And a Happy New Year!

View from Tiff's parents house in West Jefferson

The couple days before New Years, I went up to West Jefferson where Tiffany's parents recently purchased a mountain house.  It is on the very top of one of the mountains and has a lovely view over many ranges.  In the distance you can see both Beech and Sugar Mountains, along with Grandfather mountain and Hawksbill.  It was very cold, and the first day we did naught but sit around, talk and play games.  Tiffany and I also spent a good deal of time with her brother's twin babies (a boy and a girl, Max and Zoe) who just turned two months old.  The first night and half day I was there, the house consisted of me, Tiffany, Mitch, Tiffany's parents, her brother and sister-in-law and their three babies, Tiffany's grandparents and 8 dogs!  Yes, it was a houseful, but luckily the mountain house is well-equipped for sleeping numerous visitors at once.  In fact, there is ample bedding for over 18 people.  During the first full day I was there, Tiffany's brother, sister-in-law and three babies and one dog left to be replaced with her dad's cousin and her three children and one of their spouses.  Long story short, there was never a lack of someone to talk to or mouths to feed!

With Jamie at Village Tavern on NYE.

Mrs. Caruso was so good to us and we had a constant supply of delicious home-made meals and treats.  Like my mother, she tends to be a food hoarder, but I suppose that is good when you have visitors in a constant stream.  During the second full day, we all went to Boone where we had lunch and checked out a few shops, before going to an overlook that Tiffany knew about.  From there, despite the frigid wind and air, it was a really great view of all of Boone and App State.

With my sweet Bethany on NYE.

It was nice seeing Tiffany's three cousins again, as I have met them off and on over the years.  We all played some games together and it was nice just catching up.  The youngest, Angie, watched a few episodes of Vampire Diaries with me (as she was the only other fan), and the oldest, Lauren, said I was welcome to visit her and her husband in Boston anytime. 

I drove home on New Year's Eve day and got ready for the party at Village Tavern that night.  This was my third year attending that party and the second year that my friend Jamie came as my date. ;)  However, many of my Charlotte ONE friends attend, so it is always a good crowd of friends wishing each other a happy new year.  I was particularly delighted to run into Kyle from Jacksonville, FL who I did not know would be in town.  He let Drew and me stay with him on our way down to Cape Coral last year (and the way back), and during our stay Kyle and I became friends.  It was very nice to see him again and hear that he will be moving back to Charlotte in June (though I will probably be leaving Charlotte in August).

With Lesley and Drew on NYE.

In the spirit of Auld Lang Syne, I have decided to return to Europe in May.  It is something I have wanted to do pretty much ever since I left in June of 2009.  I truly cannot believe it will have been almost a full three years by the time I return. In many ways, the experience feels like it was just yesterday - in others, a lifetime ago.  After much thought and consideration, I decided May would be the best month for many reasons:
1) prices are far too high over the summer, as flights and train tickets skyrocket in starting in June
2) It will be near the end of Lieselotte's time in Amsterdam so not only will I have a place to stay with her, but she will be done with school and able to travel with me (hopefully)
3) Lieselotte will be here in the states for Feb through mid-March, so it would be pointless to go then
4) Going in may will give me four months to save up, then two full months of income upon my return before leaving for grad school
5) It will be after I have my grad school decisions, and therefore those will not weigh on my mind while away
6) It will be my last opportunity to go during off-peak season before I turn 26, at which point I will no longer qualify for youth discounts
7) It will be the last time I can go before I am living on a meager grad school stipend and cannot afford to travel, much less eat ;)  (But let's be honest, if it were down to the two, I'd probably choose starvation lol).
8) If I don't go now, I may never get to see Sylvia again.  (She's a friend's grandmother who I visited frequently in Oxford while I was living in London. She is now 95 and apparently slowing down quite a bit.)
9) It will be one of the last times I can go while Carmen and Enrique are still in school and therefore not completely occupied with jobs as lawyers.
10) I MISS IT

Haha, okay, so no one else probably cared to read my diatribe, but writing it all out made me feel better about the decision to dip into my bank account for around $2,000.  I just bought my flight ticket - I will depart the night of April 30 and return on May 30. Yay!

On a different note, I got my first stitches today.  I had this weird bump on my leg that itched and the doctor said it wasn't dangerous, but I told him I wanted it removed anyway.  So, they numbed me up and sliced me and stitched me.  It was the bizarrest thing because I knew he was cutting me and sewing on me, but I couldn't feel a thing!  The downside is that these heavy-duty stitches have to be in here for two weeks, and I can't work out again until Monday.  The doctor gave me a long lecture before he agreed to do the surgery about how other patients had ripped their stitches apart by doing things like squatting down or exercising.  I think he knew I am pretty athletic because I was telling him about all the trails I hiked while in Utah (several of which he'd recommended to me).  Anyway, I agreed to take it easy.  *sighs*  As long as I can do silks on Monday evening!

I guess there isn't too much else to report as of now.  (As though this hasn't been long enough).