The next few weeks are going to consist of some good ol’USA time. After flying back from Ireland, I was able to spend some time at home with my parents and catching up with friends. Two of my good friends from high school are getting married this summer (they’ve been dating for quite a few years now!). I was able (thanks to some help from my mom) to throw a Bridal Brunch for all of the ladies of the wedding party which was a ton of fun. Not all of us knew each other, so that was another good reason to meet up before the day of the wedding. We had some great food including prosciutto wrapped melon, grape salad, seafood quiche, french toast casserole, and cupcakes to top everything off. So much good food. YUM.

After that it was time to play a bit of catchup with things at home, and then head to Charlotte, North Carolina to visit a friend for Memorial Day Weekend! That trip almost started out pretty badly, as I have somehow gotten into my head that I was leaving on Thursday when, in fact, my flight was on Wednesday. I caught it Tuesday afternoon, so it gave me enough time to organize, pack, and rearrange my ride to the airport.

The weather in Charlotte has been beautiful, and my favorite part [so far] has been going to the US National Whitewater Center. It’s this huge complex of mountain-biking trails, rope challenges, Tough Mudder-esque obstacles, white water rafting, and all other kinds of cool outdoorsy stuff you could imagine. It is seriously such a cool place, and I want to spend a whole week (or longer?) exploring! Alas, that’s probably going to have to wait until my next trip to Charlotte.

US National Whitewater Center Charlotte, North Carolina

An Example of the Tough Mudder Obstacles

The week was finished up with a really fun murder mystery dinner put on by The Dinner Detective in Charlotte, NC. It was a show, puzzle, and dinner all in one and was a lot of fun! They have locations all over the US, and are listed below. Prices vary by location, but start in that $55 per person range. If you’re looking for something a little bit different to do for a night out I would highly recommend it.

Albuquerque, NM • Atlanta, GA • Austin, TX • Boston, MA • Charlotte, NC • Chicago, IL • Colorado Springs, CO • Dallas, TX • Denver, CO • Des Moines, IA • Fort Collins, CO • Houston, TX • Indianapolis, IN • Jacksonville, FL • Kansas City, MO • Long Beach, CA • Los Angeles, CA• Louisville, KY • Milwaukee, WI • Minneapolis, MN • Oklahoma City, OK • Omaha, NE • Ontario, CA • Orange County, CA • Phoenix, AZ • Portland, OR • Raleigh-Durham, NC • Sacramento, CA • Salt Lake City, UT • San Diego, CA • San Francisco/Oakland, CA • San Jose, CA •Schaumburg, IL • Seattle, WA • Tampa, FL • Ventura, CA