Summer of Waterfalls, Willows and Silverlinings
Howdy everyone,
Well, here we are in July. We have made it over halfway through 2024, how's everyone feeling? Here in Tennessee it has been nothing but summer storms, which honestly make me feel like I am not in Tennessee half the time but it is lovely to hear the thunder roll through the mountains and watch the fog lift up over the Smoky Mountains giving them their trademark look. I am about halfway through the season for this job and although it has been incredibly chaotic, I can't help but appreciate what it has taught me. This job thus far has been a test of patience and relinquishing control, but it has also been quite fun to watch the season play out and the excitement each guest brings to the property. I have had to teach people how to play cornhole, make smores, and what groundhogs are… Which I truly never thought I would have to do in my life, but here we are. So throughout the storm of this season, I am still having fun sharing the beauty of Tennessee with the guests.
As I enter my 23rd trip around the sun, as of 3 days ago, I feel very nostalgic and reflective on 22 and everything that it brought with it. I spent the day feeling incredibly loved by all the people who are important to me. I got to go bookshop hopping with my girlfriends, went outside and spent time in the sun with my partner, and I got cake, what more could I have asked for? Thank you to everyone who reached out and made me feel loved, you are truly appreciated. My 23rd birthday was calm, relaxing, and the complete opposite of what 22 was. Honestly, 22 was insanity. Immediately from the jump, 22 was out to cause chaos in my life. About a week after my 22nd birthday, I left everything I knew in Texas for an opportunity to work and live on an island in Michigan for three months. And it was one of the best decisions of my life. It got the ball rolling for all of the decisions I have made in the past year. 22 helped me realize that I am in control of my life, and if something is not bringing me joy, I have the power to change it. It taught me that the worst thing that can happen is the word “No”. It taught me confidence and self-reliance I have never had before. It taught me how to be who I want and not who is expected. It brought me to people I hold dearly in my heart: my partner who is now traveling and sharing adventures with me, my friends who are from all over the U.S. whom I love, people who have had an impact on my life that I never would have met if my 22-year-old self chickened out. 22 brought me to places in the United States that I never knew had so much beauty, the Upper Peninsula and beaches of Michigan (seriously check it out), Tennessee’s mountains and rivers that create this masterpiece of a state, and many many other states that I have driven through in my need to travel everywhere. And I still have so many places left to experience. So to sum it up, I do not know what 22-year-old Natalee was on, but I will never not be grateful for her making that decision to just go for it and her “what’s the worst that could happen” attitude.
Anywayssss, back to the point of this blog. Summer in Tennessee is very similar to Texas just with more rain and less tornadoes, but the heat and humidity? They are the same. This summer for me has been filled with swimming under waterfalls, learning the history of the Smoky Mountains, and appreciating the summer sun’s rays. The summer of waterfalls, willows, and wonder. There is a special kind of enchantment that thrums through the Smoky Mountains in the summer. It is as if the land around me feels the warmth and incredibly strong sunshine and is in sync with it to put on a vibrant show for all who venture into the National Park. The trees are a gorgeous shade of green, the water is clear and inviting, and the breeze blows through the trails to provide nature’s air conditioning during hikers' exploration. Each weekend I have is spent at a local swimming hole with friends, there we sit and enjoy the sound of rushing water while reading or partaking in the chill of the natural spring water. Summer has never been my favorite season, but this summer in Tennessee has brought a new light to these hellishly hot months. This brings me to the realization for this go around, everything has a silver lining.
Yes, I realize this is a commonly used phrase usually to ease pain or discomfort of a situation, but as a chronically anxious individual, a silver lining is not always the first thing that jumps to my attention in a situation. This past month has been nothing but silver linings and it seems as if the universe is just pushing and pushing for me to conclude that the worst-case scenario is usually not even a scenario that deserves energy towards much less focusing on. There have been a lot of situations that have arisen that seemed like nothing but negative actions would follow when in reality more positives than negatives have been frequent. From becoming the only person in my department (positive = became supervisor and have a lot more creative freedom and planning events), to new people who have never worked in hospitality before (positive = becoming friends and developing important relationships). Almost every week this month has brought up a new situation or problem to be remedied, and I have learned that my therapist was not wrong in saying that the best way to handle stress and negative thoughts is to acknowledge them, and then let them pass by (thanks Steph). This thought process has been influential in allowing myself the space to acknowledge the rising panic, but also not letting it get the best of me and finding the silver lining in the ever-present chaotic storm clouds. The anxiety will be there, the doubting thoughts, the churn of nerves, but acknowledge the thoughts that are there and then let them move on. Everything will work out, and more than likely the worst that could happen is not even going to happen.
To bring all these ramblings to a conclusion, I am going to bring the same energy from 22 to 23, if you get the chance to visit Smoky Mountains NP in the summer, do it, and it's okay to allow the negative thoughts to have their moment and then pass on. As always, thank you for reading, thank you for being here, go outside, and I hope to see you out there.
Nat