I always want to push myself outside of my comfortable little box because as you get older it’s actually harder to do. Not sure what in the world I’ll have to do next year but you can bet that I WILL do something that I’ve never done.
I think that one of the very best parts of living in Raleigh – and a huge part of what made me fall in love with this area – is that there are a ton of cool things – museums, art galleries, parks, festivals, and seasonal events (like the Annual Christmas Parade).
Back to one particular topic: art!
Raleigh prides itself on having a large amount of free art all over the town like murals, pop up installations, live paintings, and other artist events. It’s almost impossible to NOT FIND something to do just about every single weekend.
Here’s one of my top favorite places to visit in Raleigh:
You have a 164 acre park to explore that is open every single day!
You can take a stroll around the museum on the outside trails and take in the art you’ll see along the way. There are interactive displays for kids and adults too! The inside galleries are open from Wednesday to Sunday. The general art halls and art installations that are outside are always free like this outdoor temporary installation by Amanda Parer. This was so much fun!
Special Events
They do have special events and exhibits that do have a cost like these I’m showing below: The Art In Bloom, Rolling Sculptures, and other special installations and temporary exhibits. If you are interested in some of the special events and exhibits, I’d suggest subscribing to their mailing list.
These events are very popular and I’d recommend buying tickets in advance as they often sell out quickly – especially the Art in Bloom event held each spring – this is one of my personal highlights of the year at the NCMA.
The Art Deco Rolling Sculptures (pictured below), the temporary art installations they have, educational events too are all pretty cool. Tickets for the Art in Bloom and the Rolling Sculptures cost me around $30-40 per ticket.
1938 Talbot Lago T-150C-SS Teardrop Coupe
One of only FIVE in the world – 1938 Peugeot 402 DSE Darl’Mat Coupe
Craft Cocktails are probably my favorite thing about going out – food’s great but the cocktails are generally not something I can duplicate at home. Let’s get to the fun!
The DRINKS -we managed to have a drink out of each section of the cocktail menu (with exception of Zero Proof #overachievers) and they were so fun and tasty that I felt they deserved their own post!
The Merchant – Cocktail menu
The Merchant – Cocktail menu
Large FormatCocktails
So pretty!
Dillinger’s Escape Plan: I mean HOW could you come here for the first time and NOT get something that looks like this?? It was perfect; light refreshing and easy to drink.
Word of caution to those that are a bit clumsy (hello self) – the drink is balanced on that metal ring and if not careful, can be tipped over. Glad that didn’t happen – would have been something to see a grown ass woman grab a straw and start drinking off the bar….only slightly kidding.
Gin, Vodka, fresh dill, cucumber = light and refreshing
Herbaceous & RefreshingCocktails
Graveyard of the Atlantic- this one was mine – tequilaaaaaaa 😋 and that is black salt on the cucumber. Looks like caviar but it’s not.
Robust & Boozy
Death in the Afternoon – this was Jason’s and the first time I’ve tried Absinthe. It was SO good. Dangerously so – Champagne and Absinthe! 😂
Death in the Afternoon
Smooth & Citrousy
Black Sails / Blue Waters
Pirate stuff AND rum? That’s J’s all day.
It’s interactive as well – I mean besides the drinking part – see the vid clip on insta – one of the ingredients is cotton candy – pour the alcohol over it and the cotton candy dissolves into the drink. Coconut Red Bull? Okay!
Smokey & Aromatic
Fear and Loathing in the Carolinas
I TRIED to love Fear and Loathing in the Carolinas – part of my ongoing attempt to develop a taste for Mezcal – but ugh. Still in progress 😶🤷🏼♀️
:: Robust & Boozy ::
This drink – Icon’s American Dream on the right – was most certainly my fave out of all for taste – the fresh honeycomb was a tasty and different garnish. Loved it! 🍯 🥃
I went back to the ROBUST and BOOZY category and snagged the Icons American Dream and J went off script with a Moscow Mule. That drink was most certainly my fave out of all for taste – the fresh honeycomb was a tasty and different garnish. Loved it! 🍯 🥃
Smokey & Aromatic
THIS was the most dramatic – Jason’s final choice – Smoke & Daggers
Smoke & Daggers
It’s interesting how wine is used in cocktails – never would have thought to do that but it’s usually very good – the presentation is legit. Check out the video on my insta.
Tip: if you reserve a table here – and I most certainly recommend that you do that considering it’s a fairly small space – they require a $10 deposit for each person.
From my perspective in traveling to a new country, I tend to get very overwhelmed because I want to SEE and DO everything…which just isn’t possible in the time I have.
I overcome the overwhelming-ness of it all by just starting a list and putting down every thing that is of interest. Then, I break it down by location and finally, making a time based itinerary. At that point, it’s very easy to see what will work in the time frame allotted and what will not. I don’t just disregard my list after I’ve agonized over what to include and what to exclude – I make a part II visit list.
For Morocco, I really wanted to go to Marrakesh – that was the number 1 place for me. Then, I researched the most authentic ways we could really experience the culture – within the parameters that myself and J had decided were important. Like, we didn’t necessarily want to go camping for this particular adventure and with the unknown of the food and water quality and availability we both wanted actual bathrooms with toilets and showers.
