beach and beers

We are back at the Outer Banks! And it is chill as fuck out here!

Friday was a pretty mellow day. The family and I went out to Henderson Hall Air Force Base to go shopping, but before that, we ate some seafood at the Waterfront in Washington DC. I almost bought a pair of Sperrys, but somehow I decided I did not need them. We went to a supermarket in Alexandria to get groceries for dinner, and back at the house, we cooked some steak and tuna, potatoes, and grilled asparagus for dinner. The rest of the evening was spent getting our belongings together for the trip today, and it was interrupted with various movies on TV. I ended up getting to bed late because I purchased a flashcard making software online, and I started making some French study cards.

Today was a quick trip down to the Outer Banks, probably the fastest trip I have done in memory. We got our belongings together and made a stop by Einstein's and McDonalds for breakfast, and then we were on our way. For the first chunk of the trip, I was sleeping most of the time in our car and in Grampa's Suburban. I woke up as we pulled into the Northfolk Air Force Base, and we stopped to grab dinner and do some shopping. I got some really nice boardshorts and t-shirts and some cologne. The rest of the trip, surprisingly, did not take very long at all, and we only made a couple more trips to some farmer's markets stands to get some fresh produce. The traffic was not bad going through the bridge into the Outer Banks, and we were able to check into our house with no problems. We have a cozy three bedroom cottage for this trip, something completely different from all the other giant vacation homes we have had in trips of the past, yet I really dig it. It's just the right size for us, and it is really close to the beach. I spent some time listening to some music and taking a first dip and hanging out in the sand, and by time the family came to get me for dinner, there was a wedding going down right down the coast. We ate some really good BBQ, and after listening to some of Grampa's stories, Chey and I went on a bike ride to a little head shop called Island Dyes to get a little piece and some earrings. I met some of the workers there, and there was one girl who talked with me for a bit before Chey and I biked up the street, and we ended up seeing her and her dad and her friend at this ice cream shop close by. Chey biked home, but I spent some time hanging out with them and talking for a while. There was a beautiful girl with a southern twang and a tye dyed shirt named Rachel, her guy friend named Bob, and her dad's name is Gus. Bob and Rachel are working at Island Dyes for the summer and go to school at some ministry institution in California, and overall they were really kindred people to get to know. We talked about all the traveling I've done recently, what kinds of perceptions we have of the Outer Banks, and about some amazing friends that we have in our lives. Again, Rachel is super attractive and totally has the heart of a hippie, but it's pretty chill, and by time I left, I told her and the other two that I would be back at Island Dyes soon to come visit and make a shirt with them. Back at the house, everyone was hanging out in the family room, eating some peach pie, and we're all getting ready to spend tomorrow on the beach, hopefully with an ample supply of sunshine.

There's a good energy rolling around here right now. I'm waving to strangers, meeting new people, people are dancing on their decks and porches, and the weather's supposed to be pretty nice up ahead. Feeling it all around, baby.

-c