Raleighwood

This past weekend, the lure of brunch and seeing the girl, the myth, the HBO special: Jayna! after 6 months was enough for me to schlep myself down to Raleigh, North Carolina for a 3-day weekend of my own making.

It was quite the eventful day, that Friday, September 28, since it was my last day in one office rotation, there was a truly surprising party for my going away (since I asked that nothing be done), so after sandwiches and cake I was both late, and already full, for lunch with a friend, so I just got a beer instead (it was already 3:30! and I was traveling in a few hours!) and returned pink-cheeked and lightheaded to finish out the hour and then get myself to the M60 bus to LaGuardia airport.

Well apparently some genius decided to delay my flight longer than it even lasted. (A flight from NYC to Raleigh-Durham was 1 hour 7 minutes, wheels-up to wheel-down heading south, and 1 hour 3 minutes going to north.) But instead not only did I spend most of my evening in the airport, but that lunchtime drink also made me sleepy, and I fell asleep in a corridor and half-heard people making fun of me and saying I was a robot, because it probably looked like my charging phone cord was connected to my back. Joke was on them though... because I am a robot.

However, I landed just around midnight, Jayna was waiting for me on arrival, and we were still able to get downtown, make fun of a drunk southern-twang girl, and down a drink at a pub, not to mention being laughed at by the bartender when I asked what the card minimum was.

The next day was gray and rainy, which made well for sleeping in, Starbucks, and Wayne's World (more on that later) and we got to get ready for a long night out that included very, very, very special event in my life.

Patrick, aka Topshelf as he was known to his fraternity and my sorority, has always been someone that I have admired, and we seem to have a wonderful rapport. Topshelf pushed me to study in France for one year as opposed to one semester (having spent a year abroad himself), and as a matter of fact, it was Top that drove me to the French embassy in LA to get my visa. Topshelf was always there for me, including being a loyal penpal and mentor while I was in Europe, and he's always been someone that I have admired, he has a zest for life, for travel, for experiencing things, and is such a strong and genuine character, you should hear his story about deciding to serve in the US forces.

This picture actually recalls the first time I remember talking with Top and having a conversation with him. This was taken at a party at Adam's house. A little candidly, might I add.

All this to say, however, that the last time I saw Topshelf was in August 2006, shortly before I left for France. (The picture below was from the tail end of my going away party at college that summer.)

 
Although we have kept in diligent touch, throughout my study abroad, his graduation, my graduation, his changing stations from Oklahoma to Hawaii to Atlanta, to my move to San Diego, to his deployments in the Middle East and my move to New York City, Top and I just never found ourselves in the same place at the same time again. Until NOW.

His birthday was last month and I sent him an email, and he returned it, and gave me his new address where he was stationed. Last time we spoke he was in Atlanta, so I was surprised that not only was he now in North Carolina, but thrilled to see it was even a suburb of Raleigh. So, after 6 years and some change, on Saturday, September 29, 2012, at Natty Green's Pub and Brewery in downtown Raleigh, Patrick and I were reunited!

Jayna was a stand-up friend and made it through two hours of conversation which, although included some laughs, was a lot of catch-up and remember-when's. It was so surreal, but so lovely, to catch him in person.

Of course, Top had the weather to battle back to his base, and Jayna and I had a night of festivities to get to, so we sadly parted ways and Jayna and I took to a burger joint (that had a pool table, too!) with delicioso drinks and then wandered downtown and decided on a 3-story club called Solas (so yes, Raleigh is fairly socialized and can play well with outsiders!)

All things considered it wasn't half bad. We wandered up and down the floors to the different music, loved to make fun of everyone around us, and entertain ourselves. On the drive back, I can't remember why we pulled over (was it the new Ke$ha song?) but we continued to entertain ourselves quite a bit:

So all in all, a good Saturday! THANKFULLY, Sunday was beautiful clear blue skies, so we got to stuff ourselves with an outdoor brunch downtown before our self-guided walking tour. I feel it worthy to note that this brunch place was apparently a "globally inspired approach to local dining" and the waiter gave us a tour of the buffet offerings which included "the Massaman curry... have you had curry before? Do you know what it is? This is a very mild sauce..." etc etc. Um, WHAT? I know he doesn't know that I live in New York, but where are you living when you need curry explained to you? (I clearly take the diversified regions of California and New York for granted.) By the way, for brunch I had pineapple, cantaloupe, honeydew, blackberries, deviled eggs, stuffed grape leaves, English muffins with chive cream cheese, jam and tomatoes, bacon, Belgian waffles with Nutella and powdered sugar, Nutella peanut butter bars, vanilla cheesecake, coffee, and probably a lot more that I swallowed into my mouth before I could see what it was disappearing inbetween. DELISH.

The first thing to do was find a city map of the City of Oaks. Check.

Then, find a painted cow named Ruby.

Wait, whaaaaa? So apparently there's some art project or something with all these decorated cows (a "cow-laboration") and at first we decided to pose with every one we came across, but there were too many! We gave up after awhile. We crossed their park, where Jayna informed me that they drop no balls on New Year's Eve, but instead, drop the acorn. Wow. How inspiring. (?!)

As you (probably won't) remember, Raleigh is the capital, and what's in a capital city but the executive mansion! After seeing the Greco-Roman stylies in California and DC and elsewhere, it was cute to see this southern Carolina home

And Jayna gettin' that milk

 

Now, I was no history major, but I had this idea in my head that the Carolina's split North and South due to differing views on slavery during the Civil War. But I'm starting to think that this was a theory straight from the Textbook of Kiki's Made-Up Head Facts, because I saw this: (so now I don't know what to believe!) 

Q: How does an art piece based on a Chicagoland teen comedy end up in the south?

A: Who cares?!

The tour culminated with a look at the office of (my old, Jayna's still current) work, which was on the 22nd floor and afforded quite the view! There is still something so foreign and surprising to me to see rolling hills without any mountains or breaks in the landscape.

And isn't this building so cool? It almost disappears in the skyline...

Our day continued with go-kart racing in a true Nascar fashion, then thrift stores, then taking Pippin out for a walk in the surrounding parks, and then dinner at another delicioso restaurant, this time Carolina-style BBQ. Why haven't I been aware how much I loves this cuisine yet? The biscuits and hush puppies (still not 100% sure on what those were), pulled pork, collard greens, and sweet potatoes.... ohhh man. Finger-lickin' good in every sense of the word. And I made sure to get Raleigh-area beers to complement my fine dining.

Home was imminent, and it just goes to show how great of a friend Jayna is that she made me watch almost a full season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. For the record, I've NEVER BEEN AGAINST IT, just never found the time or resources to start a new show, but THANK GOODNESS. It's so great, and it's like Seinfeld never ended now! And I have basically the entire series to look forward to.

Monday was another gray, rainy day, but Jayna and I decided to venture out to the Durham and Chapel Hill neighborhoods to check out (the only thing going on there) the university. My girl Priya back in San Diego grew up in North Carolina until she was early teens, so she has a great love for the university, so it made sense to go. They had (one) cute strip of stores and shops and Starbucks, where we dined and shopped, and then went around the campus, to find (of course!) another painted cow... or tarheel?

 But Jayna wasn't such a big fan...

We had to leave and go to the airport, which was super sad because I was having such a great, relaxing time out of New York City in the southern hills of North Carolina with Jayna, but alas, a paycheck was still calling to me. I had such a smooth return, got home in time to order in Chinese and get ready for the week and try to comprehend that it's October now! I guess this officially closes out the summer! Now where can I travel to next?