Sunshine in Raleigh

64 days later…

No more grey skies because my blue-eyed sunshine, Caroline, came to Raleigh!

Caroline made her way down to Raleigh from the Outer Banks for the weekend so naturally we went looking for an adventure in this town. We are no tourists to Raleigh but we never underestimate a familiar city. The clear Carolina blue skies were out and the sun was beaming so we went kayaking at Lake Johnson! As indicated in the pictures, this place was so serene and peaceful.

Out of our curiosity, we decided to kayak toward what we thought was a bridge until we realized that it was actually a waterfall. No worries, we quickly turned around in time! & I almost lost my paddle in the water but knowing me, what else is new? All jokes aside, I definitely recommend Lake Johnson for any of you who are interested. They have sail boating, pedal boating, kayaking, canoeing and many more for awesome prices!

After an afternoon of adventuring under the scorching sun, we stopped to get some groceries and headed home to cook for our soon to be mouth-watering meal. I have seen the Bacon Weave all over social media this summer and I had been dying to try it! It took me awhile to figure out how to weave the bacon properly but with Caroline’s help, we managed to get it done. I baked the bacon weave for about 20 minutes in the oven and I wanted it to be chewy rather than crispy since it was the meat of the sandwich. As fans of bacon, we had heart eyes for this when it came out of the oven.

For dinner, we had an Open Faced BLT Sandwich with bean salad. Caroline is not a picky eater so I got the chance to be creative and make caramelized onions with pepper jack cheese. I sautéed the onions over medium heat and added pepper jack slices to give it a spicy kick. I mixed diced red onions, tomatoes, avocados and pinto beans with a dash of salt and sprinkled feta cheese on top as our side dish. This meal was absolutely majestic on every level. From the colorful flowers to the delicious food to a one beautiful friend, it was the perfect evening.

Now, it wouldn’t be a complete meal without dessert, right? I made Banana Pudding Martinis! We made these before dinner so it could sit in the refrigerator long enough for it to get cold in time for dessert.

Forewarning: There’s no alcohol in this.

It was an absolute hit! And yes, we finished the whole thing and we even joked that it was a million times better than the banana pudding we used to get in Marshbanks (our dining hall) weekly.

Meet Caro-Caro-Caro-Caroline

Otherwise known as Sunshine to me. Caroline and I met this past year at Campbell when we both worked as RAs (resident assistant) in a freshman residence hall. We shared infinite memories this past year. We used each other’s rooms as a place to vent, to cry, to laugh or just be in each other’s company. Without planning this weekend at all, we realized that we met exactly one year ago.

I have so much love for this one and I know I sometimes overuse the word kindness but Caroline is one of the kindest people I have ever known. She’s the one who made me chicken noodle soup when I was in the midst of a horrifying migraine, the one who guided me with her athletic training advice over FaceTime the second I threw my back out in my dorm room alone and the one who has consoled me whenever I was in the throes of an anxiety attack. She took care of me in ways I cannot thank her enough.

And I can’t help but feel a little jealous of all the people of Boone who get to be graced with her presence next year. While I am sad that we won’t be a flight of stairs away from each other anymore, I am happy she gets to continue to pursue her degree in athletic training at Appalachian State University come fall. To all my fellow Mountaineers, if you spot this one on campus, please make her feel at home!