January Rose & Thorns – A monthly recap of the highs and lows experienced each month. Rose: Action Packed Start to the New Year The first weekend of this year was exhausting and exhilarating. The arrival of my niece has been a long-anticipated event. My entire family has been nesting in preparation for her arrival [...]
Vacations to Florida are often filled with white sandy beaches and theme parks. However, a few days spent in Ocala will provide the same adventurous weekend at a fraction of the cost. If you’ve traveled I-75 through Florida, you’ve likely passed Ocala to get to your destination, and maybe you didn’t even realize it. Located [...]
Driving under the moss-covered road to the Gypsy Gold Horse Farm was like entering a romance novel. The dusty dirt road led to a pristine black-and-white barn that starkly contrasted the green oak trees. Small clusters of the prized Gypsy Vanner Horses stood in the pastures, unfazed by the arrival of the new visitors. Gypsy [...]
December Rose & Thorns – A monthly recap of the highs and lows experienced each month. Rose: The Simple Things If I describe my holiday season in one word, it would be - calm. I didn’t rush into any store to pick up a last-minute gift or stress about what to bring to dinner. I [...]
The end of the year is the best time to see how far you've grown and focus on the accomplishments achieved over the past 365 days. I love end-of-the-year roundups. Whether it's a Spotify music review or an Instagram Reel with a curated collection of highlighted photos, I watch them all. When I pulled this [...]
In a frantic search to fill 24 hours in Savannah, Georgia, I came across Wormsloe Historic Site. It’s difficult not to become mesmerized by the endless rows of arched live oaks at the entrance to the property. Outside of wanting to drive under a canopy of trees with spanish moss draping over the branches like [...]
November Rose & Thorns – A monthly recap of the highs and lows experienced each month. I haven’t written an opening paragraph to a Rose & Thorns post in a very long time. However, I wanted to point out that there will not be a thorn this month. At the beginning of each month, I [...]
I started planning a fall weekend camping trip at Hanging Rock State Park at the first sign of cooler weather. Located in Stokes County, North Carolina, 30 miles north of Winston-Salem, the mountains slowly rise from the ground the closer you edge toward the state park. Desperately needing a change of scenery, my best friend [...]
Located an hour North of Tampa, Florida, Brooksville isn’t the picturesque touristy beach town that comes to mind when you think of Florida. In fact, it doesn’t have a beach at all. What it lacks in giftshops selling t-shirts and shells, it makes up for in the serene, untouched forest and a deep history dating [...]
October Rose & Thorns – A monthly recap of the highs and lows experienced each month. Rose: ½ Marathon Race(s) Last month I was supposed to run my first half marathon, but because of an untimely hurricane, the race was canceled and rescheduled for next year. As I started looking for other races in the [...]
