Bowling Green: Character

I continued my farewell tour with a short stint in Ohio for the past couple of days. I know, I know: my road trip was supposed to be over. And Ohio is definitely not in the Carolinas - or even anywhere near the South! But what can I say? I've been bitten by the travel bug, and is it really my fault that my best friend lives five hours away? (Answer: no, it's not.)

I left yesterday around lunchtime to see Daniel Scott, hoping to make my entrance just as he was returning from work - I was a bit off, but not enough to have missed anything. I met his roommate, Megan, and his friend, Mara, and got to see Lauren, whom I had already met when she came home with him and rode around with the two of us as I got my hair and make-up done for my senior prom. Anyway, the five of us sat around the half-packed apartment (they're moving this weekend) and chatted for a bit before Mara and Lauren had to go home and Danny and I had to eat before we fainted.

It was at this point that my tour of BG began. We walked around Main Street a bit, stopping in at the Ben Franklin, which is certainly superior to the one that was once in this town and which makes me wish that we had such a good craft store in Greenville. We extended our route to go back and forth between a few restaurants and eventually to find an ATM so that we could eat at Call of the Canyon. We stuffed ourselves and then, on the way to the car, we decided to stop in at Grounds for Thought, a favorite coffee shop of Dan's. Luckily, we happened upon a stupendous jazz concert, so we stayed through a few songs. We then continued on, stopping to admire the creepy courthouse across from the rabbit window, to the biggest DQ in the entire world (portion-wise), where we enjoyed delicious Blizzards and flipping through the latest issue of BG Magazine. They gave me so much ice cream that I couldn't even finish it!

After our dessert, we went back to his apartment. It was already late, so I changed clothes and, after a quick round of Mario Kart on Super Nintendo and then a stop at his friend's house to play Mario Kart on Wii (So I'm becoming a gaming addict - sue me!), we went to Uptown, where we not only danced the night away but where I witnessed my first-ever drag show. They do one every Tuesday! It was very fun, I must say. We got there well into the show, but there was enough time to see three or four drag queens perform. Upon the show's conclusion, we decided to stay and dance for a while, and I met some of Danny's friends.

The next day was the surprise that Danny would not reveal to me. After he woke me up and we tasted the hemp milk that we had purchased the previous night (It was not so good...), I made every excuse to continue lying on the futon in the comfortable clothes that I had borrowed from Danny the night before, but I eventually did get up and take a shower. We went out the door at least three different times, always forgetting something, and somehow, we ended up watching the Bridges dance class performance video as well as the video that Danny made about his Salamanca trip, so by the time we made it to Waffle House for breakfast, it was actually lunchtime.

I would like to take this time to say how impressed I was with that Waffle House - the workers were competent, clean, and friendly, and the restaurant did not smell smoky or greasy but was instead clean and bright. The food was good, too.

Danny then took me to BG's campus, and he gave me a tour of the school as well as his office. We spent the rest of the day exploring BG more, hitting up, to name a few:
-freaking BEN FRANKLIN and their fabulous candy counter
-an art gallery
-a hippie store that quite possibly bests the one in Marietta
-a COOKIE store, at which I tasted the best snickerdoodle that I have ever had
-a gas station convenience store

Finally, we had to leave so that a.) we could find some real food for dinner and b.) I could get home "not too late." My car was packed (not that I had that much stuff, really), so after I said my goodbyes, we met his family in Arcadia and then went into Findlay for dinner at the Olive Garden. The day came to a close with me driving home with the windows down, listening to the Iron & Wine CD that Danny left playing for me in my car.

Things that I would like to remember about my 24 hours in BG (+2 or so hours in the surrounding area):
-dancing on the speaker to "I Gotta Feeling"
-skipping to The Cookie Jar
-Story People
-the helpful trucker
-Ore-GON Trail/the shopkeeper's instructions
-"Are you drunk?" "Um...no." "Oh - it must be me!"
-dancing people at John Nemeth's concert
-our hula-hooping blocking the exit
-how comfortable Danny's clothes were to sleep in
-our pirate server
-healthy diets
-walking into what may or may not have been Danny's apartment while he was outside
-the restaurant with the long bathroom hallway with a stop in the kitchen

Reasons that I absolutely must return:
-to eat at Squeekers
-to check out Finders
-to swim in the quarry
-to go to Canada
-to continue staring at the twins in hopes of really being able to tell them apart w/out guessing
-to make friends with the people living in the Church as well as the Windmill
-to finish a small Blizzard from DQ
-to wear Danny's clothes again
-to receive tie-dyeing lessons

Raleigh: (Sub)urban

My final destination before heading home on my road trip was Billy's new house outside of Raleigh. I stopped for a splendid lunch with Sarafina Saturday afternoon at the Mellow Mushroom in downtown Durham, where we lingered over White Gourmet Pizza that hit the spot. After briefly meeting her dad and some of his friends, who were all extremely polite and friendly and gave me a generous slice of lemon pound cake for the road, I continued on.

