For our 16th wedding anniversary, we ran back to Western North Carolina for an extended weekend. We haven't been back to visit together, with just the two of us (sans kids) since shortly after we were married. It took loads of people, both family and co-workers to help us get out of town...and I just could not be more grateful for all of that help. We drove, towing The Man's Miata behind us, in order to deliver it to his brother for some custom modifications. The first thing we did when we rolled into town was to deliver said car, so that we could drop the trailer off and be free of it for the rest of the trip.
Day two, I left The Man at the shop with his brother and wound my way through the gorge to check out our old stomping grounds. My first stop was River's End Cafe. I'm not gonna lie, I stopped there for purely nostalgic reasons. One morning, before we were dating, The Man and I sat at a corner table talking and sharing a pot of coffee. I don't even remember how it ended up that we were at that table alone. Maybe we were there with friends and they left one by one to get back to work? Maybe one of us sat down there because the other was drinking coffee alone? I just remember that it started as 'one quick cup' and passing conversation...and hours later we were still sitting there talking about music, and baseball, and relationships. I remember leaving the cafe that day feeling like I had been catching up with a dear old friend, when in fact we'd only just recently become acquainted. That feeling never went away, and we were married five months later. Roll your eyes if you want...but even after all these years...even when the world is hectic and crazy around us...when we are able to make the space, we fall back into easy conversation or enjoy the comfort of shared silence. There is nothing like an 18 hour drive out to North Carolina...and an 18 hour drive back to allow plenty of space for both.
We had such a relaxing, replenishing place to stay. Even though it was a little chilly compared to our mild Texas winters, it felt really good to be in the mountains if only for a couple of days. We spent a lot of time standing around the engine bay of the Miata, or sitting on the porch, drinking coffee and watching the weather blow in. It was such a welcome change of pace from the neverending hustle and bustle of our urban life.
Even after the 18 hour trip home, I arrived back at my desk on Tuesday morning feeling refreshed and reconnected. Unlike many vacations that have left me feeling like I'm sitting on empty once I get home, my cup has been filled, and I'm reveling in my daydreamy memories of falling snow and hanging with my man.