My biggest thing was that I wanted to see the souks that had been there for hundreds of years. Unfortunately, due to the complete chaos from the mopeds, donkeys, children, people, bikes, etc we didn’t actually spend much time perusing the stalls. I’m just not comfortable haggling for pricing and you can’t just leisurely browse – most of the vendors know tourists and are pretty fucking relentless. I get it, that’s how they make money but it was just too much for me on my first visit there.
I was disappointed in myself but it would have been far less enjoyable for me and J if I had just “powered through”. Quite honestly, he was amazing and far more patient than I’ve ever been with myself. Truly the very best person for me – he always knew just by looking at me when it was time to pull over to the side out of the flow of traffic and people and just take a breather. <3
It’s always important to remember what YOUR style of travel is and adjust your “must-do” list with what will truly make you happy but always be willing to adjust as you go along – we ended up doing a hot air balloon at sunrise and THAT was the most epic reason to see and go there for ME.
How did we get there? The hard way – flying to Casablanca, taking the “express” train to Marrakech, and hiring a taxi to “take us” to the riad.
Dude, we started traveling at 4pm on Monday, September 12. It was an overnight flight to Charles De Gaulle airport – short layover Tuesday morning (4 hours). I think we arrived at about 7 in the morning? 7:30 am – thankful for iphone pics and timestamps! We didn’t land until closer to 8am but whatever.
Paris (ish) France at Sunrise – so romantic hah
Short layover in Paris was like 4 hours Then off to Casablanca!
The flight leg from Paris to Casablanca was supposed to take 2.5 hours but there was an unexpected storm over Spain and we had to fly around it – that added another hour to the trip. We landed in Casablanca at 3:30 their time.
Can I also just mention that I’m definitely not used to calculating hours ahead and what time zone we were in…guess that takes practice. LOL
From Casablanca, I had thought we’d take the train to Marrakesh. Yeah, it added a hell of a long time to a long day of traveling but I DID NOT KNOW. Wow, did I NOT KNOW. HAH!
After going through their security line (this took about 30 min or so) we exchanged currency, found the train ticket window and we’re like, when does the last train leave for the day? And the lady said, RUN! So, we took off running down the hallways to get to this train before it left. Apparently, it’s the last one of the day. According to the train system website, it said it would be leaving at 5:30 but no my friends, it wasn’t quite 5 pm by the time we found the train and boarded it and we left a few minutes later.
WHAT THE FUCK.
And just for the record – their First Class is not all like other places first class. Not to mention, they didn’t even check for tickets.
The exchange rate is fairly easy to remember though and the US dollar fares very well – definitely more for the dollar.
I had originally wanted to post one photo – but that’s impossible as the title conveys. Ending a long term friendship – in short, it sucks.
I have a lot of big ass feelings still – because there was no closure really. 7 plus years and it just ended because I wasn’t doing what she wanted. I wrote the below text when I was in a certain frame of mind. It comes and goes. Because today? I’m still pissed that she’s such an unforgiving and controlling bitch.
It just depends on the day I guess.
What is the best picture to portray a heartbreak a picture to describe how it feels to lose your very best friend not because that best friend died or anything as large as that but instead over something that could easily have been talked through if both people were actually open to forgiveness.
Unfortunately when one of the people refuses to let go of that hurt no matter how much you apologize or try to make it better it’s never going to be the same and at that point you have to decide whether you just give up trying and just go away or if you try to make another big stand and have a big conversation it never really gets resolved anyways. And you know that because you already tried several times to have that open and honest communication and you were in fact told that she didn’t know whether she’d ever be able to forgive you.
So at that point you can continue to wear sackcloth and ashes or you can just quietly go away.
The crappy part about it is that there’s no closure not really and you’re stupid hopeful heart always wishes that it could’ve been different or they could’ve been better or or something and you don’t talk about it much when you never reference it in public to mutual friends because that would be weird right although honestly those mutual friends picked sides even when they said that they never would do that.
But you feel it you think about it sometimes maybe there’s a memory of stupid Facebook memories pop up and you’re like oh yeah that was something and or you run into her an old acquaintance who knew both of you and I actually don’t know that you’re not speaking anymore they’re always asking hey how are they doing and you say yeah they’re doing pretty good and you just keep going so it comes out when you’re feeling a little blue or it comes out in your stupid dream or wishful dream where things are actually resolved and wake up and they’re not resolved and it’s still the same and it hurts again for a little while until you push it to the back burner and live your daily life.
And then those days just blending together and all of a sudden it’s months later months later and then I guess it’s just a memory Or a lesson either way…
Sandwiches (ugh especially wanted to try the Ham Salad) at ish– 702 N Person Street, Raleigh, NC. They have a GREAT order ahead option as well. Please note this is a TAKE OUT/PICK UP place. No indoor seating.
I had my 50th birthday this past July. Even with Covid-19 and it’s long lasting issues still impacting the world, I really wanted to do something memorable for this big number.
I originally was going to choose something domestic – another trip to Utah or Nevada or Arizona but for some reason I just couldn’t make myself book anything. I went back and forth in my head about cost and expenses and everything related but it’s my 50th birthday. We have the time and money – it’s the time to get started on crossing off these bucket list items.
First flight since the pandemic started – we’re flying Delta.
Tip: if you take medications make sure you check if those medications are allowed in the country you’re traveling to – ADHD, injectables like insulin, etc. You may need a special travel letter from your MD or an alternate medication if that’s not possible.
This is a helpful link: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/travel-abroad-with-medicine
