You Can't Go Home Again

I recently finished "Grimoire Girl" by Hilarie Burton Morgan. It's not something I would usually read but I picked it up in hopes of getting into the Halloween spirit. However, the book pleasantly surprised me in a different way and tugged on my heartstrings until the last page.

One of the themes is the old phrase, "You can't go home again". Burton Morgan detailed the bittersweet emotions that she feels when she remembers her most cherished childhood memories. She described how melancholy she felt when she realized that she'll never be able to share those experiences with her children, though she's grateful to have experienced them at all. To Burton Morgan, home is not just a physical place. It's a string of treasured memories that create what she refers to as "the cornerstone of magic". 

Listening to her describe her memories of her oddly decorated house and a dad with an affinity for ghost stories made me think of the special memories that I accumulated in my own childhood home. The memories are still so potent and fresh; I swear I feel like they just happened yesterday.

Right now, I can picture myself playing on my backyard jungle gym with callouses on my palms. I smell my dad's teriyaki chicken on the grill while my sister and I ride our scooters on our back patio listening to our outdoor speaker blast 107.9. My sister and I steal kidney beans out of my mom's chili pot when she isn't looking. Rocks crunch underneath my bike tires while I ride down our white dirt road. My family's laughter bounces off the wall of our above ground pool as the water splashes over the sides. 

These memories live inside my sister and I. They are only ours and for that we are so lucky. Although Burton Morgan is right, I can't physically go back home again, it's okay. Those memories are still inside of me. They're imprinted on me and have helped turn me into the woman that I am today. Time has moved on and so have I but I'll never forget the home I was so blessed to grow up in and the love I was lucky enough to be surrounded by. 

It's easy to look back on life with rose-colored glasses and nostalgia and see only the positive things. Nobody's childhood is perfect but I promise you that regardless, mine was nothing short of magical. 

- Chelsea 

Philadelphia 2017

About a week ago, me and a bunch of my friends went on a trip to Philadelphia, Pa for a dance competition. I had never been to Philly before and it was a city that I've always wanted to visit. It was one of the most incredible places that I've ever been in my life and I loved every second of it. I'm so glad that I was able to go and that I was able to share the experience with some of my favorite people. It also didn't hurt that I ended up getting third place in my category. The trip was memorable in so many ways. We ate at so many wonderful cafes, at Philly cheesesteaks, drank Guinness at the bar from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and so much more. It was one of the best vacations that I've ever taken and I'm dying to go back. If you ever have a chance to see this city, go. You won't regret it. I certainly don't.

-Chelsea

Hitting the Family Lottery

I grew up in a very loving and supportive household. My parents' relationship was the epitome of everything that I wanted for my marriage and future family someday. I always felt like the luckiest and happiest kid in the world. I had it all: loving parents, a great little sister, a home that I loved and more love and support than I ever could've imagined.

Admittedly, I've always been a pretty naive person and until recently, I was naive enough to believe that everybody grew up in a situation like I did. When I moved away from my parents, I started to try to make friends in my new area. As we were getting to know each other, we all discussed our pasts and the lives that we left behind. I was shocked to hear some of the things that they shared with me.

Some of them hadn't spoken to their parents in years and they didn't care to do so ever again. Some girls were beaten by their parents. Some were children of addicts that chose their addiction over their family. As I listened to everyone's stories, all I could think about was how sorry I was that they didn't have the same experiences that I had. Everyone deserved the same happiness that I felt growing up and it truly saddened me that everyone didn't get it. While I was talking to these girls, I truly realized just how lucky that I was.

I have strong relationships with both of my parents and being around all of these new people made me realize how truly special and rare that can be. I never took my family for granted but now, I definitely can say that I have an even deeper appreciation for them and the life that they gave my sister and I than I ever did before.

I remember seeing the way that my dad looked at my mom and wishing that one day, my husband would look at me that same way. I remember spending every Saturday at the park and every Sunday in the pool with my family. I remember being able to come to my parents with anything, no matter what. We had a connection and a bond that I can only hope and pray that I'll have with my children some day.

