Free Fallin'

This past weekend, I had a few visitors stay a while. We spent Friday night sipping Harris Teeter's finest and crunching on potato chips. Truth be told, we ladies like to indulge in the world's delicacies...

The next morning after a good breakfast at the Flying Biscuit, Emily and I made our way to Carowinds for a day of roller coasters...

cotton candy...

 

Pink Tongues...

 

and a little thing call skyflyer. 

 

Ever wonder what it's like to be lifted up 150 feet above the ground by pulleys and bungee cords? When I was younger I would pass these contraptions at amusement park after amusement park, ride to ride, without a second thought. But today, the arch caught my eye as a group of people fell from the sky and rushed forward in vests and vines. Being the adrenaline seekers we were, we signed up without hesitation...

The day was a complete success...

 

Another weekend, another adventure. Now on with the work week, where the pace of everyday is much like the fall: full of excitement!

Happy Tuesday!

The Weekend I Needed

Sometimes I feel like the weekend can be one of many things. It can be a period of time to re-connect with friends, staying busy with plans of excitement and outings all over town. They can be a time of rejuvination, away from the stress of having concrete plans and relaxing with the knowledge that nothing is required of you except vacuuming the carpet and grocery shopping.

And sometimes it can be a mixture of both, with a sprinkle of traveling up the I85 corridor to visit friends that aren't always in the day-to-day, trying new restaurants, shooting the breeze with strangers, and enjoying runs in the rain.

This weekend, I traveled to Raleigh for my college roommate's wedding shower, held at Mia Francesca's at North Lake Mall. As we celebrated the soon-to-be Mrs. Torres, we shared stories of our days on the track back in school, where we were headed in our careers (a whole other story) and everything in-between.

While also in Raliegh, I visited my friend Annie who showed me to a relaxing evening watching the Kentucky Derby with Mint Julips, arguing with the bartender about why 90's music is superior to all other forms of sound, and eating breakfast at a hole in the wall diner gold mine.

It was a nice reprieve from the normal weekends I've grown accustomed to here in my new home-town. Coming up around the one year mark of my new residence in Charlotte, I feel as if this weekend served as a great reminder that this journey known as my early twenties is more than just finding a job and existing. It's about making new friendships, maintaining the old, striving for new and exciting opportunities, all while appreciating the moments that make up each day.

It's a difficult task, balancing the new and old, the plans and the unplanned- but I am thankful for weekends like this one that have their own way of whispering through the chaos- "You're right where you're supposed to be."

Happy Monday, everyone!

What a Weekend!

This weekend was such an incredible break from the busy life! Believe me, I would have liked to update OTW all of last week, but with 5 full days of work, marathon training in progress, cooking meals, and making the most of what available social life I have, I haven't made it to the blogosphere. My apologies...

But thank goodness this weekend let me explore a little outside of Charlotte with lovely people doing just what I love to do the most- Explore and Have Adventures!

The weekend started off with a 10k race up at The White Water Center. My first trail run (let alone first race since last year's turkey trot) I still wanted to get a sub 8min-mile pace going and get around 45 minutes. Although I didn't make my goal time, I still got first in my age division, third overall female, and I got to run next to some incredibly beautiful, God-driven people. Win-Win-Win in my book!

Next... I was off to Raleigh for some fun in the sun with friends...

No one told me about the death of our inflatable friend...

 Oh well... RIP- We still had a good day without him.

After swimming in the quarry until even prunes would be jealous of my fingers' state- it was time for tacos and rest before a little baseball! 

We headed downtown Durham for a Durham Bulls Game!

 

((And when you let these girls 'wander out for a beer', of course, we come back beer-less and faces painted!))

Topping off the night with a Dirty Shirley, inspired by my cousin and I's long love for Shirley Temples. Enjoying wonderful company in an exciting time in each of our lives was such an incomparable feeling! Best wishes to my cousin Kelsie as she starts HER big adventure next week heading to London for a few months!

Hope you all had a lovely, restful weekend! Here's to the next 5 days, minor speed bumps leading to where our next weekend adventure awaits!

Sunrise Session

Nothing beats a Sunrise Session on a Saturday Morning...

Don't forget to enter the CSN $25 (Giveaway!)