When Better Days Begin
The familiar and the new
One day, though I don't know when, the world will return to normal. It might not be the normal we once knew, but it will still offer us chances we don't have locked at home. And when that day comes, I can just imagine all the empty driveways in the neighborhoods around my town. Mine will be one of them.
I'm looking forward to the familiarity of the days I had before this pandemic began, but being cooped up in my house practically 24/7 offered me the opportunity to see the things I take for granted as well as the things I'm letting slip past me.
That will change on the morning we're freed from the confines of our homes.
My first stop will be Cracker Barrel
I'm not even going to lie. Cracker Barrel is my favorite restaurant. As I hate to cook, it has saved me from many, many nights of eating cold cereal. Everyone knows me. I even have a favorite table, and the hostess never gives me a menu because I have it memorized. So my first stop will be here for breakfast. I may even peruse the store to spend money on something I don't really need. I'm sure I'll find a place for whatever I buy.
Then I'll drive to downtown Charleston
The smell of candied apples will greet me as I step inside the Charleston City Market. It's about twenty miles from my house and located in the best part of Charleston, SC. Downtown. Called the cultural heart of Charleston, the market is four city blocks and is packed with vendors selling jewelry, clothes, handbags, hats, and more! This stop might take me a while as there's a lot to see and do like...
watching one of the sweetgrass basket makers magically weave bulrush into a piece of art. Their nimble fingers are constantly on the move, and I'm always hypnotized watching them.
And, more than likely, yet another one will go home with me.
As I get ready to move on from the City Market, I know I can't leave with stopping by...
Callie's Hot Little Biscuit
OMG! This place has the absolute best handmade biscuits. They literally melt in your mouth. The New York Times and Oprah agree that these are some fine biscuits! So, yeah, I'm stopping here. And, no, it doesn't matter that I might still be full from my breakfast at Cracker Barrel.
I'll need to work off those calories, and there's no better way to do it than...
A long walk along the beach
Though the beaches were reopening before lockdown ended, I know that I won't dip my toes in the water until the all-clear is given. With the sun shining high ahead, I'll walk across the wet sand, stopping every so often to pick up a few shells. Maybe I'll even find a starfish!
Once my walk is complete, it's time for something new!
I'll take a carriage tour!
I've lived in Charleston all of my life, but I've taken a horse-drawn carriage tour. That will change once the horses are allowed back out into the cobblestone streets. This is the very first adventure I want to take because I'm not going to wait on the off-chance I'll have another opportunity to tour my city in a carriage!
By the time shopping and the carriage tour is over, it'll be time for dinner. (I'll count the biscuits as my lunch.) But I won't have a lot of time to eat because I'll have tickets to the Dock Street Theatre to see a play! So I'll pop into
Santi's Restaurante Mexicano
A bowl of caldo de camaron (shrimp soup) has been calling my name since this pandemic began! Santi's is a friendly, casual restaurant, and it's easy to spend a lot of time here chatting with friends and lingering over the salsa. But the tickets will be burning a hole in my pocket so I'll have to go!
And the evening will end here!
I'm not sure which play I'll be seeing, but it won't matter. Once I'm seated inside the theater and the lights dim, I'll get caught up in whatever drama unfolds. It, too, will be a first for me.
I'll finish up the evening with a dose of fiction and be thankful that my new reality is less-confining than the past few months have been. And the next morning, I'll start a new day. Maybe not one as full as this one, but I know I'll be ready for more adventures.
About the Creator
Rachel Carrington
I'm an avid writer and reader. I've had over 53 novels published and over 2,000 articles. Here I review movies, TV series/episodes, books, and write about entertainment. www.rachelcarrington.com
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