Tuesday, July 12, 2005

north carolina! part two: ocean

So the second part of our trip started in Edenton, North Carolina. We didn’t know much about Edenton, except it was close to the ocean, but not super-pricey. (Hey, good enough for me.) It’s on the Albemarle Sound, though, so we still got to see water there. It turned out to be a pretty small town, but with a gorgeous historical district. Mom and I spent July Fourth writing at Acoustic Coffee (where they introduced me to cinnamon hazelnut coffee—the best ever!) and then at our hotel.

I love bouncing ideas off of Mom—she’s been writing longer than I have, and I trust her opinions. Anyway, we had a great discussion in our hotel that night. She helped me consider my ideas for the novel, and between the two of us, we realized that it really is long enough. There’s enough conflict, interest, etc., to carry off a full story. That was exciting! So I have a loose outline of the whole thing, but now I really need to work on filling in the gaps and getting to know the characters. Still, this was a big step.

The next day we explored part of the Outer Banks: Cape Hatteras, Kill Devil Hills, and Roanoke Island. (And we didn’t see any alligators, much to my disappointment. There were signs warning us of bears and red wolves, but no luck there, either. My most exotic find was a pelican…)

It was really hot—I guess it is July—so we waded in the Atlantic near Cape Hatteras. I haven’t seen the ocean in a few years, so that was nice. We also went up to Kill Devil Hills, which is where the Wright brothers’ memorial is.

We also drove through Roanoke Island. When I was in grade school, my teachers would always get mysterious when they brought up Roanoke—how the colony disappeared, and we still don’t know what happened, etc. I always felt spooked, and I pictured the island as a desolate, creepy, moss-strewn place. Preferably with strange noises.

Those lessons were ages ago, but I was still surprised to see how built up Roanoke is—condos, schools, laundromats. Absolutely no spooky sounds, and very little moss. Kind of a let-down, ha ha ha.

Our last day we spent writing, again. We also got to see more of Edenton. They had a long pier that Mom and I walked along for awhile. It was a great way to wrap up the trip.

As we drove out of Edenton for the last time, I saw one of those historical signs—which are everywhere in Edenton—announcing that Harriet Jacobs had lived in this house in Edenton. I was so excited: we had read bits of Harriet Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl in my American Lit class this past spring. To see her house was completely unexpected, but it was fun to have something so random tie back to my lit class.

We spent the night after driving with my uncle and aunt. They live near Lexington, North Carolina. We hadn’t seen them in a while, so it was great to get caught up. Their kids were fun to play with, too.

Then we saw my sister again in Nashville, Tennessee, and then came back to O’Fallon! Whew!

Pictures, as ever:

This is me on the porch of the Barker House. Edenton sold me on porches forever. My house will have to have one. (Maybe two.) With rockers and wicker. Absolutely.

Then this is Cape Hatteras lighthouse, of course.

This is another cool old building in Edenton. I love the brick.

Ocean! At Cape Hatteras:

This is the Wright brothers monument… it looks like the tail on a plane. Pretty neat.

This is in Edenton…

So there you go! It was a great trip. Mom and I were both worn out when we got back, but we did a lot on the trip. It’s a good springboard for the rest of my summer. Now, though, I need to work on my honors thesis—that will be the star of our show for the rest of July and August. But after a good break, I think I’m ready to tackle it.

My younger sister comes back from Europe tomorrow… poor girl. That can be a huge adjustment… especially since she’s been enjoying her time there. I can’t wait to see her pictures and hear all her stories. North Carolina was awesome… but I still miss Europe…

Posted by Jenn Langefeld on 07/12 at 11:00 AM
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