I arrived to a boisterous greeting from Cotton, the yellow Lab, and then, of course, said hello to my boyfriend. Saturday night, Billy and I went out to eat the the Twisted Fork, a local Raleigh favorite that I very much enjoyed, myself. We then checked out the Barnes and Noble. Sunday, we slept in, and in the evening, he, his dad, and I all went to Bonefish. Later that evening, the girls came back from WV, sans Michelle, who was at band camp, and plus one of Kristin's friends, and even later, Billy and I went to Baskin-Robbins.

Honestly, my time there kind of blurs together, because I lost track of time during the course of my trip. The days that Billy and I spent together consisted of a lot of food preparation, Cotton-petting/walking, and Xbox-playing. Billy gave me a driving tour of his subdivision as well as the town. We enjoyed the community walking trail and pool - especially the water slide. I originally had planned to leave on Sunday evening or Monday morning, but they all convinced me to stay until Wednesday morning (their persuasive powers never cease to amaze me.) We all went to The Cheesecake Factory - yum! - for dinner (and dessert, of course!) on Monday night, and Tuesday, we watched the better part of a Carolina Mudcats game in Zebulon and then played a rousing game of hide-'n'-seek in the new abode.

I really enjoyed my visit there. Their new home is very nice, as is the surrounding community. Of course it didn't feel like home to me, because I doubt it even feels like home to them yet. Nevertheless, my accommodations were very nice, and my days were filled with fun activities. I am so grateful that I got to spend time with Billy and everyone before I embark on my transcontinental adventure!

Charlotte: Chill

I arrived in Charlotte Wednesday afternoon by way of Rock Hill and a fabulous, drawn-out lunch with Jeff, a fellow Bridges counselor, at Majistic. No, that's not a spelling error - the restaurant really was called Majistic. Upon finally moving to the North Carolina sector of my trip, I went straight to a country club - my first time! (We don't really have too many country clubs around these parts in West Virginia.) I met Sarah, with whom I would be spending a couple of nights, as well as her younger sister and her best friend, both of whom I had met briefly during the school year, at the pool.

We stayed there for a while before going back to her house to change, and as they left for choir rehearsal, I showered and headed to Fort Mill to see another great friend, Michelle. After we turned down one restaurant for their lack of veggie burgers, we decided upon Salsarita's Fresh Cantina for dinner, which was delicious, I might add. We then toured the old Richmar Fashions building (YES!) and played with her dog, Buddy, a bit before I decided that it was probably time for me to return to the Queen City.

That evening, Sarah and I watched a few episodes of Friends Season One and chatted before it was time to go to bed - like most "normal" people, she, too, had to work in the morning. Per usual, I slept in as she got ready and left the house, leaving me to get ready to meet my good friend, Daniel. He picked me up and we headed to the South Park Mall, which was much more fun than I had anticipated. We purchased some trusty bamboo fishing poles, to be used when I return to the country next year, and made good use of the cushioned benches in the mall hallway as well as in department stores.

Daniel dropped me off at Sarah's around lunchtime, so she, her sister, and I set off to picnic at Freedom Park. We even took her dog, Joey! It was very humid/hot/rainy, so we didn't stay long, but it was fun while it lasted. We went back to her house and she tattooed my right leg in Sharpie as we watched more Friends.

She was then picked up for a date, so I headed to Misenheimer to see one of my two wives from the 2007 Mission of Peace, Chelsea, at Pfeiffer University. I met some of her friends that I hadn't on my previous trip (that brings my total of acquantainces up to about half of the campus population - just kidding, Chels!) and we went to a grand dinner at...WAFFLE HOUSE! haha We hung out in the apartments for a while, and then I went to work with her the next morning before leaving around lunchtime.

I arrived back in Charlotte just after Sarah and her sister got home from from work, and the three of us decided to go to the pool with Andrew again. After that, we watched MORE Friends, ate some of the scrumptious vegetable lasagna and drank some of the southern-style sweet tea that her mom and sister, respectfully, had made for me, and then decided to go downtown a bit later via the tram for dinner. We ate at Brixx and had a grand time, then they gave me a tour of the area, including the Epicenter. Finally, after a brief stop to see her friends at Andrew's house, we went back to her house and watched Paris, J'taime, which she had been borrowing from me for...oh, a few months. The next morning, we all left the house as Sarah left with her sister and mother to watch her dad perform in a play and I headed to Raleigh/Durham.

Charlotte was another great stop on my tour - it was more familiar than Columbia, but not as so as Greenville. I got to see many friends in the three or so days that I spent there, which was wonderful. Despite what residents said, there was always something to do, even if it just involved relaxing, sitting, and catching up. I felt at home there, and I'm glad that I got to see so many people - even if, per usual, I could have spent even more time with them.

