Like Keeping a Secret

Last year, I found out that my strategic writing class would be working with Andalusia as a client. Our first step would be taking a trip to the farm to see it firsthand and I was unsure of what to expect. I had passed their white sign several times, but never put much thought into what was actually tucked away down the path behind it.

As someone who is far from a Flannery enthusiast, I was skeptical of what her historic home could offer me. I wasn’t sure that seeing any of her personal belongings or even witnessing where she wrote some of her most famous works would really resonate with me. But as I drove the dirt road up to the house last winter, I knew that there was more to Andalusia than I could have ever anticipated.

When I arrived it was cloudy and foggy. When I stepped out of my car I could still feel the moisture on the ground. As I took everything in, I was hushed to silence. I held my breath. It felt like I was keeping a secret. I suppose I was. I had heard a lot about Andalusia but it was nothing to do the site justice. No one mentioned how open the sky was or how much clearer the sounds of birds chirping were. Even the bitter cold was encouraging because I knew that only meant the spring would bring more beauty to the farm.

The historical significance of Andalusia is what drives the majority of Andalusia’s guests, but its beauty is a draw all on it’s own. My first visit to Andalusia was more than a pleasant surprise and showed me that anyone can enjoy what they have to offer.

Alanna and the Spectrum PR team volunteers at the 10th Annual Bluegrass Festival.

--Alanna Gardner is a 20-something public relations and advertising student set to graduate from Georgia College in May 2015. She currently serves as an Account Executive for Spectrum PR of which Andalusia Farm is a client. Her favorite things to tweet are advertising quotes, feminist remarks and Beyoncé lyrics.