Leaving Charlotte (Day Off)

So we left the Omni Hotel at around noon, making our way towards Middlesboro, KY. That was one great road trip—there is something about being on a road trip with people who are almost complete strangers to you. We talked about all sorts of things, told jokes and laughed about pretty much everything in life, including subjects not appropriate for a “family blog” like this one.

The drive itself is a beautiful drive. I never had any idea that North Carolina and Tennessee are such beautiful states. Some vistas here brought up sweet memories from British Columbia. Weather was rather twisty though—you get some great sun, the suddenly it’s pouring down rain as if there’s no tomorrow, then sunny again.

We became hungry and so decided to stop in Hendersonville, NC for lunch. As none of us knew anything about this place, I pulled my GPS and consulted it for places to eat. The first choice was the Outback Steakhouse, which we all were looking forward to, however it was closed. Then I suggested Mexican food. The GPS told us about this restaurant called “El Paso” something. We went there and realized that the “El Paso” restaurant is not much more than a deserted small building nestled within what appeared to be filth and neglect, so we passed.

Next choice was Applebee’s. Applebee’s is a North American chain, one of the few I haven’t yet had the chance to sample. I had their chicken‐apple‐walnut salad which was phenomenal—you get a huge portion but it’s so tasty that you have to finish it all. I am a sucker for fruit‐nuts salads.

We then continued straight home. When saying “home”, I refer to where Kami lives & works, which is in a tiny little town called Middlesboro, right on the Kentucky‐Tennessee border (at the Kentucky side). We stopped by in a gas station and bought a six‐pack of Corona’s, and then stopped in some market in Middlesboro that was one of the weirdest, scariest markets I’ve ever been in—everything so crowded and people giving you really funny looks.

We finally arrived at the house. It’s a brilliant house, has a huge living room, one bedroom and a huge bathroom, not to mention the deck at the rear. When sitting in the deck you get a good view of the mountains. Lots of horses around, too. Such a quiet place. Peace and joy.

Shortly after entering the house we started playing some music. There were three electric guitars there and some recording equipment. Bruce and I jammed for a little bit.

Kami and Bruce convinced me to attempt to record my first take on the tune that’s been playing in my head for a few years now. I never had the chance to sit down and record it, and here I am, thousands of kilometers away from home, sitting with almost complete strangers and recording the first track, and then the second one.

What came out of it sounded, I have to say, not bad at all. Kami and Bruce claim that it is beautiful. So here’s a resolution for after the trip: buying the right equipment and simply record my composition.

After that, we had some beer and pizza on the deck. We shared so many laughs, I can’t recall laughing that hard in my recent history. You know that stomach ache you get when you laugh very hard for a long period of time... all three of us experienced it.

Later on, Kami and I played “shuffleboard” for about an hour, as Bruce kept playing my recording and added a third track to it. I heard my own composition so many times, until it sank in—this is *my* composition. That made me proud.

Was time to call it a night already, as we have to wake up early next morning and drive to Atlanta.

Spending the time with Kami and Bruce that night has been one of the greatest highlights in my tour. Kami and Bruce—thank you for this wonderful night!

Isaac