my beloved nc mountains. lake junaluska.

lake junaluska has been a part of my life my whole life. i spent summer after summer there with my grandparents & parents, holidays when i was in high school & college, and i even lived there for a while. for some years now my parents have had a log cabin – the ultimate in mountain home styles. it’s cozy & nestled among the trees. it’s dark & woody inside. it’s big, and yet simple, with a porch that is to die for. and while i enjoy being in that house, it’s not the house that makes lake j important. it’s all the memories that come flooding back when i drive on the roads, sit at the cross that stands on the top of a mountain overlooking the lake, or just pass by the buildings and drive around the little nearby town of waynesville.

lake j is a conference center for the united methodist church worldwide. in this tiny, little man-made lake surrounded by tall mountains in the middle of a very small, rural county, methodists gather from all over the world for various meetings, retreats, conferences, etc. the reason that i am connected to this area is because my grandfather was one of the methodist ministers, and he bought a house there one year long ago. so, for all of my life (and most of my mother’s), we have had a place to celebrate holidays, gather together, and relax. he eventually sold his house; but not too long after, my parents bought one there. so there has never really been a time that i have not had a connection to the area.

the log cabin at lake j is where lina & i stayed during our time in north carolina last week. it felt so good to come home. (maybe you’ve noticed… i speak of many places as home. i’ve lived all over nc. hehe.). on this trip, lake j was our home base for our visits to asheville & canton, and other sites in haywood county. so, here’s a peek into this part of “home”.

our cozy bedroom at my parents’ cabin.

a mountain sunrise from my parents’ porch.

enjoying a morning cup of coffee… with creamer. the absolute best way to start a day.

downtown waynesville. 5 minutes from lake j. 10ish minutes from canton.

cool metal art. we ♥ bluegrass music.

a little break to spread some peace while shopping. hehe. love that peace sign. couldn’t fit in our suitcase. sadness.

 panacea. the best coffeehouse in the whole world!

“our” seat. on the comfy, funky, orange sofas. meeting a friend for coffee. yes, i could sit here for hours.

it’s soooo cozy here. still panacea, by the way.

i’d like a white chocolate mocha, please.

spooky. one of my brother’s cats, which my parents are babysitting. snuggled up with lina.

the cabin. and yes, my parents left the christmas tree up for us. yay.

and then, before we knew it, the time had flown by and it was time to go home to sweden… 

 at newark liberty international airport. with the nyc skyline in the background.

                                waiting at the airport. six hours in newark. gaaahh.

killing time by drinking coffee & enjoying our last sips of starbucks. super sad moment.

about 9 hours later, sweden welcomed us home with a beautiful sunrise.

the last part of the trip home… the bus from stockholm to norrköping. those last 2 hours were rough. at least the scenery was beautiful.

 after 2 weeks away & a 27 hour trip home, we were greeted with kisses and snuggles by our sweet little zola. and on sunday night, a few hours after we arrived home, all three of us crashed on the bed and fell right asleep.

the trip was amazing. the time with family and friends will be cherished. it was so hard to leave, but, no worries. we’re already thinking about when we’ll be back. you know it’s true what they say, living in another country will give you a whole different perspective & new appreciation of your home country. so, usa, until we meet again… you’ll be in our hearts.

peace. all around the world.