Shopper Blog: New doggy day care, Dogtopia, combines 'dog park' socialization with spa services
BEARDEN
New doggy day care, Dogtopia, combines 'dog park' socialization with spa services
John Shearer, Shopper News
Dog owners with full-time jobs and busy lives often feel guilty about having to leave their dogs at home alone for several hours or having to rush home during their lunch breaks to let them out.
For those and other reasons — including, they said, that Knoxville did not have enough doggy day care places of the quality they envisioned — Amanda and Jeremiah Webb recently opened a franchised location of Dogtopia.
Located at 5213 Homberg Drive in Bearden across from Jerry’s Artarama, the facility will offer varying plans of day care services as well as boarding and even spa services such as bathing.
It's an environment, they hope, dogs will sense they are going on a play or fun day instead of having to possibly endure the loneliness or boredom of home.
“The cause of Dogtopia is to enhance the joy of dog parenting and let dogs positively change the world,” said Katelyn Emerson, who is serving as the pet parent relationship manager for the new facility.
She said the center is scheduled to have a soft opening on Aug. 1 but will be having an open house 3-6 p.m. Tuesday, July 26, for those interested. She added that the way the facility works is that owners first bring their dogs for a meet and greet to make sure the dog would thrive there and that the center is a good fit for the animal.
Once the dog is enrolled, varying plans of single or multiple day care services per week are offered depending on the owner’s needs. As part of its opening, Dogtopia is offering a special of unlimited days for the first six weeks at $89 a week, Emerson said. Those dogs enrolled are also eligible for boarding services.
She added that the facility is somewhat unusual in that three playrooms are offered depending on the size, age, and energy of the dog, and that the dogs stay inside all day. But she said this should not affect their house training because of the way the rooms are set up.
“The dogs believe they are in a dog park, and it gives them the smell and feel of being outside,” she said, adding that thorough cleaning is regularly done when dogs do have to go to the bathroom and that the HVAC system is set up to keep the air flow clean.
She also said that the dogs are put in crates from noon to 2 p.m. each day for nap time, and that video cameras are set up throughout the center to let owners check on their dogs at any time.
Dogtopia was founded in Virginia in 2002, and since it began franchising stores in 2005, the firm has grown to well over 200 dog care centers. This is the first to open in Knoxville, although Emerson said the Webbs envision opening other locations in the area.
Emerson said she had previously worked with the Webbs’ preschool business in West Knoxville as an assistant director but knew she wanted to work in dog care when she learned they were opening a Dogtopia unit.
“When this started, I let them know I was interested,” she said. “I’m a dog person. I think dogs can brighten our world.”
She also hopes the new Dogtopia in Bearden can brighten dog owners’ lives and their relationship with their pets.
“I think people are going to enjoy the flexibility,” she said of the new store. “You know your dog is going to be in a safe environment.”
HALLS
Buff City Soap brings popular hand-crafted, custom-scented products to Fountain City
Ali James, Shopper News
Buff City Soap has promised that they will be “Soaping Soon” in Fountain City, and for devotees the wait will finally be over on July 21.
Instead of a grand opening, Buff City Soap will celebrate with a daily VIP soft opening event 9 a.m.-8 p.m. July 21-23 and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. July 24.
“The first 50 people to visit the store will get free soap for a year,” said Brianna Catron, Knoxville district manager.
Other promotions include 20% off everything in the store; 30% off for purchases over $100; and buy one laundry soap, get 50% off the second. Later in the year they will hold a grand opening event Sept. 9-11 where customers will get a second chance to win free soap for a year.
“People will sometimes wait for hours, so people need to get there early in the morning,” Catron said. “We typically see a huge line, so we may allow 15-20 people into the store at a time.”
What makes Buff City Soap so wildly popular?
“Our founders were frustrated by commercial soaps, with harsh chemicals, detergents, animal fats and sulfates, so they set out to make them in a new and better way,” Catron said. “We handmake our soaps every single day. They are free of harsh ingredients, and the scents are amazing.”
