On Monday evening, I decided to go for a walk up in the mountains above my house. The slight breeze, blue skies, green hills, and wildflowers were calling my name. I love where I live! It was nice to clear my head and get my legs moving. I am so blessed :)
Remember this?
Well, this is what it looked like the next day:
And, the night before, April took this picture of me and Mendy in front of it:
Funny how things can change so fast.....I'll bet we were the last people to photograph it :)
So, I promised April I would post these pictures on my blog that she took. She said that I don't ever have pictures of myself and she's always taking pictures of me taking pictures. Plus, she is known for her crazy pictures. She always has us posing and making faces to really show what we were feeling at the moment.
This is right after I arrived in Raleigh from my no-sleep, red-eye flight.
This is when we picked the sweet, juicy mulberries that stained our fingers purple.
Photographing the fountain at the Rose Garden...
April wanted to take a picture of me with the dock in the background. Little did I know that the waves would rush up and soak my feet...
These are the poor shells that have been beaten and smashed to smithereens. April wanted me to show 'sadness.'
A little hair washing action...
April LOVES skating!
Here I am playing with the squishy, liquidy, slippery toy that slides out of your hand when you squeeze it. These crack me up!
Enter at own risk...
April on the bridge, scared for her life.
2 buses are careening towards me. This is seconds before they speed by me, shaking the bridge and freaking me out.
Back in April, Josh had a layover in Salt Lake. The mountains were looking particularly incredible that day, so Josh decided to stay. He sent out a message on couchsurfing.com and ended up staying in Salt Lake. A couple days later, he ended up at my friend April's house. He came to a toga party with us, met all our friends, hiked on the North mountains of the Valley with us, and became our good friend.
April, Mendy and I stayed with Josh on our recent trip to North Carolina. He treated us so well while we were out there. We all came and left at different times and he chauffeured us every time, willingly, to the airport. He showed us around town, had us meet his friends, and made sure we got to see what a great town Raleigh is.
Josh makes me want to be a better person. He's studying Gandhi right now -- internalizing and applying it to his own life. I feel more calm and relaxed around him because that's the way he is. He lives a simple life, making time for the things that matter most.
The night before I left, Josh reluctantly agreed to have his picture taken so I could blog about him. Thanks for everything, Josh!
Yesterday was an incredible day, to say the least. April and I had been trying to figure out a way to get to the beach ever since we arrived. Being without a car made it a little difficult....so we finally gave in and rented a car for the day.
Katherine, the lady who helped us at Enterprise was fantastic. She recommended that instead of driving to Wilmington, which has a few beaches, we should go to 'Top-Sul.' It was more quaint and not as touristy. We later learned that 'Top-Sul' is actually Topsail, but we made sure to pronounce it like the locals ;)
It seriously was a miracle that we found it. We didn't know the exact exit we were supposed to take to get there....April had the inspiration that maybe we should fill up on gas since we hadn't seen any gas stations in a while....and on that very exit, we saw the signs that would lead us to Topsail. We stopped and bought some fresh strawberries for the rest of our journey.
Although it rained on an off, the weather was pleasant and made for a quiet day at the beach. I was in awe as we drove down the main street of the Island. The tall beach houses are a sight to see: brilliant colors, boats everywhere, and everything just felt like it moved slower. I was in heaven.
I had to take a picture of the gorgeous roads in NC...nothing like in Utah. The trees act as a barrier to the world, leaving you in what feels like a secluded area with rich emeralds, jades, and olive greens to line the lonely road.
On our way home, we stopped at a bridge where a beautiful, black river moseyed. We actually parked next to the river and stupidly decided to walk onto the bridge. With only a foot between the edge of the road and speeding cars, we raced up. I even caught myself screaming as 2 buses came flying by, shaking the bridge and my nerves.
There are always SO many beautiful sights to take in. It's like eye candy ALL the time here!
Yesterday, on the way home from the coffee shop, I meandered around on my own. I was immediately intrigued by the array of colors on every block. From the rust dripping from a window sill, to the colored doors, to a small yellow light on a white wall.
And, all this was within a short, 6-block walk. Incredible.
Last night, we hung out with some of Josh's friends at a BBQ. I felt right at home. Everyone was welcoming and friendly and it felt like we were hanging out with a bunch of close friends. Mendy even gave us a little mini concert and graced us with her beautiful songs. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures because I didn't want to freak anyone out with my ginormous camera -- it can be a bit overwhelming for strangers :) It was a picturesque evening, including eating mulberries straight from the tree. yum....
Today, we went to a rose garden. It was almost a shame that the sun was so bright....well, it just makes my job more of a challenge ;) but the flowers were gorgeous...and it smelled heavenly.
On our walk home, we noticed a small shop named Loco Pops. Curious and hot, we decided to go see what it was. Gourmet popsicles. I had a banana chocolate chip flavored one. It was a perfect treat for a super hot, humid day. Even after coming home, I haven't cooled off. It's like a blanket of heat is always around me, sticking to everything. I definitely appreciate Utah's dry climate :)
