Getting Settled in North Carolina

I am finally settled into my new place in North Carolina. I am pleased with the new place because it has much larger living, kitchen, and bathroom area than my previous apartment in Louisiana. I now have 816 square feet vs. 630 square feet for the same price. I love the location as well. There are several restaurants just across the street, including Greek, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, etc. There's also a Target, Wal-Mart, TJMaxx/Home Goods, Barnes and Noble, a movie theater, grocery store, and Dairy Queen right across the street. Best of all, and genealogy-related, is that I have my genealogy office back!

When I downsized from a two-bedroom to a one-bedroom in January, I had to dismantle the genealogy office due to lack of space. My desk ended up in storage, and everything else (besides the bookcases) ended up in my bedroom closet. This office is even better than my previous office because I don't have to share the space with a guest bedroom. I had to give up a dining room table to have my current office, but who eats at a table anyway? Of course, now I have a furry creature who thinks this is her new office:

At least I have a child interested in genealogy, right?

Not only did I get a new apartment and new genealogy office, I also bought a new car this week! My old car was a 2000 Dodge Neon that had seen it's day. I decided it's time for a new car so that I can feel safe driving in my new surroundings and taking road trips. There are several road trips that I would like to take now that I've got so many new places to explore! My new car is a 2010 Nissan Altima. It is fully loaded with everything except a navigation system (which I already have), so this has been super fun to me since my old car didn't even have a working radio or electric locks. I can listen to my iPod through the radio and even talk on my cell phone through the radio. It's pretty darn neat!!





And speaking of road trips, I've already taken one this week. Cade and I drove to the Virginia border and got on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Fancy Gap, Virginia. We drove down the parkway about 100 miles to Blowing Rock, North Carolina. It was a beautiful drive, though we didn't realize how much time it actually adds to your trip if you take the Parkway instead of the normal highways. We had intended to make it all the way to Asheville, but maybe next time.

View of the Piedmont (the area east of the Blue Ridge Mountains)

Virginia agricultural view on the Parkway

This must be why they call them BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS

Cade being silly on Blowing Rock

All in all, I am really pleased with my new surroundings. Hopefully, I will be back to genealogy blogging soon, especially now that I have my space back!