Missing the Mountains

Some days when I'm driving down the road I really miss the mountains. I miss the slowed pace of life and the tranquility of the surroundings but what I truly miss is the roads. They're not very well kept roads mind you but they're fabulous in their own way. I absolutely LOVE the twists and turns. Once you've gotten used to the curve of the road, the ups and downs, the side to side, you really can't go back to straight and boring roads. My favorite part was gaining speed as I approached a turn and then coasting through it to the next one. Living in Raleigh the roads are so dull and straight.

Not only are the roads boring but the scenery is severely lacking. While I love the trees and all the greenery I miss seeing the beautiful rise and fall of mountains and how blue they look in the distance. Driving by the occasional waterfall every day is a magnificent experience. Sadly trying to find a job there is not exactly an easy feat. Most places are minimum wage or barely more than that and the cost of living being what it is that's just not reasonable. Most people seem to work two or three jobs just to get by, it's not just the big cities that cost a fortune to live in or near. Living in a desirable area like Western North Carolina is difficult because so many wealthy retirees and such move there and so homes are not cheap. The roads and scenery aren't the only things I miss... hiking is not something you get to do very often living in this area. I mean, you can but it's definitely not the same. Climbing up waterfalls or spelunking in a cave happens to be an impossible feat in the heart of the Carolinas. Oh, and rafting! There's so much that I miss. *sigh* Hopefully things will work out and I will be able to return to my beautiful mountains one day.