Each Buff City Soap store offers the opportunity to see the in-store soap making process and choose from 30 unique and customizable scents. There are dozens of handcrafted soap products, including soap bars, bath bombs, foaming hand soap, and even laundry soap.
Buff City Soap was founded in 2013, and the Fountain City franchise owners have a total of 16 locations — five of them in Knoxville.
All of those possibilities for customization could be a little overwhelming for first-timers, so Catron said customers are greeted by knowledgeable soap consultants.
“I recommend taking a look at each of the products and using the testing stations so you can get an idea of how a product works and try the products for yourself,” she said.
“Our laundry soap is our best seller,” continued Catron. “It is a 3-in-1; it washes, boosts scent and softens. It only has four ingredients and so we can mix smells.”
Transforming the former Froyoz at 5228 N. Broadway into a plant-based soap makery has taken months of work. “We have a fantastic construction team, and our development team is fabulous,” Catron said. “You will be excited to see the renovations. It looks amazing inside.”
Typically, Buff City Soap can be found close to its sister company Sun Tan City.
“Each store is a little bit of the best of both worlds,” Catron said. “They all have a core line of products that guests can count on with several local fragrances that they can mix, so guests can still be surprised and delighted at the different locations. It is a very local brand and we’re excited to bring it to the Fountain City community.”
While construction continued inside, Buff City Soap set up a tent outside to accept job applications and hand out samples and hosted a pop-up shop at Fountain City Social on July 13. “We hire over the age of 18 and have had a phenomenal response,” Catron said.
“It is wonderful that we have enough time to prepare for the holiday season that is approaching quickly,” Catron said of the summer opening.
“We are unique in that we prepare early because we handmake every single product and need to get the ball rolling as soon as we get the doors open.”
KNOXVILLE
New video documents hunt for Battle of Fort Sanders site
John Shearer, Shopper News
Bill and Melissa Sykes recently took part in sort of a re-creation of the Battle of Fort Sanders and an examination of the event’s aftermath and significance.
But in contrast to the Civil War days, they carried video cameras and other recording equipment. As a video companion to the book “Rediscovering Fort Sanders,” by longtime Bearden residents Dr. Charles and Terry Faulkner, they recently produced a 24-minute documentary.
“The Faulkners had done many years of research on the location of the Battle of Fort Sanders, and we interviewed them and the people who contributed significant research and data to the book,” said Melissa Sykes. “It is a visual representation of a lot of the key information in their book.”
The video premiered in late April during a special event at the East Tennessee History Center and is scheduled to be uploaded and available for free in the near future at the East Tennessee Historical Society website, according to the Sykeses.
The documentary came about after the Faulkners approached the Sykes couple, who are friends from their church. Former McClung Historical Collection manager Steve Cotham also helped get a grant for the film, and the Friends of the Library offered financial support.
The Sykeses, now mostly retired, had formerly worked with the former Scripps company in Knoxville in professional filmmaking and video work. Bill, who did a lot of the video and editing work, had also formerly worked with a CBS affiliate in Atlanta. Melissa, who wrote the script and did plenty of the interview shoots, also still teaches some journalism and electronic media classes at the University of Tennessee. Others also helped, they said.
Terry Faulkner said she was glad their friends were able to do the video, and she loved the finished product.
“They produced an incredible 20-plus-minute video, which will be available to the public in perpetuity,” she said. She added that around 100 people attended the premiere, which included a book signing and an exhibit of artifacts from an excavation of a blacksmith shop.
The Faulkners were highlighted in a Shopper News story in December 2020 for their book, which in part showed a slightly different location for the fort and battle, an issue that has been debated by local historians even to the present.
