If the walls of our cars could talk....
I guess by now it is pretty obvious to most that I am a wee bit protective and maybe even slightly neurotic of my precious (yep I said "my" so maybe even a little egocentristic) little town by the sea.
Beaufort has meant so much to me in so many ways. I first came to Beaufort solely based on a conversation I overheard in an emergency room. I vaguely recall the injury most likely one of my slip, trip, bump-n bruise days no doubt.
Emergency rooms are not the best places for private conversations or who knows maybe I was just blatantly eaves dropping.
The nurse spoke of a place she had recently visited that she truly believed was "spiritually magical".
At the young age of 21, that sounded good to me! I packed up my prize position, Captain Jack (my cocker spaniel/counselor/ best friend/confidant/foot warmer), loaded up my "seen better days" mustang and headed to Beaufort.
Honestly, I could write a book (and someday I just might) about the details of the drive, the actual events surrounding my life at the time, and the little voice inside my head that screamed "what the hell are you doing?"
But....for now, I will give you the high pointsJ.
I was a school teacher so I quickly found a job. I spent my days driving around aimlessly enjoying the most amazing sights I had ever seen in a small town. Even after six years, the sights, smells, faces, and sounds are as fresh as the seafood I eat each day.
Long (very long, I'm wordy) story short, Beaufort saved my life in many ways. I had time to stop and remember who I was and that happiness wasn't a luxury but a necessity. 
So where am I going with all of this???? Told you I was wordy...
I had a couple in my car, nice couple very business minded and career driven. They were just a few years older than me.
They were trying to choose between my little paradise and a larger city north of here. I spent time educating them on the market, what was available in their range, etc... Then, I showed them around a bit so that they could get their bearings.
Then it happened......
"How do you live in such a small town?" Where is the mall?, "This place seems forgotten by society." And on and on they went, denting, and bruising my little town by the sea.
Oops.....did I just run off the road??????!?!?
It would have been a nice commission I suppose. Maybe they would have learned to appreciate the true beauty of my little town by the sea.
Maybe, I shouldn't have dropped them back off at their hotel so quickly.
If you are looking for the hustle and bustle, or the hurry up and get out of my way life style. Don't come to my little town. You will not be happy and you will interfere with the happiness of others.
If you are looking for a life somewhat forgotten, an amazing place to raise a family, a place where your neighbors know you AND LIKE YOU, a place where you can spend a Sunday sitting by (or in) the river with your closest friend without feeling as though silence must be filled....come on down, over, across or up.
If you are lost and don't have time to find yourself, come to Beaufort. We are happy people.
No we don't have a mall and yes....we even may "talk funny" but we will welcome you and help you find your piece of paradise.
Helping others call beautiful Beaufort home, is a joy! I strive for excellence in representation and provide nothing less than superior service. Call or email me today for a free welcome package!
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
Powered by the ActiveRain Real Estate Network
© 2008 ActiveRain Corp. All Rights Reserved
Cherimie,
I would love to live in your little home by the sea, how enchanting! There is something about the ocean that just touches my soul, I think it is seeing the greatness of our creator. You are a lucky girl, may God bless you.
Cherimie, now THAT is a fantastic post. You make me want to come and live there! Are you sill a school teacher too? I used to live in Rock Hill SC , but have moved a few times since then. I would love to someday have a place at the beach, but it just seems to be so expensive..... I will have to go to your website and check out the pricing. I am going to star this post to be featured, not that anyone will listen to "me"......
Mary- I agree...there is always a place to sit and thank him here in our magical little town:)
Vickie- Thank you for the compliment. It may not have much to do with real estate, but it is true and I really don't like it when people speak poorly of a place so dear to my heart. Guess I kinda have a short fuse:)
What a fantastic post! I live on the water too and you have every right to love Beaufort! I went there years and years ago to see a band - in the 80's- and it was a gorgeous place. I now live on the Chickahominy River and get a little defensive myself of our little river and out slow paced life! How dare those city folk!!!!!!!!!!! Hey - there will always be other commission's (I hope)!!!!!!!!!
Much Peace!
Cherimie - Your little town sounds great. It makes me want to come see it and check it out. Have a great day!
Sounds like a wonderful place. I am definitely going to put it on my places to visit before I die list. Thanks for letting everyone know about your little piece of heaven.
I love small towns too. I live in an oceanfront community in Florida~ Sunny Isles Beach. My town was once a sleepy motel kind of place. Now, Sunny Isles Beach and the neighboring cities have been overwhelmed with ultra-luxury high-rise condominiums!
I guess that is what progress is all about. Hooray for small towns!
Hey Cherimie. I love the pride you have for your new home town. Living only two hours north of you I can understand your excitement. Thanks for sharing, Jim.
Susan, Thanks for reading. I can tell you "get it"....I can't help but be protective.
Pam-Come on! It is absolutely fantastic weather. We can go fishing:)
Amstate- Come on up! I promise it is worth the trip.
