Stops #2 & #3: Nantahala...or, more accurately, Topton (NC) and TN

 

Have mercy--school let out, so after a quick basketball camp (for Sila, not me, but wouldn't that be fun?), the boy and I hit the road to go see ole' Connie boy up in North Carolina. For those who don't know, Conan decided to be a raft guide for the summer. Yup. It's his mid-life shift. See picture below (doesn't he look like a raft guide...and a little crazy?).

Anyway, our time up there was a bit delightful, damp, and busy. Do I have any pictures? Nope. But let me describe things in words:

1. Conan is living in one of those roadside motels....you know--the ones that look completely abandoned but have some semblance of semi-permanent residents (like van seats outside, circling a fire pit)? Yup. And we stayed there, but hey, I've been in worse. It actually was just fine, and the shower was killer. I told him it's a good thing it was because if the shower had been shitty, I would have been out of there. Trickling water is no bueno for my luscious hair.
2. The spiders in his room might be planning a hostile takeover.
3. We went down the river a couple of times (once in a tandem ducky--Conan and me, and no, I didn't paddle! Why would I? My husband is a raft guide; once in a raft that Conan was guiding--I did have to paddle then...you know, for looks).
4. We hiked a bit.
5. We went to TN to visit my aunt and uncle, and had a fabulous couple of days on their front porch (of which I have pictures)
6. In TN, we ate food, took walks to look at wildflowers, sat (with beverages in hand) and watched fireflies, shot guns (yup--it's important to be versatile), and slept. Good times.

But, oh wait! What about what I took away from this? Did I make a list? You bet your sweet cheeks I did:

• Conan and I are so solid that we can let each other do these crazy types of things
• I still don't like spiders, and Conan lovingly knows this. He cleaned up my whole corner of them all before I came--don't worry, though; they just congregated in the bathroom to plan their hostile takeover.
• Create a welcoming home (like Aunt Vicki who stocks her home with things like baby diapers/wipes--for her kids and their new, young families, as well as toys for all ages, and food); it really makes a difference
• Have 5% of my life for mindfulness: podcasts, articles, practice
• Listen more to The One You Feed podcast (y'all, pre-teens and all the angst they bring is real--Conan and I turned this on in the car for Sila to listen to. Of course, he didn't want to and drew instead, but we know he was listening)