Kirsten Captures

After a 4 year hiatus, I finally returned to North Carolina this Thanksgiving!

When I was a kid, my family owned a small cabin in the mountains close to Highlands. Every summer and sometimes in the fall we would drive 12 hours and stay for a couple of weeks. It was a dream come true, an escape from the treacherous Florida heat to the cool forest and crisp leaves. With our friends, my sisters and I would set our imaginations free, building forts in the trees and fighting evil with our wands and super powers.

Then suddenly after several years, we had to sell the cabin. What to do?

Find another cabin of course! In 2001, my family was invited to spend Thanksgiving at our friend’s place on Lake Lure along with another family who had recently moved to Pennsylvania.

Blast from the past. Thanksgiving 2004.

Since then, it has become a Thanksgiving tradition. 6 adults and 8 kids cram into a tiny log cabin and have the time of our lives. There might not be much room, but there is a lot of love and way too much fun.

I can summarize this yearly tradition in four words:

1. Eating

2. Drinking

3. Boating

4. Family

I could also throw Friends, Shopping, Bonfires and Hiking in there but that pretty much sums it up. The air was fresh, the food was delicious, and the company was fantastic. I got in some good quick and invigorating workouts and even trained my sisters and Allison a couple of times. I think they hated me after pushing them through Naomi’s 480 workout. I was dying by the end too.

There’s something wonderful about being able to just take a walk outside in the woods with your family and friends and it counts as a workout! Though I could just call it digestion ;-). As much as I enjoy the sunny Florida weather, I really miss the change in season and the wilderness of other states. Beaches are nice, but they don’t compare to a nice walk in the woods all bundled up in fleece and sweaters. Living in Maine and Cape Cod for different periods of time really changed my perspective on my environment. Being close to nature is healthy for both body and mind.

But I will return. After all, it is tradition.