Bill and Melissa Sykes tried to follow the Faulkners’ book and were learning as well as telling the story. They admitted they did not know a whole lot of details about the Civil War battle before beginning. “I have been doing this for many years, and what I enjoy is what you learn along the way,” said Bill.
Once they did more fully grasp the event, which included the Union forces being able to hold the fort in the late 1863 battle, they tried to make it easier to understand for the general public in a video format as well.
“They (the Faulkners) spent a huge amount of time and effort to pinpoint where the battle was,” said Melissa. “Their book is very detailed and has a tremendous amount of information. Our video has that in a very accessible way.”
They added that the Faulkners’ efforts to find where they believe the fort and battle were had been almost like the work of detectives instead of just scientific or historical researchers. And they tried to make the video show that.
But as happens to a true detective, a few roadblocks and dead ends were initially found in trying to tell the story in a video format, too. “It was a challenge,” said Bill. “There were not a lot of photos around Knoxville” (at the time of the war).
However, they were able to find enough supplementary information to go along with the various interviews to make the project worthwhile, they said.
Melissa added that both the storyline and the Faulkners made the project interesting and enjoyable.
“It’s a fascinating tale, and they are personalities who are so dynamic and passionate about what they do,” she said.
POWELL
New Orleans-style sno balls finally make it to Powell — and it wasn't easy
Al Lesar, Shopper News
Nearly three years of back-breaking work clearing cluttered land, theft of equipment, a pandemic and zoning issues came down to one test.
And Tracy Heard passed with flying colors.
“My dad grew up in New Orleans,” Heard said. “He knows what real sno balls are supposed to taste like. He had his favorite – chocolate with sweetened cream – and said it was just right; just like the ones he had as a kid.”
That was the motivation Heard needed in the final weeks before she opened CreekSide Sno in Powell, on Emory Road just west of the railroad tracks heading into town.
Tracy and her husband, Dan, bought the property in November 2019. Since then, they have been revamping the building in front – new roof, siding, flooring, deck and everything else that could be imagined. That will house the sno ball shop.
Down the road – either this fall or next spring – the back part of the property will be finished. That will allow a food truck park and farmers market to get started.
“Our community needed somewhere where people can gather,” Heard said. “That’s what we’re trying to do with this.”
Sno ball ice has to be just right
Twenty-seven years ago, Tracy took her husband to visit her family in New Orleans. On her “must do” list whenever she’s in “The Big Easy” is to visit the authentic sno ball shops in the French Quarter.
It's specially shaved ice in a container topped with all sorts of syrups or creams.
“My husband and I fell in love with the idea of making sno balls back then,” Heard said.
“Once we found the right property, we made the move.”
The start-up in late May had a significant learning curve. Heard and her part-time crew – mostly basketball players from Powell High School (one son who recently graduated and another will be a junior on the team) – made a lot of progress.
“Learning the flow was important,” Heard said. “We had to get people where they need to be.”
Harvesting ice is the key to a proper New Orleans sno ball. The ice is made in 12½-pound blocks. Setting up a rotation of at least four blocks at a time is the proper way to make sure the consistency is right. Keeping the ice rotating quickly is imperative.
“The ice has to be tempered to where it’s just starting to sweat,” Heard said. “It has to be fine, fine sno – like new-fallen snow. The syrup has to have the same consistency from top to bottom.”
Terrific response
Heard said all the machines that make the sno magic have come from New Orleans, the world’s mecca of the sno ball.
“We didn’t realize how expensive the machines would be, but it was worth it,” she said.
“We’ve had to do everything through trial and error, but we’re feeling good about it.”
During the three three-hour training days, CreekSide Sno averaged 100 sno balls a day.
“The response we had on the training days told me that this is something the community wants and is excited to have,” Heard said. “Just having a place where people can hang out is important.”
Heard said between 40 and 50 flavors, along with sweet cream and ice cream, will be offered. There is only one size, 12 ounces, costing $3.50.
