Chapel Hill and Wilmington, NC

So the rest of North Carolina went well. After Asheville, we went further instate to this town called Chapel Hill. Smack dab in the middle of the state, it was far away from mountains or any body of water so the weather was hawt and humid. We stayed with this really cool chick, Danielle. First night she invited us to join her and her friends for a vegetarian potluck. The food was delicious. Ever since meeting Divya (who's a vegetarian herself) I've learned to have a greater appreciation for not just vegetables- I always loved veggies- but also veg food such as tofu. And after spending nearly a whole month with her I've tried things I never thought I'd try, such as tofurky, boca burgers, and veg bologna. I know, my father the carnivore would be disappointed in me. But I have to say, I've grown to like these meat alternatives. Shhh don't tell my family. Right, back to my story.

Then that night at Chapel Hill, Div and I went out with a guy named JD who we'd met at the potluck. He took us to a few venues and we heard a few bands amidst trying new wines and beers. For such a small place, Chapel Hill definitely is a hopping place in terms of music. Feist is stopping there on her tour so the place must be cool. The next day Div and I hopped on her dad's benz (I know, we were poor students traveling on a low budget, on a not so low budget car) to a city called Wilmington. Wilmington is by the Atlantic ocean. And one of the reasons Div and I picked this place is because we wanted to spend some time at the beach, and also Div wanted to introduce me to the Atlantic ocean, which I'd never set foot in before. So to the beach we went, and Div has a great photo of me holding my skirt and clenching my teeth as the cold Atlantic water is washing over my feet. We stayed there with this guy name Bobby. We had a great time with him. The word "groovy" was part of his daily vocabulary so I was a big fan of him. He took us to this cute little sushi place that had Japanese anime artwork all over the walls. With sushi he made us try plum wine. A-amazing.

Then we went to a bar and tried some awesome martinis. Mine wasn't so awesome. It was called "Choco cherry cheesecake." How could you go wrong?? You can, then it's mostly cherry based. And then we ended off the night by going to a gay bar and watching a drag show, and then dancing the night away. The next day we drove back to Maryland (to her parent's place) and that's where I've been since. I fly back home tomorrow and get back to "real life." It's been an awesome month. A great break from home, school etc. But I'm ready to head back and do all the things I have to do. Find a second job, start my summer course, and look forward to summer in general. I shall upload some photos on here in a few days. Until then, toodle doo!

North Carolina: Asheville

So Div's family and I have helped her move all her stuff from her college town to her family's home in Maryland. It was a long wonderful drive. Div and I were in one car with her two year old nephew, Alex. He's adorable. I often want to squish him. We came back to Maryland and Div and I hung around for around 5 days. She took me into DC and showed me the White House, US house of Treasury and other important government building s and crap. It was weird to actually stand in front of buildings that I see in the news all the time. We also went to the Museum of Natural History which was fascinating. I am a geek, I am well aware. Alex's 2nd birthday party and Divya's graduation party was this past Saturday which was filled with food, a sponge bob pinata, a moon bounce and a BBQ.

Anyway, so yesterday Div and I left for the long anticipated road trip to North Carolina. We arrived at NC yesterday. We're starting on the west side of the state and working our way to the east. So right now we're staying in the amazing little town called Asheville. If you ever get the chance to come here, do! It's filled with Art Deco and Victorian architecture. The downtown area has heaps of boutiques, trendy shops, "ethnic" (there's that word again) restaurants, music shops, and artist guilds everywhere. The bohemian lifestyle definitely attracts a person such as me. Much like the neighbourhood I lived in last year in Sydney. Anyway, we're staying with a couple here, Laura and Lindsey and their hospitality has been amazing. They let us tag along with them yesterday with all their friends to cheap martini night, and then told us how to drive to the Pisgah National Forest before we went to bed. So today Div and I got up and headed to the national forest and went on a grueling 14 km hike. We climbed one of the Appalachian Mountains and the view on top was breathtaking. On the way back we stopped at a natural water slide. It's a 60 feet slanted rock that has water rushing down it into a big pool. The water melts from the tops of the mountains so it's freezing! We slid down and when I fell into the pool the rush of cold water woke up every cell on my body. I should upload those photos and put them on here soon. Anyway, tonight we're going out with them again. To- I can't tell you. It's PG 15 so I can't be writing about it here in case you're below that age. Ha. Anyway, tomorrow we're headed to another city in North Carolina called Chapel Hill. I'll keep you updated. Lots of love.