Charlotte, NC

I woke up this morning looking at a strange ceiling, in a strange bed and for a brief moment I thought "Oh no, not again."

But then I remembered that I was in North Carolina spending the night at my sorority sister's place and not reliving some escapade of my early twenties.

I drove 10 hours from NJ to Charlotte yesterday. It was pretty much a straight drive through. One lunch/gas stop another snack & stretch stop. The outside thermometer stayed at around 88 degrees but I was nice and cool in my air condition. It wasn't until I came into Charlotte and I watched crazy lightning clouds roll in when the temperature dropped 15 degrees right away. It made for a comfortable evening sitting outdoors at Ballantyne Village drinking cold beers on a warm night.

If this first night sets the stage for the rest of my trip, then I am in for a lovely time. It was nice to catch up with Cindy after being out of college for 14 years. We laughed about the days in Alpha Xi Delta, our New Orleans trip, and about our lives now.

This is what I'm looking forward to on my trip: seeing new places and reconnecting with friends. The internet can only do so much to expose you to new places or maintain connection via email, Facebook, Twitter, Skype, etc. It the being there, the face to face, sipping the perfect margarita in a Texas driveway, shreading guitar on Rock Band in California, getting sunburned in the Utah canyon, that makes the life you live so much richer.

I intend to hit the jackpot.

Next stop, Atlanta.