CreekSide Sno will be open every year from March until November (while taking time off for basketball season). It is closed every Monday and Tuesday. Hours are 12-7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 12-9 Friday and Saturday, and 12-5 Sunday.
More: Famous baseball players visited Knoxville on their way up – a lot at Bill Meyer Stadium
FARRAGUT
Fairest of the Fair Pageant finds Mr. Karns
Nancy Anderson, Shopper News
Fair President Julie Muse and her Fairest of the Fair Pageant crew have done it again. This year’s pageant was bigger and better than ever with more categories and more contestants. Held at Beaver Ridge United Methodist Church Saturday, July 9, it was a well-attended affair.
About 26 contestants graced the stage vying for a crown in one of 12 age categories in addition to People’s Choice and Community Service.
The big surprise this year was the addition of Mr. Karns, won by Charlie Austin, who some say is already Mr. Karns.
“It’s really just all part of community service, which I like to say is not somewhere you live, but something you do. It took me a year to decide to do this and I’m glad I did,” said Austin, who looked dapper in his black tuxedo.
“Charlie really embodies what this community … and this pageant is all about,” said Muse.
While not everyone won a crown, there were plenty of awards. Avery Hanson, daughter of Youth Pastor Bailey Hanson, won runnerup in her category and walked away with two awards, for prettiest smile and prettiest eyes.
A notable contestant is Nia Vaughn, who is, at 12 years old, already familiar with the workings of Capitol Hill. She wrote an amendment securing an extra $100 for teachers to buy school supplies. She won the crown for Miss Pre-Teen and was quite poised when asked “What do you like about pageants.” She answered, “It’s a place to be yourself.”
The emcees did a great job keeping things moving. Frank Murphy and Becca James are well versed in the Karns Fairest of the Fair Pageant, having run the show for a number of years.
Winners this year include: Emery-Lynn Dill (Baby Miss), Savannah Hensley (Tiny Miss), Brooklin Mullins (Little Miss), Brooke Bilbrey (Miss Jr. Fairest of the Fair), Madelyn Mundt (Miss Fairest of the Fair), Allyson Lawson (Ms. Fair Lady), Cheri Doane (Ms. Karns), Eli Thompson (Jr. Mr. Karns), Chloe Baxter (Miss People’s Choice), and Ava Hensley (Miss Community Service).
Contestants are now eligible to participate in the Tennessee Valley Fair Fairest of the Fair Pageant. Ms. Karns is a 60-plus category and is eligible to go straight to the state Fairest of the Fair Pageant.
Info: Find Karns Fairest of the Fair on Facebook.
SOUTH KNOXVILLE
New Bonny Kate principal Kimberly Harris is drawn to hidden gem
Ali James, Shopper News
It is the first day of the 2022-23 school year for administrators, and Kimberly Harris, the new principal of Bonny Kate Elementary School, looks ready.
Sitting in her new office, Harris admits that the previous principal, Linda Norris, is going to be a hard act to follow. “She has a 19-year legacy,” she said. “That’s a long time and big shoes to fill.”
For the past three years, Harris served as assistant principal at Northshore Elementary, and before that she taught at A.L. Lotts and Hardin Valley Elementary.
“I think Bonny Kate is the hidden gem that people don’t know is here,” she said. “I am getting to know the community and I love the diversity; it brings so much to a school.
“Bonny Kate has an amazing history. I love the old side of the building with the creaking floorboards,” said Harris. “There is a nostalgia that is deep rooted in the school.”
Shortly after Harris was appointed principal at Bonny Kate, she attended the school’s annual carnival.
“The PTA puts on a big spring carnival,” she said. “It was the first time they had done that in a few years. They had cloggers, grilled hotdogs, a dunk tank, cake walk and silent auctions. It was a great fundraiser that really involved the community.”
For the next year, Harris plans to take her time and see how Bonny Kate operates.
