southern comfort zone

So once again the conference monster has stolen me and I've ignored my life the last two weeks. But I'm now back and leading a normalish life until July. So while my work life will be a little less crazy it just means my personal life will be more fun! And still lots of traveling. 

So let's back up almost two weeks. So the first weekend of April I ran the Cherry Blossom 10 miler in DC. It wasn't my best race - the first 6 miles I was good and on pace, but the last 4 - ouch! I guess that is what happens when I run 10 miles without training. Good to know I can run 6 miles at what I want without training, but after that I need to actually train. I originally wanted to run a half marathon this spring, but a few things came up the weekends I wanted to run them and then I was thinking about one June 1st but I'm going to a Tim McGraw concert that night and also race fees are expensive. So I'm counting my 10 miler as my spring race, and my friends and I have officially signed up for the Ragner in Tennessee! So excited for a crazy 36 hours of running 200 miles!

before the 10 miler - it was SO cold! 

So my few days home were glorious - but I was back on the road for my final city of the spring. Off to Columbia, South Carolina for a few days and then a well deserved break in Charleston! Was off super early Tuesday morning to have some time for adventures in South Carolina. I didn't really leave the low country when I lived in Charleston last year so I was taking advantage of visiting other parts of South Carolina. My first stop was to go to Congaree National Park! 

Of course I planned to visit a few National Park Sites! And Congaree was my 8th official National Park and overall 69th site. Wooo! I had a fun morning walking around the place, looking at the cool cyprus trees and it is such a unique landscape! I saw so many critters - countless salamanders, a rabbit, a snake, an owl and way too many squirrels. 

National Park Site #69

Congaree National Park

All the cyprus knees!

After my adventure in Congaree I decided it was totally worth it to drive 90 minutes away to Ninety-Six and go to the Ninety Six National Historical Site. I learned a lot about South Carolina Revolutionary War History in the Upcountry and it was a gorgeous afternoon to spend walking around the Star Fort and the multiple battle sites. 

National Park Site #70! 

Fort from the 1775 battle (reconstructed) - Lee's father fought her! 

The raised area is what is left of the Star Fort - all covered in now. This was a British controlled town/fort in the 1780s

The Patriots tried to attack the fort by building trenches and a mine to attack from under. But they weren't finished and had to attack because the Brits were sending reinforcements. 

So it was a great day of exploring South Carolina and I got in National Park Sites 69 and 70! And in the year I've had my National Park Passport I went to 50 sites, including 22 for the first time! I don't know how many total sites I've been to because I love to go to my favorites multiple times! The last few weeks have really shown that I do love visiting National Parks as I've drive some crazy distances to go to them when I've been close. 

Wednesday after doing work things my coworker Paul and I drove around Columbia. I of course had to go to the capital! And then we drove around USCs campus and again I found the ZTA house there! I love finding ZTA when I'm on college campuses! And then we went to a little place near campus Yesterday's for lunch and we laughed because Paul listed all the random things in Columbia and one of them was a Hootie & the Blowfish monument, and a few minutes later some Hootie was on the radio! And since they were founded while the guys were at USC it was awesome to hear him there. And the best part was on Friday night Darius on Twitter answered his favorite place in Columbia was Yesterday's! Loved it! And the waitress also thought we were long lost cousins, her mom's grandma's maiden name is the same as my last name... it was pretty entertaining! And then after our fun in Columbia we just drove around and had fun just turning left or right! I'm always up for an adventure! 

Columbia Statehouse

Hootie & the Blowfish monument/statue in Columbia

And then work was work. The conference went smooth and I'm glad it was the last one of the spring. Sunday afternoon Amy came up to Columbia to get me and we explored a little going to the Robert Mills House and playing around a gorgeous old house! And then we drove back to Charleston and went to a new Mexican place by where we used to live with a few friends and just hung out. Monday Amy had to work and it was a yucky dreary day, plus I was just tired so I slept in and had a slow day, but did go to one of my favorites the Tattooed Moose for lunch! And then when it was time to pick Amy up the sun was starting to come out so she showed me around a new place - the old navy yard. They have been trying to reinvigorate the area and she did some work for class on one of the buildings, plus Army Wives shoots a lot there, so that was a fun adventure. Then we went to Taco Boy another one of my Charleston favs and then she had to do some thesis work so hung around studio, but I got to see everyone! Yay for laughing and catching up!

Robert Mills house in Columbia - super famous architect in early 1800s

Waterfront Park at the Navy Yard - a memorial to the Navy in Charleston

Taco Boy

So Tuesday it was sunny! So my plan was the beach! I also wanted to get a mani/pedi. Hey, I'm on vacation! So I enjoyed a slightly windy/chilly day on the beach, but I got to go to Sullivan's which is what I needed SO much! I was at my favorite station 30 and it was perfect, though i was wearing shorts & a fleece and had my towel wrapped around my legs! Silly wind making it cold! Then I said hi to my favorite Fort Moultrie. Can't not stop when I'm in Charleston! And then Tuesday was more relaxing at night after taking a walk down along the battery, through the park and just pretending we had money to buy some gorgeous houses. Honestly it was nice to just have easy days and just hang out at night while Amy did some work on her thesis, it was just what I needed after a spring of go, go, go.

a little windy on Sullivan's Island. I <3 beach="" td="" the="">

I love Fort Moultrie! 

Amy did work on these cannons at Moultrie!! And in the background is Fort Sumter. Kinda far away...

my fav pineapple fountain

 And on my final day Wednesday I finally headed downtown and got a few things from the market and spent most of my afternoon sitting with my feet in the pineapple fountain reading and just absolutely loving life and missing Charleston. When I picked Amy up at work I went in and got to see the Hunley and she showed me around the lab. The Hunley is super famous, it is a Civil War submarine. It was Confederate and sunk a US ship off the coast of Charleston and then also sank itself and was found and brought up and now they are trying to conserve it. I couldn't take pictures but it was SO cool to see how small the first sub was!

the colors were SO bright and the sky was GORGEOUS! 

So after the Hunley fun it was time to say goodbye to Amy and Charleston for a few weeks, I'll be back for Amy's graduation! It is so nice to be back and trying to get my normal life back together, but great to be back in South Carolina!