I just got back from a trip down to Charleston, South Carolina to visit some good friends who had recently moved there. I’d been hearing some great things about the city; how it’s steeped in history but has become a burgeoning cultural gem in the South (USA).
We ran the gamut on that town. Charleston’s slow paced, Southern culture is being revitalized by an influx of vibrant young transplants. There are moments where cultures clash, but overall I think that it’s doing wonders for the city.
Right now there is a purity to Charleston, something magical and mythic. You feel like your imagination could run rampant if you let it. All that Spanish moss in the trees, man.
My photography professor in College was adamant about never taking photos in cemeteries, due to the potential for your photos to be tragically banal. While I somewhat agree, I couldn’t help but want to capture the beautiful old cemeteries around Charleston. Most have graves that are 200 years old, beautifully worn into the marshy terrain.
History is very important in Charleston, and its hard to ignore its bloody past as a slave port. My impression of the locals is that they are in a transition period of remembering the mistakes of the old world, but trying to move forward.
The pace is slow, the people are polite, and the heat is hot. We encountered mercurial weather, with periods of downpours in between hot sunny days. I’m told this is normal. Fortunately I love this kind of weather!
Thanks to Alison, Mike, and my Moms for being great travel companions. We ate too much, and I’m still feeling full!