I never really got attached to Charlottesville because, while here, I constantly reminded myself that it was simply a temporary home for us. It was just another stop on our nomadic path to a one-day life of permanent, domestic bliss. Stay a year, move along.

So, when people were snobby or things didn't go smoothly for me, I said, "Whatever, that's just Charlottesville." The restaurants were good. It was nice to be able to walk wherever I wanted. But it never felt like the city in which I lived. Rob was a student, and I was almost a tourist; his live-in girlfriend, along for the ride.

I surprised myself on Thursday when I started feeling sad on my walk to get some coffee. Rob and I were only in town long enough to spend the night, pack a few things, and get brunch with some friends before heading to DC. It was early and it had rained all night, so the ground was damp and the air was cool. I would miss this place, I realized. I walked out the door and took a few steps before turning back for a scarf. The streets were quiet. The walk from apartment to coffee shop felt final.

I love Charlottesville, and I love my friends here, but I hadn't planned to feel bad about moving away.

I got to Para and ordered a latte, chatted with the barista, and took a seat at the bar to write a couple things down in a notebook. "Alright," I thought a few minutes later, "time for me to get back home." Home. I use the word loosely, and then I confuse myself with my many homes.

I walked back to the apartment, feeling a little down. There were things to pack, and the weekend would begin with Rob catching a flight to the other side of the world. But then I walked into our bedroom and crawled into the familiar arms of my still sleeping and scruffy-faced boyriend, and I felt at home, realizing that the great restaurants and that library and the coffee shop with homemade pistachio milk certainly help, but in the end, it doesn't matter if it's Charlottesville or Charlotte or Roanoke or China, because home is about who you find when you get there.

Breakfast has become one of my favorite Paleo meals, but that's because it usually consists of some eggs, coffee, and a lot of bacon. So when my new friend Sarah asked me about my take on egg-free Paleo breakfasts, I was actually not sure what to say for a few minutes. I didn't have any advice! Then, I remembered something good. Smoothies!

I like to throw a couple handfuls of spinach into my fruit smoothies because it makes me feel sneaky. You can't taste it and if the color doesn't bother you, you're really not going to be able to tell the difference. Unfortunately, a smoothie doesn't keep me full nearly long enough, even with spinach. So, I threw half of an avocado in the blender, and it did the trick!

Ingredients:

Makes one big smoothie or two smaller ones.

1-2 handfuls of spinach

1/2 cup almond milk

1/2 cup strawberries + blueberries
(fresh is good but frozen is fine)

1-2 tbsp honey (more if you like)

1/2 of an avocado

1 banana

8-10 large ice cubes

1. Put ingredients in blender.

2. Blend.

3. Pour into a cute jar and drink with a straw.

Hello again from Charlotte! Rob and I got here on Sunday afternoon and have been enjoying some time relaxing with his parents. Yesterday we took a three hour hike up an awesome peak and have literally been doing nothing since then. Since quitting my job last week, I have been unable to sleep in past 7:30 each morning, but at least it's giving me time to work on my paper before our day really starts. 

We'll be here until Wednesday, then heading up to Charlottesville for a night before I take Rob to DC to catch his flight to China on Friday. Then I guess things will start to settle down for a bit. Or, at least, I won't be driving quite so much.

Until then, here are some snapshots from our day at my parents' house. We drank wine and ate even more tuna and sat outside, enjoying the view. It is wonderful to be at the lake when everyone is home. Summer is so close I can taste it.

Celebratory tequila shots.

Sean filleting yet another tuna.

Outdoor dining on the porch.

Sunday morning reading.

Hope you're all having a nice week so far. Stay tuned for a giveaway tomorrow!