North Carolina (Part 1?)

I have been meaning to write about my trip to North Carolina but have been working hard to finish up a work project before starting other stuff.

Before I arrived at Jessica's house - she wrote me asking me many questions about my likes and dislikes so that I would utterly comfortable at her house.

Going to break this into some topics....

Nervousness - I was talking with Michael on the phone as I came down into the baggage area. I saw her right away and started squeeing on the phone. He thought it was cute. I wanted to run and do like a movie type hug in the airport but I also didn't want her to think I was a dork. But we did hug and squee. And we were a little nervous. So after we got to her house, I did show and tell right away - hoping that talking about a topic - would help us both calm down. I took out a photo album I have from my time in Cleveland, Ohio. And then some loose photos of J and I as teenagers, Michael and I, family and so on. I wanted her to be able to see the faces of people I talk about.

House - After show and tell, we both got comfy and then she showed me around her house. Her house - so amazing. Living room walls are 2 shades of green, her dining room walls are a burgundy color and then her kitchen is sunflower yellow. That is what I think of at least when I walked in - sunflowers. And you see those colors no matter which of those 3 rooms you are in so it is just very bright and cheery! Then she has art everywhere. Amazing art - but all of it says Jessica..

She told me to help myself to anything in the kitchen but not just that she showed me where things are at in the kitchen. People say that often "help yourself" but often don't show you or tell you where things are at so I really appreciated that she said "here are tomatoes, deli meat...." and so on just telling me where everything was so that I could really help myself.

The kitchen has what is called the "snack drawer" and it is amazing! It was filled with banana chips, different kinds of nuts, protein bars, chocolate and several others things. (I am not sure if she always has chocolate but that was something I put on my likes list.)

Talking, Talking and more Talking - After show and tell we sat in her living room in our pjs, eating peanuts - and talking. Until 3am. And that started the non-stop talking from the time I got there until I left. Thursday when we got up, started our next day of non-stop talking. We sat and talked in our pjs until 4pm - an hour before her husband got home from work. Everyday we talked all day and at night we laid on the guest room bed - talking until late.

I feel like the trip was for me to get a lot out. I have so much going on right now that I just felt/feel like everything is so tightly kept inside that I was/am going crazy. And Jessica, let me get it out. She is the type of person that honestly listens. She is thoughtful and kind. She is poses questions and doesn't judge. She doesn't always get why I do the things I do but she accepts me for -me-. Also her house is the kind of house that lets a person be comfortable and safe. And I am so grateful for her to let me really often "dump" things on her.

Food - Something Jessica likes is to expand peoples food experiences - so likes them to try new things.

I had posted a recipe link on Facebook for ceviche. Now I just looked initially at the picture, the ingredient list and saw all the beautiful seafood and flavors - and said yums! I didn't read the recipe. If I had, I probably would have never posted it. I am glad I did post it though as Jessica - from that moment - had it in her mind I should try ceviche and I am glad I did. Ceviche is basically raw fish that is marinated in citrus juice. That citrus juice "cooks" the fish. Jessica said that the ceviche we had, wasn't that good - not as good as it usually is at least. But I thought it tasted good. It was hard not to look at it and see raw fish and go - "no! no! no! I am not sticking that in my mouth." But I did want to try something I have never had before while there. And I know how much Jessica was looking forward to me having ceviche. And really I enjoyed the flavors. I think that if/when I try it again - it can only be a better experience.

Every place we went - had good food. I was in food heaven. Thai food - oh yes how I love thee! And the last night I was there we went to a place that had a salsa bar and I had a steak torta that I am still dreaming about. Yums!


More to come in later....some things I want to talk about...sketch books/art journals, documentarian, her husband, cats, trees, tattoos and I am sure other things I am not remembering just at this moment.