Georgia felt like a very small piece of home with mountains, wide open space, and warm fires. Georgia the country, is settled in next to Armenia tucked away from the world. If you don’t know where Armenia is, it’s next to Azerbaijan. If you don’t know where that is, it’s by the Caspian Sea. If you don’t know where that is, Georgia is next to the Black Sea…. That’s north of the Middle East.
Georgia is tangled in vines of grape vineyards and tradition. Ancient culture still cultivates the fruit of the earth into toasts and friendly conversations over a glass of wine. We traveled north to the mountains in January. It was cold. Fire and Sun burned streams of warmth through a cold crisp air. When everything outside gets colder, everything on the inside gets warmer. The homes, the friendships, the hearts are stirred with warmth. The cold has a wonderful way of breaking down the chaos and busyness of life and preparing the way for a new season of life and growth.
While in Georgia, snow blanketed the hills most of our days in Tbilisi. Mountains broke the horizon in the distance. This, is not the most expectant place to find flowers. None the less, one is hard pressed to travel the world and not still find beauty hidden away in the most desert or wintered of places. Life still flourishes in the hardest of times. Color still splashes black and white landscapes. Hope still rises even in the painful and hard seasons of life. Keep pressing on and you are always sure to spot a flower among the rocks. In life, continue in endurance and there will always be reason to continue to hope. In winter, always make sure to stop twice as long to appreciate the beauty and glory of life.
Here are the secret gems of the cold January winter of Georgia. Enjoy!
With Faith, Hope, and Love,
Nathan
