BY RENÉE MARTIN | PHOTOS BY DAPHNE WALKER Opening New Doors Life is full of unexpected twists and turns, but sometimes letting go of our original plan and embracing change reveals pleasant surprises. The crazy thing about dreams is that just when you find the courage to leave everything behind and go flying off into the wild blue yonder, the wild blue yonder turns a different shade of blue or sometimes changes colors altogether. For Natasha and Michael Payne, the wild blue yonder was a nice farm in South Georgia with enough acreage for a horse or two. The six acres they found online in Glenwood, Georgia, included the old 1885 Dr. Colson house, a cook-out shelter, and a barn. It was everything for which they’d hoped. The realtor for the house assured them that finding jobs would not be a problem especially with Michael’s expertise in machinery and Natasha’s 20 years of experience in healthcare. With that in mind, they packed up all their belongings in North Carolina and moved to Georgia. There’s no doubt that it was the time for change. Natasha had lived within a few miles of her childhood community of Snow Camp, North Carolina, all of her life. Working hard was all she’d ever known. She’d raised six children in a blended family and cared for her ailing parents all while continuing a career. Now that both parents were gone, and her son Luke who was 11 years old at the time, was the only child still at home, she told Michael, “Wherever you and God lead, I’m willing to follow. I have nothing left here.” They had both been through divorce, and the move would mark the beginning of a new life together. On June 5, 2015, Natasha’s two children and Michael’s parents watched as the couple stood on the porch of their new home in Georgia and said their wedding vows. 48 Toombs County Magazine
20204RD
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