Chattanooga – Chattaboogie

I love Chattanooga. I love it, I love it, I love it! And I know that I couldn’t wait to move away from this area when I attended Lee, but now that I have been away for a while, I appreciate how unique it is. 

The natural beauty is the first and most obvious thing – the mountains furry with green trees, the flowers and the gorgeous mild weather. Then there’s the community. We went to the Chattanooga Market downtown, where they have local farmers, artists, and other types of local products for sale. All those little stands and all the good smells made me want to move back here. There was home-grown coffee, peppers, tomatoes, apples, melons, and so many other kinds of produce. There was ice cream and lemonade and deli stuff. There was jewelry, furniture, art, clothing, soaps, and all kinds of novelties. This sounds like a commercial, I know, but I really loved it that much! And it’s not just the “stuff” – it’s the people you meet there. All kinds of good-natured, laid back, peaceful, environmentally responsible people. The kind of people that give you hope for our communities to get healthier and more locally centered (as opposed to corporately centered, by places like walmart and starbucks). 

Then of course there’s all the touristy stuff – the aquarium, the imax theater, the walking bridge, the science museum, the running “river” water all over the square outside the aquarium, the horse and buggy rides, and of course all the local choices of eateries. So much fun! My favorite is the butterfly room at the aquarium – I love when a butterfly lands on me for a moment. 

This is the place where I met my husband, fell in love, grew into my adult self, and learned so many lessons. I think I will probably keep ending up here throughout my life. I want to travel around and live in lots of other places, but Chattanooga is a special place for Kasey and me. Awe! >tear<