Goodbyes and Hellos

This week, we had to say goodbye to South Carolina, and it was not an easy departure. We are excited to finally hit the road but will miss our new friends that helped us embark on this great adventure.

First solo bus ride!

Our time in Charleston was mixed with volunteering at One80 Place, preparing ourselves and the bus for the road, and exploring Sugah Cain (The Compton family’s beautiful property where the bus lives) and exploring all the great things around town. We shortly came to realize that our two-week delay was a true blessing in disguise.

Magical evening at Sugah Cain

Our neighbor/friend Duke

Juliet and I were always excited to go work our shifts at One80 place and agree that work feels more fun when you aren’t getting paid for it. As we said our goodbyes on Friday afternoon, we felt so grateful to have gotten to meet such lovely people along the way– both staff members and residents. I could write a whole blog about the people we met and how much love we had for them… Volunteering in Charleston helped me feel more connected to the city where I felt a part of it instead of watching from the sidelines. It’s exciting to see what volunteering in other places will teach us along the way! Juliet and I have decided that once we return to Charleston, we will try our best to fit in another shift or two. We also must go back because I have an unfinished game of dominoes to win.

One80 Place! Ft. Nancy and Randy

On that note, I am pleased to inform you all that the bus has been fixed and is running beautifully! Cain, Josh and Davis deserve so much credit for making these two weeks in Charleston truly special and helping prepare us and the bus for this adventure. Shoutout to Davis, for fixing the engine of our bus, to Josh for lending us his car for a whole week, and to Cain for giving us a magical temporary home. Not only did they spend hours helping us with the bus, but also welcomed us into their circles of family and friends. They have been an inspiring example of what this project is truly about.

Our driving instructors busy at work

On one of our last mornings, we joined the boys on their morning surf ritual which is a relatively new activity for Juliet and I—we’ve both only tried surfing a handful of times. As the sun rose, we made our way to their house, loaded up the bus with surfboards and spent the morning out on the water. I learned quickly that surfing as a beginner is quite a humbling experience but was determined to leave with any ounce of success. After quite a few wipeouts, I was able to catch a wave and get on my knees. It was such a win in my book and hope that this surfing encounter isn’t my last.

 Surfing can be also a good analogy for what this bus journey has taught us thus far. When you try something new, its best to leave your ego aside, focus, try again, and know that any reward in that process is a true authentic bliss. We are currently riding our own high of finally hitting the road and will remember that with every obstacle we encounter from this point on, a reward or lesson is waiting for us on the other side.

Our first night was spent by Holden Beach in North Carolina. We found a pretty little parking lot by the beach, the sun was going down, and it was beautiful for 15 minutes until we were told to move. Not even three minutes after that, a very kind man named Jamie who had stopped to admire the bus told us we were welcome to park in his yard for the night. Jamie Holland was genuinely our saving grace on that first night on the bus. He showed us his collections of pottery, books, and memories from his travels. He was in the Navy for many years, and told us little stories here and there, describing that experience as one of his greatest adventures. He gifted each of us a handcrafted ceramic mug and bowl, as well as a few other cooking essentials for the bus. This is another beautiful discovery from the bus: as we lend our services traveling, so many others do the very same for us. Jamie is also a talented singer and guitarist and played “Old Man” by Neil Young before our departure. Thank you, Jamie, for making our first night special.

Jamie and his sweet guitar

We are currently landed in the beautiful small town of Black Mountain, North Carolina where we are working with Appalachian Community Relief. Their mission is to support those who have been affected by hurricane damage by providing the community with free groceries, hygine products, and other essentials to help people get back on their feet. The organization runs on pure love. The people who run it all---Allison, Aaron, and Mike--- put so much time and effort into this project and have a certain type of devotion to their work that has inspired Juliet and I on a profound level. We love Black Mountain and ACR---the people are lovely, the nights are cool, and we have sweet spot to park the bus.

Neither of us fully comprehended the amount of destruction that hurricane Helene left on this community until we arrived. It is one thing to hear about it on the news, but another to witness how people and their environment are responding to damage and hardship that is still being rebuilt across the region. We planned to stay in Black Mountain for just a week, but this place speaks strongly to the heart, and we feel called to support in any way we can. We have decided that we will do our best to follow our intuition over an itinerary.

 Outside of volunteering, we have fallen in love with the lush mountains, tumbling creeks, and the cutest downtown filled with good food and art. I am wrapping up this blog after having the best meal we have had since arriving in the south. It’s going to be hard to get us out of Black Mountain.

The Bush in Black Mountain, NC

That’s all for now, thanks for tuning in :)