So if there are things I miss, obviously, there must be things I’ve found here in my new home to replace them and they deserve a mention as well. In no particular order:
- All the gorgeous trees were one of the primary reasons for my wanting to move. My office is in the middle of a little forest, and I love being surrounded by nature.
- Fall when the trees go from green to yellow or orange overnight.
- Snow! I love the snow as long as I’m not stuck trying to drive on ice.
- A smaller town vibe where you can chat with people at the grocery store and no one assumes either party is trying to sell or steal something.
And the food:
- Sweet tea and hush puppies.
- Tip Thai Restaurant where I go to have an occasional quiet splurge dinner on my own.
- Anohka Indian food that tastes like they’ve put an upscale California spin on it. Not quite a homey spiritual meal but dang good.
- Ray’s Ice Cream might have been worth the move all by itself, Ray’s Rocket made with Watermelon Italian ice and delicious vanilla custard is addictive.
- Five Guys with their seasoned fries, reminds us of Sam’s Burgers.
- CheeBurger Cheeburger is tied for best burger, with so many amazing toppings and incredible onion rings.
- Galaxy Diner with their oreo pancakes is a nice place to stop when we’re in Cary Town (which is not quite as cool as College Avenue but still fun).
- Can Can Brasserie for upscale dining and service, we always say we’re going to order the crepes but we always find something else on the menu to tempt us.
- Virginia Museum of Fine Arts VMFA a gorgeous, huge museum, free to the public and just as enjoyable as SFMOMA.
- And last, but not least by any stretch of my imagination, El Toro Loco on Staples Mill Road which is our “comfort food” hangout. This is the one place guaranteed to serve us a satisfying meal (with left overs to take home) at a great price with friendly service.
I’ve met some great people and am looking forward to building more new friendships as time goes on, and, I can’t express enough thankfulness for the journey.