Try to imagine it with me. Two exhausted mothers meeting up for a weekend in the mountains. No shows in town, except for a few live bands. We both had already visited the Biltmore Estate and were not in the mood for museums. Too cold for this southern girl to go hiking or paddle boarding, what were we to do?

Well, we savored lots of good food, indulged in a chocolate shop, and we visited Dobra Tea every day, where we sat in contented peace while downing pots of hot tea. We visited local book stores and shops, and we stocked up on homemade apple butter and fresh, stone ground grits. We went to bed late and slept in, just because we could. No commitments or distractions–we did whatever our hearts desired.

I even went to a sports bar and watched a football game for the first time. Well, I actually didn’t watch any of the game, but I didn’t complain or mention my hate for football that much. It seems my friend has taken a recent liking to the Panthers team and could not miss their game. All seats were taken, but they soon opened a reserved table and sat us with complete strangers. While my friend screamed at the many televisions–along with the rest of the bar–I read a book. I brought a large book about health food and pulled out my highlighter hoping people would think I was studying for school or something. (I was trying to blend.) It didn’t work, though. The waiter told me I was the only person he’s ever seen bring something to do during a football game.

This was a last-minute getaway. I don’t get to see my friend often, and we just seemed content spending time together. We could have easily just stayed in our hotel room reading books, and we’d still be happy. Although, as an author, I’d be content having a weekend alone in a hotel room just to write. It really doesn’t take much to make me happy. Hmm… hot tea, fair trade dark chocolate, and books. That’s called perfection 🙂