“If it’s not broken, we don’t need to fix it,” she said. “I’m going to watch and take notes. From what I have heard from Linda, the outgoing principal, the support here is really strong.”
High staff turnover is not an issue Harris has inherited at Bonny Kate.
“That’s the beauty of the school. I have had to replace just one teacher who retired,” she said. “I have also hired a new assistant principal, Heather Records, an instructional coach from Beaumont.”
Last year, Bonny Kate had a taste of the new N.I.E.T. (National Institute for Excellence in Teaching).
“Northshore was lucky enough to be one of the first schools (in Knox County) to take a deep dive into it,” said Harris. The program focuses on teacher quality that results in greater student ownership and aims to have a trickle-down impact on student success.
“Technology-wise the whole district is purchasing active panels,” said Harris. “Not all schools will get them before school starts, but Bonny Kate will. They are similar to the active board, but more interactive; they have a touch screen so they are like a giant tablet.”
Eventually, Harris said they hope to freshen up the building to make it a welcoming and inviting place where kids will want to learn.
“I want to be approachable,” said Harris. “I am here to listen and problem solve. I want my teachers and families to know they can come to me if they have a concern. I may not always have the answer right away, but I will take the time to research it.”
Harris plans to be visible. “I love the kids, that is why it is really important for me to be there during dropoff and pickup and in the classrooms,” she said. “Let’s face it, that’s why we got into the job. It’s because of the kids.”
Since Harris stepped out of the classroom into an administrative role, she vowed to keep herself real and relevant.
Born and raised in South Florida, Harris holds a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Florida Atlantic University and taught in Florida’s Broward County Schools before moving to Knoxville.
“It allowed me to take a hiatus from teaching while I raised my children here,” she said. “Then I got my feet wet as a substitute. I’ve been a piece of everything in Knox County.” Harris has also earned a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Carson-Newman University.
Harris’ daughter recently graduated high school and her son is set to be a high school freshman this fall. Bit by bit her whole family has relocated here. “I come from a family of educators,” she said. “We all love it here.
“I am here to serve the South Knoxville community,” she continued. “I am just honored that the superintendent (Dr. Jon Rysewyk) thought I was capable of filling the shoes of Linda Norris after being here for 19 years.”
NORTH KNOXVILLE
Boys & Girls Club kids ‘Ask an Engineer’ about careers
Carol Z. Shane, Shopper News
Area students with a bent toward STEM were in luck recently when UScellular presented “Ask an Engineer” for members of the Boys and Girls Club of the Tennessee Valley.
Also drawing in students from Regal Entertainment Group Teen Center and Haslam Family Club University, the event, held at the clubhouse on Irwin Street, gave a group of 20 kids a chance to talk directly with UScellular engineers, ask questions and check out the company’s ATV and truck.
“You guys are smarter than we are,” said Joey Chandler, senior manager of access operations, who has been with UScellular for 32 years. “We had to learn technology. It’s natural to you.”
Chandler and his colleague Derick Norris, senior optimization engineer who has a 27-year career with UScellular, gave a visual presentation demonstrating the different aspects of STEM’s use in their company, and what the study of it can mean in the kids’ lives.
UScellular has a history of supporting STEM education locally, having donated $185,000 specifically to the Boys and Girls Club since 2015 in the areas of equipment, enrichment, education, facilities use and tech investment, said Chris Bauer, communications manager for the company in Chicago.
“The opportunity is right now to get in front of these kids to get them info, give them experience, talk to engineers, the people who are doing the work today. The team in Knoxville and the kids have always been super receptive. It’s nice to get back to in-person events again.”
“STEM has exploded in the last five years,” said Chandler. “We’re an aging workforce; we’ve got to have people coming in behind us. And it’s the youth. UScellular is really committed to the community with a longstanding interest in education. What we want to do is encourage a diverse engineering workforce for the future.”
