A Year of Courtney

Well, I’ve made it. One year of meanderings about Bluffton and Lowcountry happenings, hot spots, not spots, and a little controversy thrown in for good measure.

So, it wouldn’t be a fitting anniversary celebration (thanks for all of the cards and flowers by the way) without a re-cap of the last 365 days, so here goes. What did this Yankee learn during her first year in Bluffton?

Southerner’s have a special way about them, as evidenced by our move to South Carolina. When our moving van broke down on I95 in North Carolina, a Southern Gentlemen escorted us, our three pets, our two cars, and one 26 foot moving van, to our new hometown.

Don’t pack the plunger, unless you have clearly labeled the box that it is traveling in. Chances are you’ll need it before all of the bathroom boxes are unpacked. (Especially if you’ve bought a brand new home, takes a little time for those pipes to get up to speed.)

The New Jersey DMV could take some lessons from the SCDMV. The experience was actually a pleasure.

Bluffton High School football offers the community the opportunity to leave their differences at the gate and be part of the same team, if only for a few hours.

R, R, R is for Oyster, oyster, oyster. (Months with “R” in them are oyster months.) Never had an oyster before I moved here yet I find myself counting the days until May River oysters are back in season.

You could miss fall, if you don’t pay really close attention. The good news, however, is that your mums can virtually pass as perennials (ours did). Your pumpkins, on the other hand, may suffer an unkind fate falling victim to the bright fall sun.

Starting your day at the Bluffton Coffee House, where you not only get good coffee, but great conversation can make you smile all the way to work. It is so nice to see the same faces week after week – old friends and new.

The smell of the May River is intoxicating, however pluff mud, not so much.

Jersey Mike’s subs are the perfect cure for brief bouts of home sickness.

No frozen fingers or toes when hanging your holiday decorations. Heck, its still seventy degrees out!

Finding a new hairdresser, a new dry cleaner, or a new circle of friends is difficult. But, if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. (On the latter, if all else fails, wear a sign that exhibits your personality profile in the hopes of meeting a good match.)

Grits come in two varieties … the kind you eat and the Girls Raised in the South. Get to know and respect both.

Property Owner Associations abound. Learn the rules, abide by the rules and report the folks who don’t? I still haven’t figured out the answer to the POA puzzle, I want a nice neighborhood, but I don’t want to live in Pleasantville. What’s a control freak to do?

Get out of Bluffton every once and awhile and explore Savannah, Charleston, Beaufort. It is fun to play tourist for the day. Or play tourist closer to home by strolling Calhoun Street or braving the beaches of Hilton Head.

And, finally … no matter what you do, never, and I mean never, knock pancakes or NASCAR. It just won’t be pretty!

Now, what to do for the next fifty-two weeks … any ideas?