Boone, NC: Well, on the way to Boone I stopped in the craziest town. It was like 30 years ago to me but of course that was just the initial appearance; all country sort of appears outdated to me. My perspective needs adjustment. Anyway the town from my eye was just a highway exit, diner, mobile home sales center, giant rusty red arrow sign pointing nowhere, and further down the dusty road, a flea market. I took so many pictures but none showed how I viewed this place at all so I deleted/hid them all just to have it my way in my mind. It was closed since it was a weekday afternoon but still definitely operating occasionally…there was a gun shop, cowboy boots/music lessons store, convenience store with taco walkup window and handwritten sign (open), a hardware mart, center office, and then finally a motorcycle shop with a parking block in front that just barely read “motorcycles only”. What if bike shops in cities got to reserve part of the street for a bike rack?! So exclusive…. And also there was a deserted gas station roof structure positioned in front of a deserted barn that had the faded words “dealers only” printed on it. There was livermush on the menu of the diner, it was decorated with nascar memorabilia & tractors & ol silly sayin’s and I got a PBJ, tots & coffee for like $3.
Boone! Stay w logan on park street up the hill. Slept SO much. Met The Pond the cat, Chrissy the dog, and chickens!! Went for a bike ride, made pancakes for the roommates Sydney Kathleen and Emily with one of the chickens’ eggs (vegde break :P), drove logan to class, slept, walked up the roped-off driveway next to their house and saw a great camping spot/ deserted house and shed, mountains all around. Why desert? Eight hours after a friend asked if I was in meth country and I said if I am I don’t know it yet, then got the lowdown on meth country, someone who knew someone.
The egg didn’t make that pancake any better and I can’t imagine putting them in any baked or caked good for any reason besides 1) lack of creativity or 2) I can see that they are happy, although probably not ever truly livin it up. Do animals live it up?
May 2nd. Roadside farmers market w sweetest old man. 100s of handwritten jams/jellies/preserve labels lining the empty spaces where there weren’t racing decorations. Phone lines down so no paying with card but he gave me a free apple, washed it for me, let me use the restroom…very sweet impression of the country always.
Next stop: Linville Caverns, Marion, NC!
Monday, August 6
Friday, July 6
Monday, June 4
playlist for the crossing
The Beach Boys- Feel Flows
Anya Marina - Whatever You Like
The Ramones- Outsider
No Doubt- Let's Get Back
Yes- I've Seen All Good People
Cam'ron - Oh Boy ft. Juelz Santana
Anya Marina - Whatever You Like
The Ramones- Outsider
No Doubt- Let's Get Back
Yes- I've Seen All Good People
Cam'ron - Oh Boy ft. Juelz Santana
Friday, June 1
Day 2 (April 31st)
So I had this idea that I would take pictures of each "Welcome to _______" sign, for every state. I would put them together at the end. This idea turned out to suck.
I'm used to driving to Nags Head/ Kitty Hawk/ Outer Banks via some lil highway, and you enter NC on a 45 mph stretch right near the south of the border gas station. There is a stop light in front of the station I believe. I took little roads like that for some of my trip, but almost every time I was entering a state, I found myself on a major interstate going like 85 miles per hour.
As I entered NC, it was like 2 o clock in the morning and I saw the sign! I was stoked. Leaving Virginia seemed like a major milestone in my trip. I wasn't going to let the conditions of my sighting ruin my picture plans. I braked heavily, pulling to the side with blinkers, although there was literally no one in sight on the road. When everyone is going at least 70 deserted at the moment means very little. I put on hazards, got out, locked the car, and watched trucks round the corner and whiz by. How would I not end that sentence with a preposition.
At this point, as I'm walking back towards the sign, I mentally acknowledge that I am doing something very dangerous, potentially illegal? probably, and most of all just dumb. Just not worth the picture. But the walk feels good, the night is crisp, the moon is bright, so I ignore all of that. A fourth of a mile later I got what I want and back on the road.
Later on the phone my best friend asks if I've done anything crazy yet and I don't tell her this, simply because it's not actually thaaat risky and also because it's not a great story, because I don't get hit or kidnapped, or even run out of film or lock the keys in the car. I just take the damn picture. And it came out shitty once I had it developed anyway.