The presentation was followed by a question-and-answer period, with hands shooting up one after the other. Questions concerned UScellular’s use of alternative energy, what happens when your phone gets hacked, whether satellites are used in communications, what colleges offer STEM degrees. Then prizes were handed out in a drawing, and everyone went outside to take a look at the UScellular ATV and truck.
The event was a big hit, and the kids were engaged and interested all the way through. Several already have plans of their own concerning STEM careers.
Mackennon Coleman, who attends East Knoxville Elementary, wants to be a technologist when he grows up, though he’s not sure what industry yet. Aryanna Moore of Emerald Academy wants to be a veterinarian. Amelia Reisner wants to design robots. She attends Northwest Middle School.
Arielle Moore of Emerald Academy enjoyed the event, but she probably won’t pursue STEM. Instead, she wants to be president of the United States.
The Boys and Girls Club provides a safe, caring environment for members during the summer and after school, offering more than 35 fun, educational programs that include not only STEM but creativity & innovation, health & wellness, fitness programs & team sports, outdoor & environmental education, the arts, academic enrichment and others. For more info, visit bgctnv.org.
SOUTH KNOXVILLE
In uphill mayoral bid, South Knoxville native Debbie Helsley talks people power
Ali James, Shopper News
Debbie Helsley was more than happy to take a moment away from her Knox County mayor campaign to chat about life in South Knoxville.
“My parents lived just off Island Home Boulevard,” said the fifth-generation Knox County resident. “Sevier Avenue has become a cool place to be. When I was growing up it was just a business thoroughfare to the White’s Store where my Mama shopped every week; the drugstore, where South Coast Pizza is, and the variety store next door where my Mama bought all of her sewing notions.”
The South High School graduate has fond memories of her alma mater. “I loved being in school and was a pretty good student,” she said. “I come from a family of readers, too.”
After graduation, Helsley worked for AT&T/BellSouth for 31 years and served as the local union president for 15 years. Her down-to-earth nature could be put down to her more humble roots.
Helsley’s mother, Trula, completed middle school then worked at the Knoxville Glove Factory on Blount Avenue. At 16, she made $7 a week, giving $5 to help her nine-person family make ends meet. Later, Trula became a member of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, a union that protected young workers.
“I think there are a lot of things that could be done better,” said Helsley of her decision to run against Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs.
“Somebody responsible has to step up and run. We’ve got real problems in Knox County – roads to be fixed, schools to be built, more sidewalks, a smart development plan and curbing bad development.”
For example, Helsley said she can’t walk from her own home to the nearby Kroger, library or post office and would like to see more sidewalk requirements in Knox County and opportunities for community input when it comes to development.
“The biggest issue I hear from all four corners of the county is land use,” she said. “Developers are just coming in and decimating it. There is such a thing as sane development and a little bit of infrastructure. If you talk to most people, they get that we have to have growth, but just let us talk about it.”
Neighborhood associations are really important, according to Helsley. “We have seven south of the river. In the city, the neighborhood associations stand up and the city government listens. As the first president of Woodlawn South Homeowners Association 13 years ago, we were a vocal group.
“When the Elmington group was building affordable housing on Young High Pike, the VP John Shepard listened to the HOA and did everything we asked him to do,” she said. They changed their landscaping and included more native plants and cleared out invasive plants in the woods between the complex and Sam Duff Memorial park.
Growing up in a Republican-leaning family, it was not until Helsley was 19 that she began to look at politics differently.
“I think government is not a business. Government should be more about public service than being a business, and you have to have the heart to do community service,” she said.
Since retiring in 2014, Helsley has worked as a volunteer tax preparer. “The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site is open year-round; it’s a lot of work,” she said. Helsley has also volunteered for Knoxville SOUP and Keep Knoxville Beautiful and in March was recognized for 10 years on the Knoxville Civil Service Merit Board.
While Helsley campaigns, she is on leave from her volunteer position as a Knox County SCAN officer (Senior Citizen Awareness Network).
