Never Stop Exploring

 
photo credit: lindsay wynne photography

Never stop exploring. Life is full of hidden gems that are just waiting for us to discover. Get out of the house, hop in your car, and drive away from all familiar surroundings. Better yet, get out of your comfort zone! It's okay if you don't have a destination in mind...just keep going. Drive as far as you can and see what you come across. Because I bet you have never stopped to admire all the beauty that comes from old and worn down places know have you? Most people don't. They keep on driving...waiting for something to catch their eye. But why is that? Are we unsure of the unknown? Probably. Who are we to judge what is classified as "true beauty"?  

You know the saying "beauty is in eye of the beholder"? Well last year, I found myself getting out of my car into what seemed to be one large piece of land that housed miles upon miles of "junk". What was I getting myself into ran through my head multiple times that afternoon. But after an hour of exploring the property of Donald Cline, I realized that his love in life was to nurture and keep the past alive. So alive that he decided to open Cline's Country Antiques on the property that has been in his family for over 200 years! Here lies any and everything you can possibly imagine from old Pepsi bottles, cast iron figurines, stain glass windows, vintage and cottage furniture and even claw-foot bath tubs and old television sets. 

I was in awe. Awe of the fact that if I had done research ahead of time, I would have said heck no to the opportunity of heading down to Mount Pleasant to see what Donald Cline was up to. But that's the thing...history is beautiful. The past holds so many stories that are worth hearing. Worth coming across. Worth our time. And just remember, not all who wonder are lost. Let me know what you come across on your adventure.