Escape to NC

Lately, it seems the pressures of reality have been closing in on me.  Despite grad school and looming big decisions, I decided to escape for a few days.  I took a 3-day weekend to just get away and enjoy a trip to North Carolina & the Blue Ridge Mountains.  My grandparents lived near Brevard, NC, for most of my childhood so I grew up going to the mountains several times a year.  Their home now belongs to our family, and we're so blessed to be able to visit the area whenever we like.  Due to living in Mexico though, it'd been more than three years since I was last there so a visit to "The Hemlocks" was way overdue.

Some highlights of the trip included: staying with one of my oldest and dearest friends, Sara (and her husband Matt) in Cartersville, GA, on the way Friday night--enjoying hours of talking, a walk with their energetic dogs, and lunch at Swheat Market Deli...meeting up with my parents north of Atlanta and driving the rest of the way with them...buying local corn from the farmer who knew my grandpa...relaxing on the enclosed porch and watching sunsets...climbing Devil's Courthouse & Black Balsam Bald and exploring a bit along the Art Loeb Trail...loving the cool breeze...all the beautiful views from the Blue Ridge Parkway... stopping by Pisgah Inn...a mint chocolate chip milkshake at Rocky's Soda Shop in downtown Brevard...quality talk time with my parents...my mom spoiling me a bit...watching Midnight in Paris for the second time...sleeping...

Here's to escape weekends!  More to come! :)

Atop Devil's Courthouse

Black Balsam...my family's been hiking this trail since I was a toddler in the backpack