Smokies to Portland

Smokies to Portland

Susan A.

2021

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Place attachment

Moving, Household

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English

Fulfilling a lifetime dream in 1999, I moved to the Great Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina. I lived on the side of a mountain in the woods for seventeen years. It was one of the best experiences of my life. Living among nature, seeing red wolf, bobcat, coyote and fox in my yard was breathtaking. Hiking, taking flying lessons, exploring watercolors again was invigorating. Living in a small town where “everybody knows your name” fit me to a tee.

Just before I turned seventy, I knew it was time to move closer to family. My daughter was living in Maine so I sold my beloved mountain home and came here. It was a huge adjustment moving to a city, although I was fortunate to find a home surrounded by woods at its outskirts. There are deer, turkeys, coyotes, fox in my yard often. I am grateful.

I had just been in Maine a year when Covid-19 began. It has not been easy to meet people here, to find my group, although my years living solo in the mountains has been invaluable training for these isolating times. I miss my lifelong volunteer work and hope to find a place where I can volunteer. Fortunately, I have lots of interests and have family nearby.

Personal narratives