“Home isn’t a place, it’s a feeling.”
Cecelia Ahern
The theme of this month’s Bella is expansion. You can find my partner’s editorial and perspective on the idea of expanding from Aiken to the surrounding area on page 3. My perspective on all this is different and in many ways opposite. My story and experience is one more of contraction than expansion.
In my entire life I have never lived in any one location more than four years. I was born in southern Georgia and raised, for the most part, in central North Carolina. I was an Army brat and then spent 20 years in the Army. I have lived in Hawaii, Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Korea. I have literally been around the world and back. So I have more than my fair share of perspective and I can honestly say South Carolina is one of my favorite places to live — it has almost anything you and your family would need.
Between the history I mentioned above and the fact the my mother and sisters relocated to the CSRA area over 20 years ago, I have spent a good portion of my life traveling in and around the state of South Carolina. I have long been a fan of places like Columbia and Charleston. Now that I am a permanent resident of the state, I have discovered and love new places like Greenville.
After moving to Aiken about three years ago and posting it to social media, (because, well, nothing is real until you write a post about it …) an old friend responded, “You always said you wanted to live in Aiken.” I will admit that at first I did not understand her response, but apparently, years ago, after a visit to Aiken, I said I would love to live in Aiken someday.
And, as my brother-in-law is fond of saying, I stand by what I said. Recently, Southern Living awarded Aiken the title “The South’s Best Small Town.” Southern Living referred to our town as the “genuine article.” For the record, although it does help, you do not have to ride a horse to live here. As mentioned, I have been around the world and back and I can honestly say that Aiken, from the indoors to the outdoors, offers of the best experiences. With places like Whiskey Alley and The Wilcox, we have some of the finest dining experiences I have had the pleasure of indulging in. And literally just a short walk away you can be in one of the nation’s largest urban forests, Hitchcock Woods. Its stunning scenery covers 2100 acres and 70 miles of trails.
For me Aiken makes the perfect home base from which to explore the state. South Carolina’s size, shape, and location mean you can reach any place our state has to offer in just a few short hours. From mountains to beaches, leave early enough and you can be there by dinner. Just a bit farther down the road and you can be in other great locations like Asheville, Atlanta, Savannah, and Charlotte.
Whether you are coming or going, if you don’t make time for a stop in Aiken, well, bless your heart, you’ve missed out on something special.
