Ah man, what a week! The flat forests of North Carolina proved to be the perfect backdrop for two teenage guys looking for an adventure. We pursued all that a mostly cold, mostly rainy State could offer us, and boy were we pleased.
In order to get to Morehead City NC, we took a day travel from Washington DC through Virginia and through inland NC to the coast. The trip in itself was amazing, we rode in a really comfy Amtrak train and then bus (fully equipped with Wi-Fi etc etc etc) through orange leaves and clear waters. It offered us a great time of rest and relaxation, as well as some real time to get ready for the next leg of the trip.
My first taste of the actual city we based ourselves in was a 20-something surfer dude picking us up 30 minutes late from a half-sketchy bus station 3 hours after sunset (we decided we liked him already). Our first two nights were spent with a life-filled couple in a cosy town called Beaufort where we were treated to excellent food, engaging conversation and just pure abounding joy. Just in general we have been entirely blessed to have stayed with such generous people. Those days were filled with photography, day trips to even smaller, cosier towns up the coast and a whole bunch of aimless wandering.
Rainy portraits (taken by Jack Smyth)
We were lucky enough to be lent a truck/bakkie by a legend of a man who housed us later on in the week, but that truck became one of the greatest things about this leg of our trip! For the first time in our lives, Jack and I were kind of free to do whatever we wanted with our time and money and this became a blessing we did not take lightly. We enjoyed basking in our freedom from the tyranny of High School whilst blasting Macklemore and Chance the Rapper down black tar roads along flat coasts and flat plains (literally everything is flat – it is actually quite eerie). We woke early to meet a shy sun who sought refuge behind clouds yet who blessed us with QUALITY light for taking photos.
Our next stop was a family of four/five/six made up of a brilliant young married couple, two biological children and either one or two foster children (it’s a long story). Just being around this God-fearing couple really moved both Jack and I as we got to witness first-hand (and maybe for the first time that we could physically remember and appreciate) a very young couple raise a family and make a home. We felt welcome and loved (we were literally met with a note that was signed off by ‘you are loved xxx’) and felt like we were on a learning experience more than a holiday. Through those 3 nights we experienced the greatest freedom. We went surfing (yes, it is Winter. Yes, it was cold. Yes, I would do it again anyday), shooting shotgun pellets at skeets and traps (that was fun) and just kind of basked in the culture of it all.
We were treated to a traditional East Carolina meal of freshly caught oysters and clams (definitely a cultural experience, one I enjoyed but will probably not assimilate into my own) and a traditional East Carolina hospitality that really defined our trip.
The next day we set off, alone and somewhat prepared for a night camping. This whole two-day experience is one I truly hope I never forget. We set off early, engulfed by frost, into the definite unknown. We had zero idea where to camp, where to catch ferries and literally zero idea how to use a can opener at -3 degrees celsius after a stressful day. The first leg consisted of a beautiful 3-hour ferry ride between two islands, listening to top-class music and being moved by God through Bible reading, good chats and sermon listening.
We arrived in Ocracoke on the Outer Banks (go check out the geography, it is INCREDIBLE) where we just ventured around. We ended up visiting a pretty lit lighthouse before spending the majority of our afternoon driving the blessed bakkie/truck on a beautiful stretch of nearly-untouched beach. There we met dolphins, shot great videos and felt fully free. It was the first time that I fully realised that I’m forever finished with High School, and that there is literally nothing stopping me (apart from finances) from doing basically whatever I want. That sort of idea blew my mind, and still does, and I am totally excited to see how it plays out in my future.
Bodie Island Lighthouse
By the time we left that Island for the next one, it was starting to get dark and we were really not sure what would happen. A teenager took photos of us because she had never met an African person before (way to defend the stereotype) and the sun began to set. We frantically prowled through Google Maps to find a campsite, but literally every site we found was closed or cost 30$ (at that point we thought those would be exceptions). After quite a bit of stress, lots of running around and a few phone calls, we had to race 15 miles North before the one campsite we KNEW was open closed. It ended up costing us 30$ anyways… life.
The setting up of camp was a jol and dinner was a mess but we survived the below-freezing conditions through spending some time every now-and-then in the air-conditioned truck and by running to the heated bathrooms relatively often (cheating is better than dying, I think??). The next day was a really chilled out drive back home that ended in disproportionate comfort in the home of another special family.
We spent Monday reading, chatting and eating (usually all at the same time) in order to prepare ourselves for the next 2 weeks of pure rushing as we head to NYC and Washington DC. I am still freaking out because in exactly 17 and a half hours I will arrive at Penn Station, NYC and embark on a tour of the city of my dreams.
I am continually grateful for the Church here in the US for providing us with people, experiences and comfort that we never could have expected. Our lives are continually being changed by the generosity and love we are being shown.
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