Crowne Plaza Hotel Crowne Plaza Charlotte

... w*tching *n FC B*rcelon* futbol g*me while LEGALLY drinking un* cervez* con un* t*p*, w*lking p*st L* S*gr*d* F*mili*, *nd t*king * stroll down L* R*mbl* just bec*use I h*ve the option. Are you serious?! Typing th*t out just m*de it even more re*l th*t THAT is *bout to be MY life. Not someone elses. MINE! Oh, *nd since I mentioned my Christm*s list, I prob*bly should mention my mom bought me * new Kod*k ...

The journey home began at 6AM Venice time and even with only a one hour layover in Munich we arrived in Charlotte at 6PM est time (midnight Venice time!) a very long day. We had a trendous trip and Aunt Sue and Guido were the perfect hosts and tour guides. I almost feel like going right back but that will have to wait for now probably June 2011. The weather was cold and at times rainy so some of the things you would routinely do were just not possible.

Excited and ready to leave. The forecast does not seem very promising but it will be great to see Sue & Guido again. We leave Charlotte at 5:30 PM and should be in Venice at Noon (Italian time) Wednesday. I will try to send photo's as we take them as well as update this blog. I loved this when Chris and Liana used it .

... our driving extravaganza and finally arrived in the first city we would be performing in, Concord, NC. This is apparently the home to Lowe's Motor Speedway. That's right NASCAR fans, we were right next to this place. I never realized just how big those tracks are. It was huge! Now, I am not a racing fan, so I had no clue where we were until I literally ended up driving next to it. I kept thinking "wow, there are a ton of hotels for some random NC city I ...

I thought that I would post this picture of me and La Poderosa just before I left for the west coast a couple month's ago. She had to be sold in LA:( What an amazing bike for 700 bucks. She got me through one of the most amazing adventures that I've had to date. As soon as I can get my computer that has all the pics on it online I will have a boat load of stuff to post from this trip.

... the eastern boarder of Iraq while I am there. Future travels with continue to take me across I believe. I am bringing the tent and sleeping bag for my days on the road so that I can stay cheap while i'm in transit. Though I have hostel reservations for the beginning and end of my trip in Istanbul.

... spots is very puzzling to my mind. You think "I KNOW you! I really KNOW you. And here you are. And here we are... and we're not in Kansas anymore, Toto!"

We have about a 2 hour wait before our evening flight across the pond. So, let's have a beer!

WW and I drove across western NC. Got to a town called Statesville and went into J&R Cigars, billed as the World's largest cigar store. They ain't lying. BIg ol' CHurchills for $3 (or less).

We camped at Lake Norman, land donated to the State of NC by the Duke Power company as long as the state let them leave their nuke there. No pics. Suprisingly nice campground.

... still hurt and fell sore all over....but I wanted to go surfing and I deeply missed all my friends and being at Witch's Rock. Its a really tough task to try to explain what all happened there, to really do it justice, you just had to be there to experience it all, the perfect storm...of all things coming together to make it the way it was...the place, the people and the ...

... of mine from high school, James and Christen. It was great to see them again and to see their kids. One of the things I have regretted in life (it is a short list) was losing contact with them after high school. I guess I don't have to regret that any longer. And it did my heart good to see them before I left. Then to top the night off, Rosa dropped in. Hopefully, I will be able to get to see everyone else before I leave.