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NORTH CAROLINA WELCOMES US










ENTERING THE NANTAHALA MOUNTAINS
SOUTH OF THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS

We're currently sitting in the most rustic quarters either of us have ever stepped foot in. No flush toilets. Manual wood heat. Hot water, only on promise of using the least amount of electricity possible. Three light bulbs are lit now and we're a bit worried we should put out two of them. And of course, no cell phone or internet service.

Only two months ago we were married in lavish style in New Jersey. We celebrated with over 150 friends and family members, indulged in a 7 course dinner with endless bottles of top shelf booze and the finest French Champagne. Well really, the guests enjoyed these fine delicacies, while we strode around in the most expensive outfits we've ever garnered, racing from one photo-op to the next, dutifully greeting all our guests with open arms, with barely a second to catch our breaths and enjoy the moment. Then we packed up our wonderful Brooklyn apartment, and headed out on our WWOOFing honeymoon trip, just before a delightful New Years Eve celebration in the nation's capital.

Now all we hear is a ticking clock inside our "cozy" cabin, smack dab in the middle of a 51 acre farm. Since we arrived after the sunset, we don't precisely know what the property looks like. We got a little lost thanks to fantastically reliable technology (GPS), but only at the end, and our host rescued us down on the main road. He proceeded to escort us in his off road utility vehicle over dirt, rocks, rivers, and more rocks. This driveway would be some hell of a nightmare to shovel after a snow storm. We drove our new Honda Civic, which was never meant to leave the pavement, and somehow made it to the top. After a brief stop in the "main lodge" where we made proper introductions to Lara and Paul Chew, and saw a bag with at least 15 lbs of carrots on the floor, we made it up to our private cabin. There we were briefed on how to operate the fire stove, turn on the propane tank in order to light the pilot light so we could use our stove, and in what order to add sawdust on top of our bodily waste if we so choose to use the toilet. We have a packet of information that we must thoroughly read ASAP, so that we can pass our quiz tomorrow - Paul is a retired teacher.

For dinner we crafted a fine meal: ricotta cheese omelets, delicious salad greens with homemade dressing, and burnt toast covered in wildflower soupy jam. Our tea was warm, and the candle light was as romantic as we could conjure up in the middle of the Smoky Mountains on a bitter cold winter night. Our pantry is filled with food, the kind Americans ate many years ago. We should soak some beans for tomorrow.

After a long drive from Washington DC this morning, our arrival here was pretty much a total shock. We weren't totally prepared to come to this cabin and be left to our own devices to survive the night, and the next three weeks with little instruction and a simple "good luck" wish. Sure we're a bit unnerved, but in the light of day, we'll assess, and lay out our hopes for this long trip ahead. And it's going to be fantastic.