A Round Trip of Life

Past and present connect,

North and South,

939 miles of winding road,

15 hours of scenery passing by.

Two distinct worlds collide.

Growth

Southern charm, majestic weeping willows, easy twangs,

Seven years growing as a “Georgia peach”.

A time of liberating, barefoot summers,

An eternal embrace of warmth filling your soul,

Pushing away any worries or sadness,

And making it impossible to say goodbye

When mom yells “Come inside!”

Cotton plants sway in the breeze,

A reflection of the blue sky above

As sunbathing alligators bask in the sun

In sparkling lakes.

Unity

The uniformity and security of the military was home.

Beige, lackluster houses stood in tall flawless rows

Perfect replications of one another,

Mirroring the soldiers fighting gallantly in war.

The base exuded security,

A gift that is sought for in many places,

But never granted.

Adaptation

Country land, bold mountains, cows grazing,

I return to my birthplace as a stranger.

The seasons in Pennsylvania act like an inescapable revolving door.

The biting cold of winter,

To Spring’s joyous rejuvenation.

Gone are uttered yall’s and the honored military brat status.

A new chapter of life arrives,

And conflicting feelings flutter through my mind.

Snow, Amish buggies and northern slangs are foreign,

Transition soothed solely by the constant presence of family.

Resilience

Time passes, Georgia becoming but a memory,

Yet never to be forgotten.

Pennsylvania may be my present,

But Georgia is always in me

Burning, shining, thriving,

An element of my character.

New roots form,

And my identity evolves.

Future and past may diverge,

But somewhere,

They interweave into one unique creation:

Me.