About this I wrote in my rose spiral: "Photo of entering NC sign! the sheer size of trucks, the moon, the speed of machines passing me alarming. free"
haha. awww I romanticize
I realized that I included some NC in Day 1, but that's really a midnight/ 1am distinction. So after that Henderson, NC wafflehouse I mentioned, I continued on with the target of Chapel Hill. I was getting a little mentally tired, but physically knew I could make it. Stopped at a hotel so close to my target just to have somewhere nice to rest. Told the clerk I was waiting for my mom, and that she was late. He was like my age and super nice. Definitely believed me %100 but also definitely wouldn't have cared if it had occurred to him that I was lying. I couldn't get into the pool, which was my only regret. From the lobby I wrote: "made it to Durham thanks to the Promise Ring. In a Hampton lobby. lies. nap was approved yet I'm not...will though. and also got a movie plan"
(my idea that instead of paying for hotels I would see movies and moviehop late in the day, paying $8 or whatever and then taking like 3 consecutive 2 hour naps in different movies, then continuing to drive around 1am. I never did this but it was a great plan. Can't really take an in the dark nap in the car during early evening hours)
Anyway I stayed there forever reading and chilling and then finally continued on to Chapel Hill. I stalled enough between the two that the sun was coming up when I arrived, so I napped in a parking lot from like 6-8 and then walked around. I met someone from Chester. Always a pleasure.
"Chapel Hill is like a clean smart Richmond with a better college, no downtown, and fancy giant sorority and fraternity rows instead of Monument Ave. mansions. I want to live in one. I got into a planetarium to see Wildest Weather in the Solar System- methane cycle rather than water cycle on Titan! Methane storms!"
For Day 2 my target was Boone, where my friend Logan lives. I made it there but slept sooo much as soon as I arrived, so I'll include that in day 3, since I did very little on that first day.
I'm used to driving to Nags Head/ Kitty Hawk/ Outer Banks via some lil highway, and you enter NC on a 45 mph stretch right near the south of the border gas station. There is a stop light in front of the station I believe. I took little roads like that for some of my trip, but almost every time I was entering a state, I found myself on a major interstate going like 85 miles per hour.
As I entered NC, it was like 2 o clock in the morning and I saw the sign! I was stoked. Leaving Virginia seemed like a major milestone in my trip. I wasn't going to let the conditions of my sighting ruin my picture plans. I braked heavily, pulling to the side with blinkers, although there was literally no one in sight on the road. When everyone is going at least 70 deserted at the moment means very little. I put on hazards, got out, locked the car, and watched trucks round the corner and whiz by. How would I not end that sentence with a preposition.
At this point, as I'm walking back towards the sign, I mentally acknowledge that I am doing something very dangerous, potentially illegal? probably, and most of all just dumb. Just not worth the picture. But the walk feels good, the night is crisp, the moon is bright, so I ignore all of that. A fourth of a mile later I got what I want and back on the road.
Later on the phone my best friend asks if I've done anything crazy yet and I don't tell her this, simply because it's not actually thaaat risky and also because it's not a great story, because I don't get hit or kidnapped, or even run out of film or lock the keys in the car. I just take the damn picture. And it came out shitty once I had it developed anyway.
About this I wrote in my rose spiral: "Photo of entering NC sign! the sheer size of trucks, the moon, the speed of machines passing me alarming. free"
haha. awww I romanticize
I realized that I included some NC in Day 1, but that's really a midnight/ 1am distinction. So after that Henderson, NC wafflehouse I mentioned, I continued on with the target of Chapel Hill. I was getting a little mentally tired, but physically knew I could make it. Stopped at a hotel so close to my target just to have somewhere nice to rest. Told the clerk I was waiting for my mom, and that she was late. He was like my age and super nice. Definitely believed me %100 but also definitely wouldn't have cared if it had occurred to him that I was lying. I couldn't get into the pool, which was my only regret. From the lobby I wrote: "made it to Durham thanks to the Promise Ring. In a Hampton lobby. lies. nap was approved yet I'm not...will though. and also got a movie plan"
(my idea that instead of paying for hotels I would see movies and moviehop late in the day, paying $8 or whatever and then taking like 3 consecutive 2 hour naps in different movies, then continuing to drive around 1am. I never did this but it was a great plan. Can't really take an in the dark nap in the car during early evening hours)
Anyway I stayed there forever reading and chilling and then finally continued on to Chapel Hill. I stalled enough between the two that the sun was coming up when I arrived, so I napped in a parking lot from like 6-8 and then walked around. I met someone from Chester. Always a pleasure.
"Chapel Hill is like a clean smart Richmond with a better college, no downtown, and fancy giant sorority and fraternity rows instead of Monument Ave. mansions. I want to live in one. I got into a planetarium to see Wildest Weather in the Solar System- methane cycle rather than water cycle on Titan! Methane storms!"
For Day 2 my target was Boone, where my friend Logan lives. I made it there but slept sooo much as soon as I arrived, so I'll include that in day 3, since I did very little on that first day.
Wednesday, May 30
Sleepy drunken ~thoughts~
I used to want to own land more than anything, for 3 or 4 dogs to enjoy, but now I'd much rather buy an RV. I still want dogs def but I bet they would love camping. Recreational Vehicle is code for fun on the go obviously
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