On the wonder of time away...

I've just returned from a vacation to Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach, NC. That at least partially excuses my blogging absence. If you're wondering how my trip was, let me put it this way...

Any town where I am consistently offered a side of ranch dressing to accompany any food item on my plate is a town with which I can't help but fall in love.

But that's only the beginning. The landscapes I witnessed throughout my 4 days and nights included the following:



To quote the waiter from our last dinner out on the town, as he described my cheesecake, Wilmington "doesn't suck."

What's not to love about this place? These were some of the most beautiful beaches on which I've laid eyes, and that means a lot coming from a native Mainer who tends to get defensive about the importance of a rocky coastline. But the beauty of the place itself extends to downtown and historic Wilmington and I really can't decide which "side" of our vacation I most enjoyed, the beach or the city.

If I have to decide, I'm going to go with the city. Again, the beaches are second to none, but they also occupy a real "surf culture". As one who has never tried to find a home within the surfer community, I felt like a more of a natural fit as I walked historic Wilmington. A true southern city that has advanced without loss of identity (thanks, Cor), a visit to Wilmington allows you to encounter a place occupied but not damaged by the Civil War and thus home to beautiful architecture with a fantastic mix of both colonial and European influence (those iron balconies everywhere simply scream Paris). It is a city proud of its heritage and history, as seen by residential homes with occupier purchased historical plaques, but one that also embraces the young. The first night we literally stumbled upon an outdoor bar with free live music and great beer specials, with plenty of seating to go around. It was fantastic. Furthermore, there is a wide variety of alternative stores and clubs that exist on Front and Water Streets amidst more traditional coffee houses and restaurants. You can find anything here. Well, except a chain. Good luck finding a Starbucks or a fast food joint or a Chili's on this side of town. It doesn't exist. There are at least 2 independent coffee houses within a few blocks, amidst authentic Italian delis, upscale pubs and fondue. These are also directly next door to biker bars, cowboy bars, used book stores and a store selling nothing but columns. Yes, for buildings. Oh, and within all of these fantastic eateries is truly wonderful food. We did not have a bad meal the entire time and, minus a couple of exceptions, we were really aiming to do things on the relative cheap. From "Crab and Carolina Cheese" Pizza Nachos, to the authentic southern fried chicken at a lunch buffet, to the fondue of a lifetime at the Little Dipper, even the toughest of foodies will find supreme gastronomy satisfaction along the streets of Old Wilmington.

The place is also completely charming and thoroughly romantic. We took three different tours of the city (horse-drawn carriage, riverboat and ghost walk) and found something more beautiful with each excursion. The pace of life and the surrounding beauty are infectious. I was already madly in love with my boyfriend on the way down to NC, but I fell in love with him all over again while on this trip. A walk down cobblestone streets lit by gas lamps and surrounded by locals eager to say "Good evening!" will do that to you. And yes, I could speak of Southern hospitality quite candidly as existing in true form to this day, but I feel like my trip to Wilmington unwrapped it on an entirely different level. The general warmth of the people was contagious, but in a very laid back and genuine manner. I've always been suspect of this general reputation of Southern hospitality; thinking of it in terms of in your face smoke and mirrors for the sake of appearances. Cynical, yes, I am aware. But what we experienced was nothing like that. The demeanor of the people is a bit like a warm summer breeze. It's weaves in from time to time, checking in on you and making you feel at ease, but otherwise tends to its own. You can even feel it all the way down to its downtown parking lots. Your first hour is free, it's a dollar per hour every hour after that, but they won't charge you more than $5 for the day and, guess what, if you're still parked there past 9 pm, they're going to leave the gates open and let you go for free. My guess is they realize if you've spent that much time parked downtown, you've given their merchants some solid business and they're simply happy to have provided the conduit for the exchange. Or maybe I'm making that up. Either way, I am a complete sucker for this town now, and, quite frankly had to keep reminding myself of the red flags about the South so I didn't try to pick up and move there.

You never realize how much you need time away until you return from it. And I'll confess that I checked in with work regularly, but only due to absolute necessity. Still, I felt focused on fun and relaxation and it did wonders for me. I slept like a baby. I didn't drink a single cup of coffee. We didn't turn on the TV for three days. I didn't curse (well, not much anyway) and I smiled a lot. I slowed down. It was fantastic.

Finally, Cory and I found the holy grail of eateries on our way home this morning. We found... a Sonic! When you live in DC, you are taunted by Sonic commercials at what feels like every break. Upon realization that you've never seen one around but must have a Sonic Cookie Dough Blast immediately, you go on their website to discover that the closest one is 70 miles away. Talk about false advertising! Anyway, we found one and we conquered it. The drinks at this place are, as the commercials would indicate, heaven sent. I had both a strawberry limeade AND a pineapple milkshake and believe I am all the better for it.

It really has been a perfect few days.. despite some sunburns, despite some invading work matters, this was probably the best thing I could have done for myself this year. I remember how fearful I was of this trip even just a couple of weeks ago, wondering if the stress of everything that would accumulate at work was worth taking the time. As you would have told me at the time, of course it was worth it. I just hope, from this point forward, that I can talk myself into it every year. The one thing I will try my best to do, however, is to learn from Wilmington's philosophy that most stores do, in fact, still close at 5 pm. A point of frustration at first, I finally realize the city continues to look after its own and I, too, need to look after myself and remember that there's really nothing wrong with a 5 pm closing time. Nothing at all.

Oh, and I look way hotter with a tan. That alone is reason enough to take a few days at the beach.