North Carolina – Long Weekend Recovery

Wow, what a week. I spent the long holiday weekend (which still feels like yesterday) taking a road trip with my dad and younger sister to North Carolina.

Let’s just say, the long weekend recovery has been real. I still don’t feel like I’m back on track (hence the subtle silence and lack of posts this week). Not to mention, I’m in the peak of apartment hunting, packing and organizing to move next month (eek).

Still, the lag I’m feeling now was totally worth the weekend I got to spend down south with family and good friends.When I turned 6 years old, we packed up the car (back then “we” consisted of myself, mom, dad and paternal grandmother) and moved to North Carolina. We moved into the house that belonged to my great grandparents. The house where my grandmother and her siblings grew up. My great-uncles lived on either side of us.

My father had spent his summers growing up walking and working that land, living in that house with his cousins. We lived there until I was about 10.

I’m pretty sure I hated everything about NC during those years. The quiet, large spaces between each home and destination and expansive landscapes just didn’t appeal to my 6 year old self. When we moved back to New Jersey, I was beyond thrilled.
But going back now, I have an appreciation that I never could have formed back then. Falling asleep to the sounds of crickets and wildlife versus the sounds of car horns and sirens was a welcomed shift for a few days.

Knowing that the long, winding roads I used to loathe were the same ones were my grandparents and great-grandparents traveled and built the foundation that our family stands on now is so precious.And speaking of family –mine might just be the best one.

Anyone with a large family can probably attest to the sea of smiles and waves of joy that incur when you’re surrounded by the people who love you the most. I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud to have made so many people proud of me. 

And don’t even get me started on the food. We’ll just leave it at this: I indulged and I was satisfied. My favorite part of the long (almost 12 hour) drive down was getting the chance to spend a long car ride with my dad and sister. Since I moved out to come to school, I relish soaking them up in large doses.

Of course I had to spice up (read: nerd out) the entire rides there and back by looking up the history of all of the towns, roads, rivers and counties we road through. Nerd level aside, it was pretty fun! And some of those street and county names are real winners. Ask me about the history of Dinwiddie, VA for kicks.

How was your Fourth weekend? Are you struggling to get back on track as hard as I am (more iced coffee please)?