I'm currently en route to what will soon be the frozen tundra- otherwise known as Bloomington, Indiana. With nothing to do but write on this long trip, I thought I'd share my love letter to the South.

To the South:

Thank you for always having grits on the menu.

Thank you for beautiful architecture with years of stories built into the walls.

Thanks for always having actual pulled pork bbq at a Barbecue.

Thank you for rich Southern traditions, the normal and the not-so.

Thank you for sweet gardenias and camellias.

Thank you for big and LOUD families...like mine.

Thankful that cocktail time, is pretty much anytime (note the aforementioned).

Thank you for hot summer nights and homemade peach ice cream.

Thank you for backroads through pecan orchards.

Thank you for small towns full of big characters.

I can't believe I'm leaving you but I know I will be back soon!

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emily hines

Raised in the South with a love of Spanish moss, craftsman bungalows and front porches, I am Emily Hines, writer, dreamer and beer drinker. You can find me strolling down a century old city block snapping iPhone photos of colorful facades and searching for flea market treasures.

With my burly husband Ryan, I enjoy searching for edible mushrooms to escape the hum of the city. He proudly donned the beard and man bun way before it reached the masses – a critical point he’ll remind you of whenever he sees an Urban Outfitters.

Dog mom to two wild black lab pups: Junebug, in honor of the summer beetles she’d follow around as a puppy and Lula, my swimmer who was named after the Tallulah river in Georgia. Both constant companions.

My traveling goal is to find the hidden gems. There are stories everywhere, you just have to find them. Let’s hit the road.

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