Ch-, ch-, ch-, ch-, changes

This line from David Bowie's song has been on repeat in my mind! Change, that inevitable part of life that has inspired numerous lyrical homages, is never easy. If I've been remiss in my blog updates of late, it is because I am going through a change myself. Recently I started a new job and thus a new chapter. And while my job is still in graphic design it's been quite an adjustment. It is a completely different working environment and pace.

I am determined to face this strange new adventure and embrace it as an opportunity to learn everything I can in the process. Because after all, life is a process; one full of mystery and discovery.

And as I left my former position I was given some words of wisdom from one of my coworkers that I have also taken strength from: Remember, your current safe boundaries were once unknown frontiers.

Birmingham, Alabama

My philosophy on travel is if you can't travel widely, travel deeply. I've made it a goal to visit every major city in the southeast and as many small towns as I can. If I never leave the southeast, I'd like to at least cover as much of it as possible! Over the Memorial Day weekend, I visited Birmingham, Alabama, home of Southern Living magazine. (I took the shot overlooking the city from a stop just under the Vulcan statue. I walked out on a sidewalk between a steep drop and a busy road curving around the edge of the mountain.)

The downtown area has many interesting turn of the century buildings, some of which are being converted to mixed-use retail space and luxury apartments. Because it was a holiday weekend many of the businesses were closed, but I was able to find a few neat shops to poke around in. What's on Second on Second Ave. is a treasure trove of vintage items displayed in what can best be described as organized chaos.

Railroad Park is a nice piece of green space in the city center. Walking paths wind among pretty flowers, over small streams and around a large pond with the city skyline in the background. A snack pavillion overlooks the pond and provides a shady spot to take a break. Even on this weekend I saw plenty of people making picnics on the lawn or running along the paths.

Just outside the city are small neighborhoods with main street boutique shops. Each one has a small town charm of its own. In Homewood just south of the city, I stopped in a funky little boutique where I found this owl necklace.

Birmingham may not be a premier tourist destination, but it is well worth a visit. What are the lesser visited towns you like to explore?