The Destination of a Heart’s Desire


I do not know what it is that instills the feeling of comfort, the sense of serenity, in the hearts of those young and old. What is it that contains the elements capable of satisfying the constant emptiness of a heart? Every human being on this planet Earth, has their own location where fears and worries will saunter away to give the mind the freedom and tranquility it desires. These destinations could range from the darkest, most eerie place imaginable, to a heavenly, bright retreat, all depending upon the personality and wishes of an individual’s conscience.

Personally, it did not take me long in life to discover where I felt complete. The overall sense of my aunt’s house, to almost anyone you ask, is automatically a second home. It may be the rustic setting of the large, wood log house at the foothills of the Smokies deep in Georgia. It could be the comfort offered by the presence and sounds of the many farm (and domesticated) animals who make it their home.

Every Christmas (or Channukah in our case), the whole assemblage of our family congregates at that particular home. Blanketed in the heat of the woodstoves and the warmth shared by our relatives, we all unwrap gifts, sharing jokes and affection. Everyone together there, that is the best feeling anyone could dream of.

Although, that is the quintessential activity of being there, the other hustle and bustle of our family is also necessary to make a visit complete. That is where I learned to fire a gun, shooting soda cans with a twenty-two caliber rifle off of a second story balcony. In the recent past, we have all gone mudding in my cousin’s Jeep. The rough jostling of rolling through mud puddles and hills made that a favorite. No matter when we are there, I can count on something captivating and exciting to fill my time.

The final component of our family’s annual holiday trip, is the food. My personal favorite part, the food we eat in Clarkesville is the unquestionable epitome of country-style cuisine. Here, the delicious results of recipes of both wholesome and questionably healthful country dishes always create a smell that fills the air from the lowest corners of the basement to the topmost lofts upstairs. Going down for breakfast is almost as exciting as whatever else happens to be planned for the day.

In that home, surrounded by the ones I love, I found my favorite place in the world. In my opinion, staying there for one week defeats any other vacation one could imagine. When I am there, my mind rids itself of all other worries, and fills with the sights, smells, sounds, and tastes typical of my family’s life in rural Georgia. The place to me is a complete paradise, fitting in all senses of the word.




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Samir Reddigari