Mountains are my muse.

This weekend I went on an adventure to Robbinsville, North Carolina. It’s a small town in Graham County in the midst of the Smokey Mountains. I’ve not seen a place this beautiful since I was last in Mecca, California. Both of these places evoke a special kind of heart palpitation, that drives my creativity and I switch between pen and pencil with new ideas. I think it’s interesting that, me a self-proclaimed suburbanite can find such contentment in places that are comparatively remote. There is something about mountains that move me in a way that I can’t explain. Perhaps because I grew up at sea level I’m in awe of being so high. Or maybe it’s because there are very few natural elements that can compare to the magnitude of mountains. Thinking back to it, what I loved most about Scotland was the luscious rolling hills, and the hairy coos.

Like Mecca, in Robbinsville no one seems to be in a hurry to get anywhere. People seem content to just hang out and chat and enjoy each other’s company. Unlike the city or even suburbia where the overwhelming need to go pushes you forward, quick and hurried and self absorbed. I enjoyed feeling like people were genuinely interested in what I do, and where I came from. I mean in a sense I’m a foreigner in those parts. I’m new and different. Of course people want to know what this outsider is doing. It still felt nice to be around people who seemed interested. Sometimes, I feel that the people I left behind are more absorbed by their own life. Rightfully so, I guess.

It was surreal to go to a place where the closest Wal-Mart was about an hour a way. I enjoyed the isolation, and frankly I didn’t feel isolated, as I wasn’t alone on my adventure. I met a lot of interesting and really intelligent people. It was a nice change of pace to just listen to people for a while; to just hang out and think about life, love and the pursuit of happiness. There is possibly more to say, but I’m still not at the point where I want to write about it. I will say that this past weekend has inspired me to want to write and draw and create. I'm hoping to run with my creativity and put it to good use.