At least I had Fiddlesticks?!

(Written in two parts because I couldn't find the time or energy to finish what I had started!)

Currently writing from a beautiful day on the Outerbanks of North Carolina. I've been here since Wednesday of last week. Kevin drove up and spent my last 3 days in New York with me. It was wonderful. The weather made it even harder to say goodbye, but after my security deposit was (FINALLY) collected, we set out to start the first leg of our adventure.

Leaving NYC was a very surreal experience. Despite the fact I was only there just shy of 2 months, it was still like saying goodbye to a good friend knowing that, even though you will see each other again, you don't know when it will be... I was quiet until Virginia, at which point I realized just how lucky I am, and fortunate that I'm able to do so many incredible things with my life.

So here I am, at the beach, with my love, biding my time until we start our official trek across the country to West Yellowstone, Montana. Kevin has been a professional kayaking guide for a company in the OBX called Coastal Kayaks for the last 5 seasons. He came out just for 6 weeks to help the bossman start the summer. I've been lucky enough to get to go out on the water with him several times. I love it... despite the fact that I'm still learning how to paddle... AND despite the fact that we were nearly charged by a 13 foot alligator that was literally growling at us. But I love going out and seeing Kevin in his element.

(And here my friends, is where I got distracted from house/dog-sitting...)

NOW I come to you in the comfort of my own bed (or at least, the comfort of the 'guest bedroom' bed) at my parents' abode in the mountains of NC. We have officially started our trek, having left the Outerbanks yesterday morning/early afternoon. So far, we haven't had the smoothest of rides - literally and figuratively speaking. We found a nail in the front driver's tire of Taco (Kevin's truck), so we had an hour detour to get that taken care of. Once on the road again, poor Kevin's health took a turn for the worst. He had been feeling ill since the night before. We attributed it to the fact that we were both mentally and physically exhausted (having both gone out on tours the day prior for a full 12 hours). Unfortunately, by the next afternoon (a little over 2 hours into our trip) Kevin couldn't stand to be behind the wheel. I had to drive and let Kevin sleep and sip his ginger ale. We had already planned a stop in Greensboro to see my sister and her new pup. It would also be the first time my sis would meet Kevin! He manned up ('Bless his heart') and we had a lovely visit, laughing and playing with her full grown bulldog named 'Pink' and her new addition to the fam, 'Roy' (short for ROYGBIV - the colors of the rainbow). I should probably mention that I have the WORST puppy fever imaginable. I've always been a dog person, and I love having the furry things around, but with the floating lifestyle I lead, it would be completely unfair for the dog. We might play with the idea a little more seriously once in Montana, but we'll just have to see...

Anyway, after hugs were shared and my sister and I laughed another laugh, we headed out again and towards the mountains. Again, with Kevin not feeling up to par, I drove us the remaining 3.5 hours to Hendersonville. We had to stop by the airport to pick up my mom's car since she and the bro had left it there that morning to fly out to Shanghai (where my parent's live full time at the mo). A man by the name of Mr. President Barack Obama just happens to be in Asheville this weekend, so after asking the ticket guy if the plane was still in the area, we pulled around to see Air Force One just chillin' on the tarmac! Crazy. Hoping to sleep off the rest of his bug, Kevin and I retired early to bed.

This morning we awoke to the beautiful mountain sunshine. Unfortunately we also awoke to more of the same with Kevin. But after some nausea had passed, he felt confident enough to go on with our plans for the day. First stop: Barleys for some fiddlesticks (again, I'm ADDICTED). They were so amazing, and luckily for me Kevin couldn't stomach too many (is that bad to say?). We also met up with a lovely friend of mine from Asheville. So with her in tow we headed to the next stop: French Broad Chocolate Lounge (if you live or plan to visit the Asheville area, this is a MUST). Since I knew I wouldn't be indulging in this fine establishment for quite some time, I splurged and never looked back: a box of 6 delicately crafted and savory chocolates (with natural flavors like lavender, rose, chai, and orange zest) AND.... a liquid truffle. The Aztecs would DEFinitely approve of this indulgence. It's the thickest hot chocolate I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing (even over Russian hot chocolate which was about the only thing I liked when visiting that country). I'm proud (sad? embarrassed?) to say I drank and ate all of it in 4 hours time! So for what Kevin couldn't eat, I well made up for it. (it's ok... I plan to get into a healthier routine once settled in Montana)

The late afternoon/night had been designated for all our Brevard folk. By the time we headed that way though, the rain AND the bug in Kevin's stomach were back with a vengeance. After a stop at The Hub to see some friends of Kevin's, we headed straight to his old house to pick up some leftover boxes of his, AND so he could chill out for a bit. The poor thing has zero energy since he hasn't been able to stomach any food. He plugged on and we went to a couple's house whom I'd never met, very dear friends of Kevin's. Our visit was much shorter than anticipated though since he was on a continuous vomiting clock. I had to stop once while on the road, and well... I won't get graphic. Needless to say, we had to head home and forgo seeing any more people. It was a total bummer, but our friends are amazing people who we'll always have in our lives, and frankly, I need this boy to get better so I'm not the only one behind the wheel on the rest of our 50 hour drive out West!

Also of concern: My eyes have been very uncooperative as of late. They're constantly red, itchy, and on fire. It could be allergies, but at this point, I think I'm going to need a nice steroid drop for any real relief to take effect. I've had severe eye problems before, so it could also be a flair up. My eye sight is starting to worsen. I have an appointment at an eye doctor's office in Nashville for Monday (we'll be visiting with Kevin's folks for a couple days), and hopefully that will get taken care of.

We're a motley crew we are: Kevin and I. I can't see well, he can't process food. Taco had a nail in her tire. And they're calling for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in our area. Whew... What a great way to start our trip...