaving Annapolis for any reason- especially not to move back to SC "just because". I always wonder if I fall in love with someone in the South, would I move back? I don't know the answer to that one either. I don't think I've really ever been enough in love to drastically change my life. If that right person came along, I think I'd be willing to give up the life I've built in Annapolis...but I can't be sure. I guess it's good that I clearly have plenty of time to think about what I would do in that situation!

All in all, I think you can have roots and wings. Actually, I think you need both to be successful. I also think that somehow, we always come back to our roots in some fashion. So if I'm back in SC 20 years from now I don't think that should surprise anyone....especially me.