Cheekwood Estate

Driving into the verdant green hills and mansions of Nashville from the poverty of  Stone County, Arkansas was a shock to my senses. I found myself judging the wealth and wondering who was leading the better life, who was happier, the poor or the rich? My new-found, easy-going mountain friends were singing in my soul, and the contrasting, brick, two-story forbidding beauty of Nashville’s homes made me ache with the inequality of it all.  But I continue to meet intriguing people unexpectedly around every corner and as the first part of my trip seemed to be about falling in love with nature again, this section I am discovering the depth of courage, beauty, and soul in human beings. Continue reading →