I have a love-hate relationship with Charleston, South Carolina. As a southern girl who knows the darker histories beneath a charming city like this, it’s sometimes hard for me to fully relax or feel at peace. When I gaze at the stately mansions and walk the cobblestone alleyways with beautiful hidden gardens, I am ever aware of the underlying wealth and white privilege and social divisions that a city like Charleston has in spades. And it’s not just the city — South Carolina’s lowcountry region rouses this conflict in me every time we visit. And yet, I LOVED our visit here and let me tell you why…
It’s not what you think. Eric and I didn’t join a nudist colony and I didn’t streak through the forest in my birthday suit (too many bugs). But we DID spend a relaxing week in Birmingham, where we stripped away our busy lives and communed with nature.
We went to the Oregon coast to refuel our mind, body & spirit. And it worked. Hope was restored. But this was in August and 2020 was not done with us yet.