“You are in uniform and in a deputy’s car, but you don’t have a weapon,” she explained. “You check on the senior citizens.”
Often if a senior citizen is being defrauded, a bank may refer them to SCAN. Helsley said that wellness checks with a marked car present in the driveway serve as a good deterrent for potential predators.
The evenings spent door-knocking have been super hot, but Helsley said they have been a lot of fun. “I guess being out there is energizing,” she said. “People are so nice, for the most part…
“I think door knocking is the nuts and bolts of the campaign,” she continued. “If you don’t meet people, I don’t see why they would want to vote for you.”
Helsley admits that fundraising does not come naturally, and while it is not her favorite thing, her grassroots campaign set a second-quarter record, raising more than any other Democratic candidate for county mayor in more than 20 years.
“There is something about August elections that people don’t like and people don’t know how as a Democrat you think you can win,” said Helsley, who has the support of Democrats, Republicans and Independents alike.
“This isn’t about politics, it’s about Knox County.”
OPINION
Travel reminds us to love home
Leslie Snow, Shopper News
As the day grows closer, I feel it building inside me; the anticipation over traveling to another country and seeing new things. I can’t keep the excitement to myself.
I tell the cashier who comments on my travel sized toothpaste and shampoo.
I gush to Audrey, who cuts my hair and makes me look cooler than I am in real life.
And sometimes, late at night, when my husband is asleep beside me, my enthusiasm bubbles over. I scoot over to his side of the bed, wrap my arms around him and whisper, “Do you want to go to France with me? Because I’m totally going to France for two weeks.”
He grumbles, which I’m sure would sound like laughter if he were awake, and I retreat to my still-warm spot on the bed to dream of walking along the Champs-Elysees.
Then, after a night of frantic packing and a thousand conversations that begin, “Do you think I’ll need this in Paris?” it’s time to leave for the airport. I’m too excited to sleep on the plane, so I read a book, watch bad TV, and look longingly at the passengers sleeping peacefully around me.
After 18 long hours, we finally arrive in Paris. I practice saying “bonjour” and “merci” with our cab driver. The words feel strange on my tongue. I listen to him talk with my husband, who took seven years of French, and decide not to attempt any French word that begins with the letter “R.”
We plan our days with the help of a couple guide books and the hotel concierge. I worry that we’re doing too many touristy things. I want to feel like a real Parisian, but I don’t know how.
Then I look in the mirror and see a typical American looking back at me. With a nod to my reflection, I decide it’s OK to look like a tourist when you’re visiting a foreign country. We take our guidebooks and our map and head out to explore The City of Lights.
I fall in love with everything I see. And eat. I’m captivated by the café culture and marvel at the long lunches and endless coffee breaks people seem to take. I learn to squeeze into small chairs at tiny tables in the middle of the afternoon to people-watch while I sip white wine and nibble on soft cheeses and crusty baguettes. I tour museums, cathedrals, and even a few castles.
I take it all in with wide eyes and decide I can live in Paris forever.
But as the two-week trip winds down, I begin longing. Not for another cathedral or another trip to the Louvre, but for the familiar.
I miss my family. I miss my dog and my bed. I miss recognizable words and knowing where I’m going. The yearning for adventure that filled me just a few weeks earlier begins to seep out.
On our last day in Paris, I finally say the words out loud. “I want to go home.”
The flight to Knoxville is a mirror image of our flight to Paris; it’s the same, only opposite. I’m still too excited to sleep, but this time, I’m not imagining the Eiffel Tower or Monet’s impressionist paintings.
This time, I’m picturing the Smoky Mountains and Fort Loudon Lake. I’m imagining hugging my grandchildren and seeing my mom.
Maybe that’s the point of international travel. It’s the chance to see the world, to be reminded that people are the same even when their history is different, and to fall in love with home all over again.
Leslie Snow may be reached at snow column@aol.com.
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