Columbia: Hospitality

I arrived in Columbia Monday evening and was greeted with squeals, hugs, and lots of food. My freshman year roommate, Ann Tipton (affectionately known as "Tip") and her family were waiting to share with me a delicious homemade dinner and then a tour of the Columbia area, highlighting Forest Acres, Five Points, downtown and USC, the Capitol building, and some art by Blue Sky. Later that evening, Tip showed me her debutante dress, and then we talked until we fell asleep.

I slept in while she went to work the next day, and my friend, Jay, picked me up for lunch. We ate at Hooligan's, which had been highlighted the previous night, then drove to a Marble Slab for dessert before meeting Tip back at her house to chat and play with her dog for a little while. All too soon, it was time for Jay to go to work and for me to meet my Camdenite friend, Morgan, downtown at a coffee shop called Cool Beans. After the cashier/barista helped me via Twenty Questions to decide on ordering a mocha frappe and I enjoyed said beverage, Morgan and I parted, and I went to Miyo's restaurant to join Tip and her family for her mother's birthday dinner. They had many vegetarian options.

We could not finish our food there, so, of course, we went to Baskin-Robbins' $1 Scoop Night for dessert. Yes, that's right - I had lots of ice cream that day. We went back to their house and everyone - Tip, her parents, her sister, her sister's boyfriend, and I - played Scattergories and Apples to Apples before I told everyone goodbye. Tip and I stayed up late talking again, and then I slept as they all went to work in the morning again. I left mid-morning, leaving their poodle, Philippe, to hold down the fort.

I greatly enjoyed my second trip (and the first during which I'd actually spent any time there - I went to USC on a college tour during Bridges this summer) to Cola. I found the city to be charming and fairly easily navigable; plus, everyone was just so NICE to me there! Once again, I didn't get to visit everyone, but I am definitely glad that I did get to spend time with some of my favorite people before I leave them for three months. (In my defense, Morgan is actually leaving the country, too, and for longer. So I'm not so bad, right?)

Greenville: Familiarity

In one of my new favorite books, Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert relates an anecdote of being told that every city has a word - you know, that one adjective, noun, or verb that just seems to fit the city, everyone in it, and everything about it. She then searches for her own word. I cannot yet narrow myself down to one; however, I have decided that I will try to label my trip chapters as such. For each portion of this "Farewell Tour," as my father has taken to calling my week-plus excursion, I will try to come up with a word. As the first example, for Greenville, I chose familiarity, because, really, it's been my physical home for the last year more than anywhere else.

I began my road trip with the arrival at my brother's abode. Whilst there, I took a nap, met his new roommate, and made some CDs for my ensuing trip. I then traveled to the summer residence and internship homebase of Melissa, my RA/Big Sister. I dropped off my things and went to a movie with a fellow Bridges counselor, John Odell. I then returned to Melissa's to find that a mutual friend from the Atlanta area, Kelley, was in town visiting some other friends and had stopped by to visit us. We chatted and laughed for a while and mingled with Melissa's housemates; then, Kelley left, and we went to bed. In the morning, Melissa had early morning duties while I slept in, got myself ready, and then met her at the office. I ran some errands, met my brother again, and then spent some time with another former counselor, Shira, before heading out to Cola.

All in all, my time in Greenville went by quickly, as I fear that my time at each of my stops will, but I enjoyed it very much. I could have spent days more there and seen others still employed at the university and such, but my schedule did not permit for that - believe it or not, I do want to spend some time at home, in my own bed, before I leave for three months. Anyway, I got to see some great friends and tie up some loose ends before my departure. I will miss the city; I look forward to my return in the winter!

Road-trippin'

Usually, the family beach trip signifies a break in my summer, the time at which I stop (or at least slow down) on my camp-going and friend-seeing and head home to West Virginia to relax for a few weeks (or start soccer practice) and spend some time with family and hometown friends before school starts. This year, however, is a bit different.

I will not be going to school this fall in West Virginia, nor South Carolina - August 18, I will depart to attend SuDa, a. k. a. Soochow Daxue, a. k. a. Suzhou University for a semester. I will be gone until the 23rd of November; as such, I am now embarking upon what my father likes to call my "Farewell Tour."

Instead of riding back home from the beach with my parents, I caught a ride with my brother back to my college town to visit some college friends. This evening, I am departing to see my freshman year roommate and her family; Wednesday, I will begin to slowly make my way back up north, stopping in various cities and towns along the way to cram into about five days as many visits as I possibly can. Even though I return to the States around Thanksgiving, I won't be down South until spring term begins in January, so this is my last chance to see some good friends for six months or so.

I will try to update as much as I can on my activities and whereabouts for the next week. Until then - please keep looking for my computer! I'd love to enhance these posts with some photos. ;)