Going home from North Carolina

Monday morning, 4:20 to be exact, came way too fast, but it had to happen. Carlie had to be at the airport by 5:30 and we had to make hay while the sun shined....even though the sun wasn't awake yet. Of course we'd staged our packing the night before, so all we had to do was Tetris stack all our belongings in the car, and by 4:56 we were out of the parking lot with our first destination being the Raleigh airport. Once there, we slowed down just enough for Carlie to hop out at 5:14, and then, it was time to eat up some highway.....898 miles to be exact.

Melanie and I took the first shift, with her driving and me sitting shotgun. The girls got some sleep so they could take over for us and before we knew it, we'd left both of the Carolinas in the dust. Emma was the next chosen driver with Olivia as her wing girl, while Melanie and I napped and readied ourselves for more driving. It's always amazing to me how morning driving seems to go faster than afternoon driving. The route has GOT to be shorter in the morning hours. I'm certain of it. Anyway, we were in Atlanta by 10:15 and eating Basking Robbins ice cream by 4:00 in Brandon, Mississippi. We still had a difficult time finding the BR and had to search for it. What's up with the ice cream finding on these NC trips? By 6:30 that evening and after 2,280.6 miles we were back to home sweet home. And as always it's the best place on earth.

So there you have it. It only took me two months and uncountable hours to document a 5 day, 7 people trip to North Carolina. Honestly, I'm glad it's finished because I'm sick of it! At the moment we have no planned trips back to NC in the future, but I KNOW those basketball girls are looking for and planning the next bball road trip to somewhere. There's no doubt in my mind. All in all we had great fun and I'm glad we went. But I'm gladder I'm home.

And so the story was told in words, by now you know the drill. Next comes the trip home in pictures, courtesy of Olivia. She definitely has a different eye for reals, but her perspective usually cracks me up.

Pillow....check. Uggs....check. Modern Family in the DVD player....check. And we're off! Modern Family was a HUGE part of the trip on the way up, and the way down. It's ridiculously funny.


This huge peach is in Gaffeny, South Carolina. Yes South Carolina and not Georgia. It's a water tower and may I say it's quite decorative. There's only one HUGE problem with it.


If you look at it at the right angle, it resembles a very large peachy butt crack....and I'm not even kidding. But once you've seen the very large peach, or the crack, you'll never forget it.


Atlanta Georgia.


The Olympic torch in Atlanta. I can't believe the Olympics were in Atlanta and we didn't go. What the heck were we thinking?


Somewhere in Georgia....I think.


Definitely Alabama.


Self portrait by Olivia.


Now this is finished, I have NO IDEA what to do next!

OMG!

But I'm still glad it's over.

The end.