You can take the girl out the South, but not the South out of the girl. Or so the story goes. In this particular case, the girl has left the South with no immediate plans to move back. But the South has influenced me in ways that can’t be forgotten. My roots have shaped where I’ve gone, how I think, what I care about, and what I enjoy doing.

There was a time in my life when I never wanted to leave the South. Then when I did, I fell in love with the cultures I explored, the cities in which I lived, the people I met, the foods I ate, and the varying personalities I came to know.

What took me to the three corners of the US? An innate curiosity? A sense of adventure? An interest in exploration?  A desire to be different?  Probably all of the above.

Now I have reached a point in my life where I want to stay put. In part from a general disinterest in moving again. In part because I really like where I live. In part because I have a family now and it’s too stressful to start new schools, find new jobs, and make new friends. I can still explore and be adventurous without packing the ‘ole bags and setting sail for a new destination.

Not to mention, this sense of exploration can also include finding myself and learning more about who I am and where my ultimate destination lies – both literally and metaphorically. But for a start, I do like some of the synonyms of Bohemian: nonconformist, artsy, maverick, hippie. To call me a Bohemian Belle is a pretty accurate statement. And so the title goes.