So finally, almost two weeks after returning from the N.C., I’m writing my impressions, as best I remember them. This is my rundown of April 17-20.

• Friday: My flight was in the morning, and I once again managed to get to and from my destination with NO delays. I could get used to this (but probably shouldn’t). After arriving at around 4:30 EDT, Kelly picked me up and we went back to her place so I could change and get that “just been on a plane” feeling out of my head. We went to an early dinner at a place called Alivia’s, and then walked around one of the nicer parts of Durham (which otherwise reminded me of Topeka, in a ghetto way). We window shopped in some ridiculusly expensive shops, and got dessert at a place, the name of which I can’t remember. But very yum. That night I slept on a really nice Eddie Bauer air mattress, which was more comfy than I thought it would be.
• Saturday: Kelly and I took the day and went into Chapel Hill, which is very close to Durham. It’s also home to that school that may have won the National Championship this year. Ew. But the town was cute, and had it’s own version of Mass St (Franklin St), which wasn’t quite as cool because it was really long, and it was two lanes on each side, so not quite as pedestrian friendly as Mass St. Oh well. Some cute stores, and definitely a college vibe all over the place. The area is covered with trees, everywhere. It’s actually quite pretty. The weather was sunny and in the mid-80s the whole day, borderline hot even. We spent several hours there, eating and shopping. I’m glad I can say I’ve been there, but all that tarheel blue makes me ill. And all the National Champions stuff. Were we that obnoxious last year? No comment. After returning to Durham, we were le tired, so we had a nap. Then we went for sushi, and watched Nate proceed to eat way more sushi than I’ve ever seen anyone eat. It was painful to watch, but he seemed totally ok. We went to a couple of bars afterwards, and one crazy club (think The Ranch mixed with Last Call, and a bit of the Hawk thrown in for good measure). It was schtank-tastic.
• Sunday: After a delicious breakfast from Biscuitville (I think), we toured the Duke campus. It’s a pretty campus, but not as old as it pretends to be. There’s a lot of money floating around, so all the facilities were very posh and upscale. “The quad” looks straight out of a Harry Potter movie, and is reminiscent of old boarding schools in the UK. The law school was very pretty, lots of windows and nice commons areas. Everything looked so new. After campus, we drove through the Duke Forest a bit, and then went to the Duke Gardens, which were nice, even if it was cloudy and a tiny bit rainy at times. After the gardens we just hung out at Nate and Kelly’s apartment for a while, watching Demitri Martin’s Important Things and dozing off while Kelly worked on a school project. We then had dinner at an Italian restaurant and came home to play LOTR Trivial Pursuit and Star Wars Trivial Pursuit. There’s a reason we’re all friends :-)
• Monday: After getting all my stuff together and packed up, I made plans to meet up with Megan at the Southpoint Mall. Around lunchtime, Kelly and I headed out there, and I’m glad we did! It was a very nice mall, both indoor and outdoor, and the weather, although cloudy, was mild. We window shopped for a bit before meeting up with Megan, and then headed to California Pizza Kitchen (the restaurant is becoming a bit of a tradition) for lunch. It was good to catch up with Megan, whom I hadn’t seen since her wedding in July 2007. After lunch, Megan offered to show us her place, which was nearby. She lives in an adorable neighborhood and has a great starter house with a nice yard for the doggy. Anabelle! She’s such a cutie, and so much energy! I love dogs, someday when I have a house and a yard, I hope to have one as fun as this one! We hung out for a bit at the house, and then it was off to the airport.

So that’s another vacation done, and more friends that I have seen after a long time. I need to get some more trips planned with the money I don’t have, and the time I should be spending on other things (say…job searching?). But traveling was way more fun, and ultimately worth it.

I’ll keep you posted if I plan another trip :-)