Wow, I liked that post. Sounds like a wonderful place to call home. Those people missed out! Oh, and so did I, I guess. :-(
Shhhh, if you keep telling people how great your little town is, it will turn into all hustle and bustle. Ya gotta love the people that want to live in a small town with a mall :)
Great Post!
Hi Cherimie,
Well written and I love your photos too. It certainly makes me want to come visit! I had a beach cottage in Nags Head at one time and your photos remind me of that.
Aloha,
Richard
I am going to get to SC and I will put your small town on my list.
I live in Vernal, Utah, a smaller area and I can relate to the comments. I am content with our beautiful mountains . An ocean front nearby would be welcomed though. Thanks
Aventura- I love Florida also. Maybe we can do a swap for a day:)
Jim- Charleston is my second favorite:) I was just there last weekend. Thanks for the comment.
Katherine- You are welcome to come anytime:)
Bryan- I know I know...I just can't help it.
Hi Cherimie. Another great post. Did you stop the car when you were letting that couple off?
Or did you just kick them out while still rolling.:)
Write that book!
Ken
Sounds great. I enjoyed your post.
That was a nice read. You sound very attached to your town and that loyalty is simply lovely!
Richard, Nags Head is another jewel for sure. Thanks for reading:)
Carol- I would love to know more about the beautiful mountains in your area....
Ken- Being a true Southern woman, I would never THROW anyone out of my car....there may have been a slight nudge:)....
Cherime - I was stationed at Cherry Point more than a few years ago and fell in love with the entire area around Beaufort and Atlantic Beach and Emerald Isle. Our family returned there each summer and spent some wonderful weeks in the beach front homes. Whenever I need a quiet peaceful get-a-way for a few moments, I transport myself there and re-experience the wonderful feelings.
Shannon- Thank you for your compliment. It is easy to write about Beaufort, there is so much to say.
Gabriele- Beautiful name! I must same I am loyal. I don't know where I would be had I not overheard that emergency room nurse. That was the one time I have ever been to an emergency room and came out cured:)
Jim-Cherry Point is also a wonderful place. Keep us tucked in your memory, if you ever need a refresher..come on!
Joyce- We are only about a three hour drive from Florence (even if the traffic is heavy) so come take a peek...it will be well worth the trip!
Cherimie- I've never been out your way before. We vacation in the Outer Banks. But I was intrigued by your post and will put it on my places to see list.
Luckily we can all find what we are looking for. I have lived in big cities and small towns... I like big cities... and I like to visit small towns. But, I know a lot of people that are exactly the opposite. And, we certainly can't be all things to all people... and neither can the places we serve be all, to all.
Really sounds like a great place to raise a family! We hope to see it one day!
Cherimie, what a wonderful tribute to your home. I definately need to visit
Cherimie, what a wonderful tribute to your home. I definately need to visit
Cherimie: What a fabulous place to live, just what I have been thinking about but not knowing where it existed. Some people cannot appreciate the beauty of serenity. You might have put Beaufort on the map. I live in California in Carlsbad, yes its beautiful but way too crowded. The traffic is awful any time of day. I am looking for a new place to live where people do take the time to know you and care. Living in the city is not for me any more. So perhaps one of these days I'll be in your town. thank you for writing about Beaufort. I may just check out some listings. Patti - Capital Line Funding Group, CA
Rebecca- Thank you for your post. I love the Outer Banks. Come visit Beaufort soon but don't forget your fishing pole:)
Lane- You are absolutley right. That's what makes the world go around:)
DiMuria-I hope you see it to! thanks for the post
Joe- Ive been telling you to come visit.....tick tock tick tock tick tock...I am waiting:)
Patti- What a wonderful compliment. Thank you so very much. I hope "one of these days" is soon:)
Cherimie - I love Beaufort and you have done such a wonderful job of describing it... Life does move slower there and there is definetly something to it...
Hi Cherimie, Love this post. You have every right to be protective of your community. I feel the same way too... I'm ready to come for a visit!
dreams are a figment of reality. make it happen.
Sounds like a great place to live! I would love to visit there sometime.
It is great to read that you love your "little town". I grew up in a big town, and now live in a small town... It took a LOT of adjusting. I hated it for many years because it did lack the mall!! Now I love it and love the fact that when you go anywhere, you know everyone, or at least someone! It is fun! Most of my friends are more fun than the mall!!! Live and learn...
HI Cherimie,
Your town sounds just like mine, but its not for everybody. Great post! :)
Cherimie - oooOOOPS!! I was talking about Beaufort, North Carolina, the historic seaport that was home to Edward Teach (Blackbeard the pirate). It just dawned on me that you may have been talking about Beaufort South Carolina, I ran back to your post to see, and sure enough I was thinking about the wrong place.
