It seems almost unreal that even the weeks leading up to the shutdowns in 2020, I was traveling practically weekly. It’s October 2021 and up until two weeks ago, I hadn’t flown anywhere since… March 8, 2020 as I flew back to Vegas from a short weekend get away to San Diego with my girlfriend, Cassie Cummings. It feels like years have passed. Decades, even.
So when I booked a flight for Cassie and I to leave Vegas and head to North Carolina to visit my family, I almost felt like things were… normal. Pre-pandemic grade normal.
This trip was a lot of firsts for Cassie and I. Her first time meeting my family in person. Our first time flying together as a couple. Our first time doing all sorts of activities with my folks around Asheville. Our first time going to a museum together. Cassie’s first time trying apple cider donuts (yummy) and going on the Blue Ridge Parkway. My first time seeing woodchucks outside of a zoo. My first time getting to see the leaves change color for fall!! Seeing the leaves change was something I’ve always wanted to do and it felt so special to experience that with my best friend.
North Carolina was overall great. We did some hiking, went out for some delicious food, and I was able to share parts of my childhood with my best friend. Since we were staying with my parents, there were lots, and I do mean *lots*, of bby Sydney pictures around the house, and my Mom did not hesitate to show Cassie family albums. Aside from the pictures, we also made a day trip out of heading to Maggie Valley, NC where I spent time as a child. We even went to my childhood favorite pancake house, Joey’s Pancake House, where I used to beg my grandparents to take my parents, brother and I any time we went to visit them. I can’t begin to share how much it meant to me to share that part of my life with Cassie.
Taking a week off work was so needed. There’s something wonderful and exciting about being so passionate about my work that it doesn’t always feel like work, but in retrospect… getting away from work and being “on” all the time felt good. Spending time outside in the greenery that is the Blue Ridge Parkway and greater Asheville areas was just… fuck. So, so nice. Something about being in nature is always refreshing to me. It’s like pushing my reset button.
Not only was there plenty of greenery to see, but the leaves were changing color as we were there! One day, we went up to Pisgah Mountain and it was pretty green, then a couple days later after getting lost trying to find a trail, we ended up at the same spot again and it was noticeably less green. I don’t really know what I was expecting, but that wasn’t quite it!
Now that I’ve been back for a week, I’m barely wanting to work. I want to go back to the greenery and the rain and the everything opposite of Vegas. The quiet, the beautiful drives, wildlife spottings, the cool museums… I think being in North Carolina made both Cassie and I feel like Vegas may not be where we want to be in a few years. We started talking about places that have humidity and nice weather and greenery and enough SW content creators to still work & shoot with others… that’s a whole different story, though.
I can’t wait to go on more adventures with Cassie in the future. As it turns out, we’re pretty great travel partners and I love getting to experience new & old things with my best friend. 