CASTALIAN SPRINGS, Tenn. (WTVF) — One woman set out to relaunch a place that changed her life. When she started, she wasn't expecting this twist. She'd be getting help from some people from a place called 'the Heart of TV.'
Did you ever see that movie about the woman living a hectic, big city life who then falls in love with the simplicity she finds in the country? I mean. That could be a lot of movies. Maybe one you saw on Hallmark Channel? Hold that thought. I want to introduce you to someone.
"We are in Castalian Springs," said Lizzie Tucker, sitting on a deck overlooking 200 acres. "Really easy opportunity to get out of the big city and enjoy a piece of the country."
Tucker's from Brooklyn, and about three ago, she was feeling overwhelmed by the pace of life and city living.
"I had a nervous breakdown," she nodded. "I was dealing with stress and anxiety and depression."
It was her aunt who told her about this place in Castalian Springs. It was then a fitness retreat called Fit Farm.
"I was really able to turn my life around and find my health and happiness in a very sustainable way," Tucker continued. "When the owner announced she was closing it, I really thought to myself, 'look. I couldn't let the magic die.'"
In April, Tucker reopened this place as The Farm.
"We refer to it as a wellness escape," she explained. "It's really a place where people come to feel good. Whether they need a pure reset, they want to rest and relax, they want to work on strength and mobility, weight loss, they can come here, and we meet them where they are and focus on feeling good. This decision to reopen The Farm and breathe new life into it is I'm trying to pay it forward to people who likely are in or were in situations similar to where I was."
With that lift, Tucker is getting some help.
Tucker is friends with Taylor Cole, the star of a bunch of Hallmark Movies.
"Taylor said, 'Lizzie, how can I help you?'" Tucker remembered.
Cole is getting stars from some Hallmark films to appear at The Farm. Those future appearances will be announced in The Farm's online newsletter.
"The idea that fellow guests could kinda rub shoulders or lift weights next to a Hallmark star, we're really excited to go on this adventure with these Hallmark actors," Tucker said. "I'm super grateful to Taylor for helping us reach new audiences so we can keep this place alive."
Tucker didn't really expect the comparisons between a Hallmark plot and her own journey falling in love with a place out in the country. Still, I wanted to point this out. The entrance to The Farm greets you with the words; 'Feel Good.' Isn't that ultimately what Hallmark movies are all about?
"It's all about helping people find their feel good!" Tucker said.
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
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