Where was my favorite place to live as a Resort Girl? Big Canoe, Georgia. The beauty of the mountains, the warmth of the residents and the spirit of the chapel all made it a glorious place to reside. It was a crazy time in the world — dealing with the tragedy and the aftermath of 9/11 — and how blessed was this RG to be living in a little hideaway town in the North Georgia Mountains.
The day the planes came crashing into New York, I had driven into the big city of Atlanta to run some errands. Our little town at that point did not even have a grocery store. When the news broke out over my radio, my car immediately turned around and headed back up to the safe arms of Big Canoe.
In those days, and even in these days, having a gated community has its benefits and being somewhere off the radar due to its remoteness can be the safest place to live!
But what kept us there was the beauty of the mountains and my beautiful, warm, caring, and to this day still, best Resort Girl and Guy friends – yes the RG BFFs. Many a day, our group would fill up a long table outside at the Black Bear Pub to enjoy dining, lively conversation and a cold brew after a great game of golf – around warm fires on many a fall day, too.
Big Canoe is where I began to master the game of golf. All of my Big Canoe RGs love the game of golf, playing just about every weekend and everywhere in the U.S. So, I had to get my game on, and I took many lessons from our then golf pro. The only problem was, our pro admitted his short game was not that great and to this day, neither is mine! My drive is fine, however, and I love the tee shot, especially from ones like this. Sky high views with the thrill of seeing my pink ball fly high in the air and landing way down there in the center of the fairway. Now that’s fun!
Other fun I try to never miss is our Big Canoe RGG annual progressive dinner party for the holiday season. It has been almost two decades of warm fires, yummy food and lots of cheer! A huge and hilarious part of our party is deciding who brought the tackiest re-gift presents as gag gifts. The group knows this RG will usually bring a silly stuffed animal, as my mother loves to give them to me. Sorry mom, the word is out: they are re-gifted.
Sometimes a safe remote place forces RGs to bond together. This bond can last a lifetime and together build many milestone memories, but most of all you’ll have caring souls who will always be there when you are in a time of need.
The spirit of the quaint chapel soothed our souls and was open to anyone and everyone of all beliefs and to whoever was in need – forging a community of care.
Is there a remote safe place calling you, Resort Girl? Even if it is just for a few days a year. It is a place your mind can escape to when life’s stresses come your way. Even if just for a minute or two, remember those glorious views of nature calling your name and calming your soul. Resort Girls and Guys, find your community of care and remember your favorite place.
No Comments