Hi Gram!
I had just finished getting my new phone at the mall and headed back to Decatur to have dinner with Monica and Zakia. They both live in Decatur, pretty close to one another, but hadn’t met before. I met each of them at a different CampFI and just knew they would get along. They’re both part of the FI movement, are easy to talk to, and they have great taste in friends (namely, me!). I felt like the social catalyst – there when two powerful people come together, making it easier for them to meet, but not needed for the ongoing friendship. We met at Sprig Restaurant and Bourbon Bar, a women owned bar that describes themselves as “Seasonal farm-to-table American fare & cocktails in a dining room crafted from reclaimed barn wood.” They both arrived before me and had already found each other when I walked in. We were seated at a table on the patio, a gentle breeze and warm evening air keeping us comfortable.

The menu had a nice variety and we each quickly found a pleasing entree. The conversation flowed smoothly, speckled with laughter and agreement as we all found we had a lot in common along our FI journeys. Monica talked about growing up in the area, moving away for some years, then being drawn back to the friendly atmosphere, activities, and climate. Zakia talked about moving here from Morroco, spending some time in Ohio, then settling in Georgia for many of the same reasons that drew Monica back. I told them I’ve been moving around lately, but have been blown away by the friendliness, climate, and plethora of trails in the area. Once I’m done with my journeys, I could see returning here to live for some time. After dinner, wanting to continue the conversation, Monica suggested a trail next door that her friend walked sometimes when they arrived early. It was literally 50 feet from where we were seated, so we paid our bills and headed over there. All three of us were surprised by how expansive the trail system was. From our table, I saw a bench and a kids’ playset that I presumed were in someone’s backyard and thought we would just be walking along a sidewalk next to the parking lot and maybe curving into a small park. We started on the sidewalk, which curved quickly into the trees and realized that the playset and bench were part of this park, not a family’s backyard. The trail transitioned from concrete to dirt and we wound our way up and down small hills, across bridges, and up and down steps cut into the trail with wood beams or stone. We came to a gate through a fence, which opened up to even more trails. These trails led to a large gazebo or deck overlooking a creek with benches and multiple levels, then onto an area with benches in a circle for presentations, and finally emerged out to a school where children could head into these woods to learn in nature. We doubled back and followed a different route through the woods that led back to the parking lot where we entered. One of us suggested we continue on for dessert, and we decided to head back to Sprig for a second round.

Our waitress was delighted to see us back again and entertained by our story of taking a walk between dinner and dessert. With so many options on their dessert menu, we quickly agreed to get three desserts and share them all. We each had a favorite from the blueberry cheesecake, the mixed berry cobbler, and the chocolate chip skillet cookie, although every one of them was top notch. Zakia demonstrated her skills at dividing everything equally, learned from her childhood having to divvy up the desserts amongst the family, a skill we all benefited from. Satiated in both our bellies and our minds, we parted ways and went home, all looking forward to seeing each other again.