A Castle + A Princess

I feel like life had been a little glum lately:

The weather was cold and dreary,

Spring Break came and went and we didn't go anywhere or do anything fun,

in fact, we hadn't been anywhere overly exiting lately,

the kids were grumpy from being holed up inside,

and I was getting cabin fever myself.

So...

we decided to go on a little adventure.

I had heard about a castle that was built in the woods in North Carolina somewhere and I felt it was perfect to show to Lily. She has been ever so keen on princesses and castles lately, so heading to an old abandoned castle was going to be such a treat!

Known as Castle Mont Rouge, this castle was built in 2005 by artist Robert Mihaly and was intended to be a workspace, a gallery, a residence, a studio, and a canvas for the artist. In 2008, with the financial crisis in full-effect, this castle was abandoned upon the death of the artist's wife, and put up for sale. In 2014, the artist tried to do a fundraising effort to restore his castle, but as of today it is still abandoned and in ruins.

No amount of researching told the address of this ruined castle, so I took a different approach. All over the web it mentioned that this castle was listed for sale, and has not been purchased because the structure is unstable or unsound and unfit for a safe dwelling. Regardless, I looked up listings in Rougemont, North Carolina and quickly obtained an address for where to look for this castle. 

Lily was one happy and excited girl. We told her it was a princess castle and she was thrilled to see it. She told us that it was dirty because Maleficent ruined it. The cold and damp weather truly added to the atmosphere the day we came to explore this castle. 

Ruins is what authentically describes the area surrounding this castle. 

The steps leading up to the castle have all been rotted and destroyed.

Every window has been broken or destroyed.

Graffiti lines the entire interior of the castle.

Garbage has been left here by explorers.

It's a hazardous wasteland which sparked my curiosity enough for me to venture inside and see what the castle contained.

I left the children behind with Michal so that they were safe as I could clearly tell that it would be a challenge to bring them along with me. The stairs were rotted out, and I had to be very cautious as I climbed my way upstairs. But I'm glad I did because inside there was a hidden treasure written on the walls: "A Fortune Favors the Brave."

What an odd thing for a castle like this to contain. Is it literal? Do I get to see this destroyed piece of installation art by coming here? Or does it mean that if I'm willing to take risks in life that I will benefit from the risks I'm willing to take? Will I profit as I seek to step outside my comfort level? Will I be stretched and grow as a person as I face challenges that I once deemed daunting and impossible? What does this mean, "A Fortune Favors the Brave?"

And I think that the best answer is: it means whatever you are able to take away from it. It shows meaning as your soul interprets it differently form another human being. I chose it to mean that as I weather the storm I'm facing, that great rewards I cannot imagine will be awaiting me towards the end. To me, it means that I need to face challenges head on and not shrink or hide away from fearful tasks or opportunities. That as I take a step into the dark, the light will eventually appear, but I have to be able to "be brave" to behold the light. So tell me - What does this saying mean to you? 

After a quick stop for lunch at Chick-Fil-A, we were back on the road headed home. 

We started the day with taking Lily to a castle, so we decided to end the day by taking her to see a princess.

Lily warmly hugged "Cinderella" as soon as she saw her. The timing couldn't have been better for Will and Kaitlyn Maki's wedding shower.

Lily was not only in heaven from seeing a princess, but also super happy to see some of her favorite friends.

The best part of the shower was that little kids could go upstairs and play while grown-ups hung around down stairs.

Lily and her friends dressed up as princesses and rode their horses into the sunset.

I'm so, so pleased at how this day turned out. It was perfect! Mostly because little girl was so happy, but also how everything came together and we didn't run into any obstacles while trying to make her happy. If she got this happy with a "castle in ruins" and a bride as a princess - I can't wait to take her to DisneyWorld!