I believe I am now a fan of the south. Southern hospitality is like no other thing I have experienced in my life. I just wanted to sit down, drink sweet tea and eat too much seafood, all while chatting with the locals. Everyone says hi to you. I like that.
Ryan and I had the awesome opportunity to head to Wilmington, NC to play music for the one and only Johnny Hickman. We count ourselves super lucky to be able to play with such a long standing musician. His fans adore him, his music is excellent. Playing music with him is always such a treat and I don't take that lightly.
We traveld to North Carolina to play at a private birthday birthday for one of Hickman's fans and friends. We were welcomed with open arms, didn't pay for pretty much a single meal, and got to do something we really love: play music with our friends. They brought in a back line for the evening which meant, aside from flying with Ryan's guitar, we didn't have to bring a single piece of music gear. They even worked super hard to find the same keyboard I use normally. I loved it. It was so wonderful and so thoughtful.
It was heaven. I ate fish tacos and drank margaritas. I had an island mahi mahi at dinner. I had an omelet with crab and shrimp in it. I would have eaten any sea food that anyone placed in front of me. I miss that...when you live on a coast or near a coast, seafood is incredible. Colorado is about as land locked as you can get. Give me all the seafood.
Our hotel was right on the ocean with a marina on the other side. There's always something about the ocean that makes me feel so many things, causing me to come alive and reevaluate so much of our lives. I write a lot of lists in my mind. I contemplate and mull over lots of new goals. I think of living on the north west and all of the trying and life-shaping times I spent on the coast and its little towns. I hope that someday we will find ourselves living on a coast again.
This was the first time we have been away from Marin for longer than a night. I was so exhausted by the time my head hit my pillow every night that I didn't really wake up like I thought I would. I was always on alert though it seemed. Every once in a while it would hit me...Where's the baby?!?! Then I would realize that we didn't have her there with us and I didn't need to worry so much. She was shopping and hanging out with the grandparents. She was definitely ok. It was just so weird not hauling around all of the baby stuff and making sure Marin was doing well. I felt like a limb was missing.
Overall, we couldn't have asked for a better weekend. It was a nice time away for a few short days. We needed to recharge. Everyone we met was amazing and I am so thankful that I get to play music with such an amazing group of people. We hadn't even met the drummer until the day before the gig but Carlton gelled so well with us, it felt as if he had played music with us along.
I miss the seafood already.
