Day 1 – Waxhaw, NC

Eight hours, two kids’ movies, three micro naps, and two pit stops later, we found ourselves in the outskirts of Charlotte, NC, in a little suburb called Waxhaw.

Coincidentally, our friends moved from Bethesda, MD to Waxhaw, NC last week! So naturally, our first stop had to be there. It ended up being the perfect first night…parked in a quiet cul-de-sac at the end of a street adjacent to their two properties. Driving down to the abandoned dead end, frogs leapt in the headlights like super balls bouncing across a basketball court. Our buddy Z picked us up and drove us 2 minutes around the corner to their beautiful and spacious country home.

We hung out, drank wine, and shared stories of our shared life transition around a marble kitchen island while their two sons slept soundly upstairs.

Maia and I showered the sweat, rain and exhaustion away and then laid down in the guest room around 11:30pm (the latest she’s been up in a while…did someone say ‘tantrum’..?). Initially I figured it would be a little nap before we had to get a ride back to the RV, but 7 hours later, I found myself waking to a toddler staring at me as if to think “where the f are we?”. I took a moment to reflect on the fact that today is September 11…19 years later. Just as I was beginning to feel melancholy…toddler snuggles commenced 🙂

Meanwhile, Erinn slept on the couch and Adam crashed in the RV accompanied by a symphony of owls and frogs in the surrounding North Carolina forest. Two random cars drove down and turned around in the middle of the night, waking him briefly. Z lent him…some personal protection (no, not rubbers)…which was slyly hidden from view when a friendly cop checked on him at 8am. Apparently one of the neighbors ratted us out saying there was a “big ass camper” parked in the woods.

Despite three little kids running around playing and laughing this morning, it was one of the calmest ones I had in a while. I sipped my morning coffee while feeling thankful for finally getting a chance to do…absolutely nothing. After receiving a healthy dose of baby cuteness, I had a glorious nap followed by some inevitable yoga. All the while, Erinn was crackin’ the whip at work keeping everyone in line, backed up by her young adorable assistants.

By 4pm, we were back on the road…just a short 3 hour trip to our next stop – ASHEVILLE!