Stacey G.
Yelp
"Send for the children, darhling. I will not be returning home," I joked with my husband, donning a sly smile, complete with a pinky in the air. I sipped on my mimosa as the gentle Georgia breeze caressed my skin, the promise of summer heat still an hour away. I sat, completely at ease, on our semi-private veranda, reached only by climbing through a bedroom window I found undeniably southern in its charm.
It was June 2018 and I, along with my husband of almost 18 years, were vacationing at the Kehoe House...a trip 8 years late in the making given that I was married to an active duty military man who was gone more than he was ever home. A trip to Savannah--one of the top priorities on my bucket list--was finally coming to fruition, and all the pictures online and personal testimonies from trusted friends could never do it justice.
As I crossed that mighty bridge into the epitome of the Grand Old South, I gasped as I was consumed with the beauty that was Savannah and I honestly questioned how I was supposed to ever return "home".
Mornings were spent waking leisurely after a restful sleep that was never achieved at home...in awe of the grandeur of the room that greeted me. As I climbed out of bed, a soft knock on the door would bring foods, delivered on a silver tray, which could never be duplicated at home for their mouth watering delight was something straight from my dreams. Crab cakes, crepes, the freshest of fruits and if nothing on the menu suited us, they would make something to our request. The kindest woman would deliver our breakfast with smiles and wishes for a wonderful day and I couldn't help but feel like royalty...a feeling unknown to a military wife who had spent most of her time just trying to care for her three children while living away from family and while her husband served his country for lengths that would sometimes equal three quarters of a year.
Luxuries of this nature were unknown, foreign, and welcomed with feverish delight.
Historic discussions paired with mouth-watering hors d'oeuvres and house wine, local tours and strolls along charming streets filled our days. Never once did we drive--choosing, instead, to walk from destination to destination as we became more and more convinced we could never return to "normal life". Historic Savannah holds an allure...a charm...a welcomed escape that makes one feel as if they are in a bubble--a bubble that allows you to exist in a never ending cycle of hospitality, charm, and decadence.
The last seventeen months have brought twists and turns, trials and tribulations, that I could never have predicted back during the summer of 2018. But such is life...one can never know what is to come. What I have learned through it all, however, is that perspective-- along with incredible memories--can get you through almost anything. Everyone needs a happy place...a place to remember, to escape to, to make them smile--for us, that is the Kehoe House. I can not tell you how many times, since our visit, my husband and I have brought up our stay there--the staff, the meals, the house itself, the history. Being whisked back to that vacation has given us so much happiness and peace during the chaos that can be daily life.
We will never be able to truly express what it meant to us.
When we said we could not wait to return and were desperate to try and stay another night because we simply couldn't fathom leaving just yet, we meant every word. Their kindness, graciousness and the ability to make us truly feel like family meant more than we could ever express.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you, thank you, thank you, Kehoe House staff.
Until we see you again, warmest wishes...