ALCON

ALCON ... a little inside, I know!

Alright, so after roughly 6 months I'm back. Let's recap ...

Shortly after I settled back into my job with MUSC, I was contacted by Hero 2 Hired about a writing position with an advertising company. And after a couple months of negotiating, I accepted the offer and started preparing to move across country ... AGAIN (I think this is my 9th move.)

But packing up was going to have to wait.

My (paid-off) truck's transmission had just crapped out on me ... twice. Not to mention my best friend was enroute to Charleston to do some sightseeing, AND help me make the drive.

And what began as a week-long vacation turned out to be a 72-hour quick visit with family and friends before moving so I could start the new job on time.

Here's a quick rundown of the three-day visit: dinner on the pier at Folly Beach, a downtown ghost tour with Ann and Kelvin, strolling around the CofC campus at 2am, trying to surf 10th Street with an undertow where I almost lost my trunks, dinner with my second fam in Goose Creek and a last-hoorah with Wild Bill, Olga, Ann and Kelvin.

After moving all my stuff into the car, I left a brand new mattress, box spring and computer desk outside my apartment complex with a sign that read, "FREE!!!" After a two-hour delay, because we stopped at Starbucks, we began our drive ...

Day 1: Charleston, SC - Sanford, NC - North Beach, MD
Day 2: North Beach, MD - Elkhart, IN (via Pennsylvania & Ohio) - Scherreville, IN
Day 3: Scherreville, IN - Omaha, NE
Day 4: Omaha, NE - Denver, CO
Day 5: Denver, CO - Salt Lake City, UT
Day 6: Salt Lake City, UT - Reno, NV (Home)

Somewhere outside of Chicago the scenery changed. The lush vegetation that dominated the landscape only days prior now gave way to endless views of farms, rolling hills ... and an awful smell, cowshit!

Somewhere in Nebraska we stopped at a Flying J truckstop and I picked up the newest Kings of Leon album (it was either that or Steppenwolf) ... Pandora doesn't work when there's no WIFI, and the alphabet game is only fun for the first few hours.

Fast forward ...

I'm currently listening to the Foo Fighters and pondering a lot of stuff ... GMAT exams, Officer Training School, AFSC changes ... but most importantly getting married, and starting a life with my best friend. I don't regret leaving the South. And while I miss my family and friends terribly, I know this is just a chapter in a novel. God has blessed me many times over, and I'm so excited to see what lay ahead.

P.S. Thanks to all the family, friends and soon-to-be family that put us up for those nights. We'll see you soon!