I miss my family more than words can say and even though I've moved away, I still do what I can to keep them involved in my life. It hurt me to hear my friends say that they never wanted to speak to their parents again. I can't imagine my life without my parents or even our (at least) 2 phone calls a week. Family is the most important thing in the world and it's never been something that I've taken lightly. But I am extremely grateful that I was one of the luckiest kids in the world.

My dad used to tell me that the one thing in life that is always constant is family. He told me that things come and go in life but at the end of the day, nobody could ever take away the fact that my sister and I were his kids and his family. I carry that knowledge with me every day and will treat my future family with the same respect and care that I was raised with. I know now that how I grew up, unfortunately, isn't everybodys' "normal" but I can tell you, that I'm so thankful that it was mine.

When it comes to families, I definitely hit the lottery.

I love you, Mom & Dad. Thanks for everything.

-Chelsea

"We have the same shoes."

One day, I was sitting in my sixth grade reading class, reading Tuck Everlasting, when all of a sudden, I got tapped on the shoulder and heard, "Psst". I turn my head around and see a blonde girl sitting one row over, trying to get my attention. She smiles and says, "We have the same shoes."

Brad Paisley concert!

I looked down at her shoes, then at my own and smiled back at her before saying, "Yeah, we do." I didn't think that the conversation would go much further than that but I was pleasantly surprised when we started walking to our next classes together. Lo and behold, we had had gym class together all semester and had never spoken.

That all changed very quickly. That weekend she spent the night at my house and we were inseparable all through middle and high school, even though we went to different high schools. We were on the same football team for years and she spent so much time at my house that I called her my sister when my friends asked about her.

You know you're best friends when you can be silly together!

She was my person, my shoulder to cry on. I spent many hours spilling my guts to her and telling her my deepest, darkest secrets and vice versa. But for every hour spent crying, two hours were spent laughing. I have some of the most amazing memories with her that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

We go to different universities now and now I'm married, so we don't talk as much as we should. But even though our lives are going in separate directions, I'll always hold her in my heart and cherish the memories that I have with her. She taught me a lot about myself and about life. She helped me come out of my shell and helped me learn to love myself for who I am. I miss and love her very much and I hope that our paths cross each other again.

Football tournament!

The Throwback Tag

1. What year were you born in?
-1993

2. Do you have any pictures of yourself from when you were younger? If you do, show them.

Kelly and I on a trip to Tennessee! 

3. What TV shows did you grow up watching?
-Rugrats, Hey Arnold, Boy Meets World, Lizzie McGuire, That's So Raven, Braceface, The Proud Family, Phil of the Future, Kim Possible

4. What did you want to be when you grow up and do you still want to be that?
-I wanted to be a writer and yes, I still do.

5. What were your favorite toys to play with?
-I loved Barbies and Polly Pockets.


6. Three songs you loved to listen to as a child.
Little Bitty by Alan Jackson, Havin' A Party by Rod Stewart and I Can't Wait by Hilary Duff

7. What was one funny thing you dressed up as for Halloween when you were younger?
I was a Disney princess almost every year and when I wasn't, I was pretty common things like pirates and witches. So, I really wasn't anything "funny".

8. Tell a funny story of something you remember happening when you were young.
I carpooled with a friend of mine in kindergarten and he couldn't pronounce the word "leaves." But whenever he saw a tree that didn't have any leaves on it, he'd get super excited and shout, "Tree with no weaves! Tree with no weaves!" Every time he would say it, I would bust out laughing. To this day, I can't see a leafless tree without smiling.

9. Are there any special things you've kept from when you were a child?
I've kept all of the crafts that I've made and all of my stuff from my Girl Scout troop.

10. What was something weird you used to do as a child?
I think it's weird that I had a Southern accent when I didn't live in the South.

11. What's the scariest thing you remember that happened to you when you were younger?
I remember panicking when all of a sudden my sister stopped breathing and I saw her taken away in an ambulance. Thank goodness she was okay.

12. How is the world now different from how it was like when you were a child?
Nothing is dramatically different. I just have more responsibilities.