The end/the begining

Fifteen thousand, five hundred, twenty and four tenths; that is the reading on my odometer as Pam sits behind the house in Morgantown, WV.

Asheville, NC proved unexpected in many ways. We found online that there was a swing dance happening on Friday night. So we left Memphis, TN on a mission to get to Ashville in two days. We drove trough Nashville, ate at the coolest Whole Foods that I have ever seen.

-I am not a big fan of the Whole, however, when you eat the way we do and you are travelling, they can be a safe haven of wholesome goodness at the price of selling out, still coconut and blueberry sorbet is awesome.

We filled up on E85 and headed east. Knoxville is nothing more than a footnote, I think might have gotten fuel there.

We got to Asheville, NC in the late afternoon stole some WiFi,found some cool vegan, healthy restaurants and went downtown to get some food. There was a huge drum circle in a park, a guy in a nun outfit riding a really tall bike and a store filled with belt buckles. The food was awesome and the belt buckle store was closed.

We went to the dance, which was at a church. As it turned out, it was a church fund raiser for a rescue mission, and not organized by the swing scene, so no dancers. Great live music and awesome dances with Natalie! We left and slept in a home depot parking lot.

In the morning, we drove to the other side of town to Warren Wilson College. A friend of Nat goes there. Its a cool college where you have to work on campus as part of your education. We got a tour of an awesome garden/farm and got all inspired.

We went with Misha, Nat's friend, to downtown to check out the health food stores and local wares. I was headed for the belt buckle store.

For quite some time, years it feels, I have been wanting a cool belt buckle, but I could never decide on one I liked well enough. A few months back, Natalie got me into BSG(Battlestar Galactica...the reimagined, not the 1978 version) and I discovered that they made some really cool BSG belt buckles back in 1978. I didn't want to get one on Ebay, 'cause thats lame. So I have been searching for one since.

We go in this belt buckle store, which is actually a custom sandal store($400 custom sandals). They also sell handmade belts and vintage buckles. Wouldn't you know it, on the sale table a vintage 1978 BSG belt buckle, waiting for me. Natalie, being a BSG fan longer than me was jealous, but behold, two vintage, 1978 BSG belt buckles. So we scoops them up. Awesome.

Excited over BSG belt buckles and organic farming and on a bit of a sugar rush from some kick ass chocolate (from a chocolate shop in downtown Asheville) we bid farewell to Misha, got some E85 and headed North. We powered through Virginia and southern West Virginia. Into the night we drove and got to Morgantown. Coincidentally, we arrived the night before my cousin's baby shower. So the house was full of family.

My 3 year old nephew, Parker, woke us up nice and early. We had buckwheat groats for breakfast and helped with the shower. It was nice, but we crashed for about an hour and half at the end, sleeping through everyone leaving. Now the real adventure begins. Mowing, tilling, planting, bridge building. But first....unpacking the truck.

Thoughts on cross country driving:
When we do this again....
-We will have living space IE a camper
-We will get better mileage
-We will stay more than a day in most places
-We will not be moving at the same time!!

For the mathematicians out there, 4958.8 miles total.