a traveling we shall go

March 13th marked the last day of winter quarter for me and my SCAD classmates, and I finished it off with a small breakfast of Krispy Kremes that my professor had brought in for the class. It would be the last day of my Drawing II class and I am pretty sure the last hand drawing class I will have while attending the college. I will miss these classes a lot as I feel that I have improved tremendously and enjoyed working on these drawings. It was interesting to step away from the computer and what I would say my comfort zone and be able to delve into something new and unique. Attending SCAD has allowed me to really explore mediums that I never really tried before such as charcoal, pastel, or ink. I must say that the boring Survey classes (Art History) have also opened my eyes to the whole foundation that modern art is based from. It not only gave me inspiration but also knowledge that I have no doubt will make me a better designer in the future. Perhaps it is just the idea that I can think of a piece in a different way and appreciate the idea behind it. Whatever the case may be, I would say I enjoyed the last quarter. But now, on to Spring Break!
March 13th also marked the birthday of my wonderful and lovely girlfriend, Chelsea. Now it was already predetermined that we would be heading to Charleston for a couple days and leaving right after my class ended. But to help make this day feel special for her, I decorated the house with a streamer and pre-purchased a cheesecake (her favorite). I had hidden these things before hand so she didn't find them (vegetable drawer in the fridge came in handy here...for the first time). Anyways, I think she enjoyed the little surprise. But that surprise was overshadowed by the fact that in less then three hours we would be in Charleston and inside a J. Crew (her favorite store). For this, she was beyond excited, to say the least. The birthday present I got her had yet to arrive via mail so I had to tell her about it. Of course once I mentioned the name Kathryn Reichert and coupled it with necklace she was happy with my choice. So once the car was packed up, we were off!
My impression of Charleston is like a bigger Savannah. The similarity in building style and area makes you feel almost right at home but as if that home had grown up and expanded. Of course, upon getting into Charleston we made a b-line to King st. and the shopping that it has to offer. Chelsea of course ran to J. Crew - at which we spent a good amount of time at. She picked up a few things (naturally) and we headed down the street to Jestine's - a local place we were told we just had to eat at. Apparently, it has been written up in many magazines and featured by Rachel Ray and Food Network. I would say it was good food - I had a chicken sandwich. The rest of the day was an exploration of Charleston that was capped off with a nice walk around the Battery to see the ocean and the beautiful homes that bordered it. Being a desert boy, I would say the east coast is spoiled at the magnificent views the ocean and nature presents to them. I am just amazed that I am actually living in such a place.
Our 2nd day in Charleston was to be had at the Magnolia Plantation. This was an actual southern plantation that was still being run by the ancestors of the original owner (11th generation I believe). Upon entering the place, my first reaction is that of surprise. It is not as I thought a plantation would be. Perhaps I have a misguided conception of the way they should look - Tara Plantation anyone? This place was 500 acres of swamp. As we drove down the main driveway, we passed by the murky green waters that held creatures of the unknown beneath its surface. As the swamp opened up to a clearing, we were greeted by a field and a beautiful white southern home. It was an interesting place and had many areas that could be explored using a tram, boat or just walking. The house itself was surrounded by romantic and therefore wild gardens that were said to have over 10,000 plantings. It was a wonderful sight of trees, plants, flowers and nature in general. It reminded me of younger days when I would explore the wild desert, my head filled with imagination (a sort of nature trail that was near my house). The plantation was also home to many forms of wildlife including and to which we saw many sightings of alligators, birds, and turtles. It was definitely an interesting place and while leaving quite tired I think we all enjoyed our time there (Chelsea probably could have spent some more time on King St.)
We left the plantation in the afternoon and headed back down to the middle of historic Charleston where we found the marketplace. This is a collection of stores and vendors that basically sell all the stuff tourist are just dying to buy. I would say the equivalent to River St here in Savannah. The marketplace consisted of three or four blocks of pure selling of goods and also contained our dinner - at the Crab House. After a wonderful dinner (a bit cold as we ate outside and later had to be moved indoors), we cruised the streets a bit more before retiring for the night. Chelsea's parents would be heading further north in the morning and we would be traveling back to Savannah for a couple days. But not before we would head back down to King St and visit the shops and explore the downtown just a bit more. One of my favorite moments of this trip happened on this day actually. We had a lovely time sitting in a quiet little park and sharing a strawberry Italian ice that was purchased from a street vendor we just happened to come upon. It was nice just to sit down and relax without commitments on a place to be or go. Peace.