Local Townie to Relocate!

WHAT?!?! It's true!

The perpetual townie herself is planning a move! I am the newest Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in the Pediatric Emergency Department at the University of Louisville in Kosair Children's Hospital!

The news came yesterday in a phone call while I was driving on a climbing trip. I was so excited I had to pull of the road so I could jump for joy in a gas station parking lot. It has been a very long process full of ups and downs but I am so excited about this job opportunity and the prospect of moving to Louisville!

Someone asked me recently, "What's in Louisville?!?!" That's an easy answer:

- The Red River Gorge (my favorite climbing in all the world)

- family (oh heyyy Mahan & Ashley!)

- new friends including Audrey's wonderful Parker family and fellow UNC alums

- the Kentucky Derby! Read: big hats, mint julips, daytime socializing

- Ale 81

-a dream job to add to my pedigree :)

It is bittersweet to think about leaving Chapel Hill, but now is a great time in my life to explore a new place and venture out on my own. I always know where my home is, but the adventure that lies ahead is going to be the greatest one of my life. It looks like I will move and start work in mid-June so I've got about six weeks to soak up townie life and scratch off my bucket list. Any advice on what to put on that Bucket List???

Today is April 30

Of the 4 months in 2011, I have been away for 37 days:

-Colorado

-Blacksburg

-Nashville

-New Orleans

-DC

-Austin

-Louisville

-Winston

-Tampa

(Greensboro next week)

(Kentucky in early May)

(Roanoke after that)

Despite being a travel bug and an adventure guru, I'm a bit tired. That's why I'm staying put all weekend and PLAYING!

-FOFP was a great kickoff to bluegrass outdoors all summer long

-Camos Bros Pizza was surprisingly delicious Brooklyn-style pizza with awesome rooftop seating. They just opened in the Courtyard on W Franklin.

-Johnny's & crepes with my pops this morning made my day

-trails/gardening: 6 deer+ 2 copperheads+ 36 snapdragons+ 15 SPF= 2 full days in the sunshine!

-WAC (90's theme)... stay tuned for pics... they will be epic.

-Dance party at the Station

-Eno swimming

Sweet Home 'BAMA

I needed a vacation from my vacation at Tekoa. Little did I know that in Alabama it's pretty hard to do anything other than eat and roll yourself from the car to the couch because it's so ridiculously hot.

A week with the Johanson family showed me so much about Southern food that I did not know:
-meat and three is a way of life: Pick a meat and three vegetables from the line of overcooked, over salted, over delicious food.
-The Whistlestop Cafe exists! Iggie was not there, but the fried green tomatoes were about the best I've ever had!
-Another Broken Egg Cafe: Yes, it is possible to make french toast from cinnamon buns. And then cover it with cream cheese icing. And then cover it with banana's foster sauce. And then cover it with whipped cream. And then cover it with summer berries. And take all the calories out.-Impromptu brewery tours in Chattanooga are a great excuse to escape the heat: Terminal Brew House in downtown versus Big River Brewing... I have to admit, I liked Big River Better for the brews but Terminal had the atmosphere down pat.


The Hot Strings Bluegrass Festival welcomed me to town (along with the rain). I can certainly say that I have never listened to live bluegrass while sitting in a folding chair, but the bands were great and very talented. Even Richard was tapping his foot! Definitely worth putting on the calendar!

My favorite song was "Somebody in Alabama loves you"

When the heat was too much, we headed for the mountains and stopped at DeSoto State Park. There's a super nice place to stay run by the state with access to hiking trails at the back of the lodge.

DeSoto Falls:

Feet up in Little River Canyon. A beautiful canyon that is known for having a river than runs mostly on top of a mountain.
After a long trek, we finally made it to Mouth Park where the swimming hole was huge with perfectly clear water. You could see the fish nibbling at your toes here.
Back to the grind...
I am starting my last semester in school and finishing up with a residency in Raleigh before I head out to Tanzania in October. More coming soon!

How I love the things we do at Camp Tekoa...

Hendo (Hendersonville), NC: My long awaited return to Tekoa came not a moment too soon after the end of my endless summer semester of class. I used to work at Camp Tekoa and miss it nearly every day. There is a smell that is distinctly Tekoa-- I think it's Hemlock mixed with camp fire-- that makes my heart warm and get all mushy inside. Needless to say, I was thrilled to be their nurse for a week.

A week in review:
Number of campers to take care of: 250
Number of staffers to take care of: 60
Patients I sent to urgent care: 14
Safety pin surgeries to remove an embedded earring from a child's ear: 1
Pranks pulled: 2
Successful pranks pulled: 1
Hours slept that night: 2
Hours spent in the rocking chairs of the front porch througout the week: 40
4 square games that I dominated in: ALL OF THEM
Weeks until I can go back: 40 (I'm counting!)

"Goodnight Mrs. Calabash-- wherever you are!"

4th of July weekend was perfect timing to skip town and add a little color to my translucent grad student complexion. Our place in Calabash was perfect location, just a 2 minute ride across the historic bridge to Sunset Beach, NC.

Perfect 85 degree weather with sunny skies meant ideal boogie boarding, kite flying, and lazy-book-reading-on-the-sand weather.
Current read: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Believe it or not, Richard had never flown a kite... so I let him fly his first kite with Buzz Lightyear.

With some help from townie recommendations, we gorged on some delicious local seafood: Crabby Oddwaters, Dockside, and the Calabash Seafood Hut (the local favorite).

Jordan is one of my closest and dearest friends from college (an original member of the Fan Club) and just moved down to the beach this summer. He's a legit local now and joined us for some grub and an afternoon on the beach.
A weekend in review:
Hours driven round trip: 7
Pounds of shrimp eaten all by myself: 4
1/2 gallons of ice cream eaten (with help): 2
Number of sunscreen bottles taken: 5
Number of sunburns gotten regardless of sunscreen application: 2
People that watched Richard and I shag to beach music: 2, 315
Thousands of dollars Calabash, NC spent on their amazing fireworks display: $20,000
Now that the burn has faded to "tan" it's time to get back to school and make one last push for the summer semester and move toward my final days of books.