Beautifully written, I was completely transported! One of our favorite vacation beach places is a sleepy little town between two big condo high rise beach cities. When our kids became teens, they always complained that there was nothing to do, and all their friends were 30 minutes away.We just started letting them go stay at the beach with thier friends and my husband and I kept to our quiet getaway, Definitely make me want to return to S.C., we loved the Charleston area when we visited it.
Cherimie - sounds like you would have paid that commission to keep those folks out of Beaufort! I'm a water gal, too - from Newport, Rhode Island to St Petersburg, Florida.
St Pete isn't a small town (12,000-13,000) with its 250,000 residents, but each community within St Pete feels like a small town - and within half an hour we have malls and all the amenities of a metropolitan area of 2 Million people ... but we can walk into the butcher shop and they know what we want and how we want it ... we can sit and watch the sunrise or the sunset and hear the sounds of the lines against the masts ... we can walk along a white sand beach with only the herons for company ...
Those clients would not have fit in well in your great town anyway. It sounds like a great place to live.
Your story makes we want to pack up and come now. I have been to Savannah and Charleston many times and have wanted to visit Beaufort. I will have to make it this summer.
I like the neighbors knowing and liking you part..LOL!
Beaufort sounds incredible! I may have to put it on my list of to dos. Thanks for sharing this :)
They just didn't get it. It is their loss. Sometime a small town atmosphere can calm a person from a hectic day.
Cherimie, Your place sounds so wonderful! My bags are packed, and headed that way. (Don't I wish!). Your post was beautiful, as it should me who you were and what you are all about! Loved it. I am going to put "your place" on my must go visit list! Elizabeth www.Huntsville-Realestate.net
WoW... Great story.... the book will be great :)
Very touching. I feel some of the same feelings about Nashville and I hate it when somebody calls it a "hick" town because of the country music scene!
Is Beauford north or south of Mayberry? I will have to visit them both in the future. Sounds like a great place.
It certainly sounds like you have found your own paradise. Dropping them off at the hotel was the right move. Excellent writing.
Everyone's description of paradise is different. I like yours! We don't need anymore malls!
Hey Cherimie - Loved your post...I, too, live and work in a small town and hear people saying often, "What is there to do here?" If they can't figure that out on their own, they are in the wrong town! I hear SC is beautiful - in fact, there are several people that I know of here in California making their way to your state. I'll definitely refer you if I have people looking in your area. Captain Jack seems like a love...
I love your community of Beaufort. We often take a drive from Hilton Head and do a little shopping plus enjoy lunch by the river. Very special place. I havent' done the horse and buggy rides yet. Next time I have out of town company I think we'll plan that activity. Thanks for sharing.
I live close to the Pacific Ocean and love it. The fact that you enjoy your community is all that really matters.
Cherimie.... your passion shines through in your writing. Your passion for your local area and for your client. You made some excellent points within this blog. And showing the consumer even the nook and crannies per se, can make all the difference. You have had me sold on your area several times. It does help though that I have been to Hilton Head many of times. But just for the fact that you love your community, it shows and I am sure your clients appreciate it. great job here....
PS.. I like what you did with your blog page....
What a wonderful post, and I would love to come and visit your town. It sounds charming and the people sound wonderful.
I enjoy posts that are so informatiive, and its a great place to live, you describe it so well - with heart and soul put into your post. The "something" different is not for all folks, and they may have entered into a contract, then had second thoughts, & a relationship could get strained. If it's not for them, you did the right thing, let 'em go, wave bye-bye and go onto the next one.
Who knows? They may have thoughts later or know of friends or other relatives that would be a more perfect fit. Best of luck! - Carla
Sounds GREAT to me. Might put it on my places to visit this summer.
What a great blog. I enjoyed the entire piece. Carefull, don't let the secret out. Here in Seattle their was a great community called Ballard. It is on the water, there are the locks and a long history of the fishing and lumber industry. It is located inside the city limits of Seattle (not originally). Actually one of the captians of the Deadliest Catch parks his boat their. Anyhow I go back 5 generation and now Ballard is just another bustling part of Seattle with no more locals left (we all moved a little north).
Where I was going, back in the 1970's a famous radio personality started the rumor and told all the locals that when travelling tell everyone how terible the weather is here. That is rains all the time, etc.... So, now the rest of the country thinks seattle is the rain capital of the country, when Chicago gets more rain than us (and may other cities).
If you want to save te community, start a rumor. The locals will love you;)
Thanks again for telling of a place I didn;t know exisited. I'll have to visit.
Boe Lindgren
Broker / Owner
Ashlar Realty , Lynnwood Washington
The weather yesterday in Seattle...
I know what you mean...I also feel blessed every day by the beauty of the place I live in, even if I do have to drive 1 1/2 hours to get to a mall!
I don't see the appeal of a mall. Although, I've never liked them and only go if I HAVE to...lol. I think it sounds like a great place....you need the have the "Cheers" soundtrack on your profile....