mystery CASH!

Went to the Midtown Beach Music Series in North Hills for the first time last night and a friend paid forward her good fortune by buying us a round! Why was she feeling so generous? She and her boyfriend were the lucky recipients of some cash hidden behind a statue at the Children's Museum in Raleigh. Check out the news story on WNCN. Apparently the donor is a local (anonymous!) restauranteur who just wants to share with others and only asks them to pay it forward. 

Music was great, company was better, and my beer was free! It makes me happy to know that there are people out there who've been successful in life and are happy to share with others. Cheers to that!!

ales for outlaws

Last night I decided to get socialized by attending a Meetup event for people who are somewhat new in town. I was pretty burnt out on checking job postings, so I found a happy hour nearby. I'd been to a few events like this back in DC, and you just really never know what to expect in terms of the crowd you'll meet. I was lucky though -- the group was small but all very outgoing and friendly. We started out by meeting in the bar area at Lonerider Brewery and were then taken on a tour of the equipment.

Learning about the science behind how the beer is produced was really interesting, but the history of the place was even more of a story. Apparently a group of tech guys from Cisco were brewing beer in their basements/garages and decided to really make a go of their hobby. Most of them remained employees of Cisco from the time Lonerider was started in 2009 until about last year. They're growing so quickly that they anticipate becoming a regional brewery in the next 3 years, and will of course need a much larger space to accommodate that level of production. They're also switching from bottles to cans -- a move that will help to expand their presence. 

I really admired these guys' passion for their hobby and willingness to take a risk. They obviously really love what they do, as evidenced by the fact that each of their beers is named after a character (Shotgun Betty, Sweet Josie, Peacemaker, etc.) that actually has a detailed story. You can check out Shotgun Betty's story on their blog. 

Lonerider logo - designed by an artist friend of the founders for FREE

I definitely recommend checking out the place! It will be pretty cool to be able to say "I saw this when" since their ultimate goal is to expand to the entire US.

the world outside of work

Well, it's been a fun-filled few weeks so far, job hunting and getting myself acquainted with my new Raleigh digs! Friday I felt extra motivated to get one last workout in before the holiday weekend, so I dragged myself to a Total Body Conditioning class at O2 with a group of ladies a few decades older than me. Raleigh seems to have an abundance of women like this, who either don't have jobs or must have pretty flexible work situations. I was really impressed by these ladies' endurance, especially since a few of them could've been my grandmother. I felt like a bit of an outsider since I'm pretty sure they know who the regulars are and I was not one of them. Being between jobs is pretty interesting because you get to see what this "other world" is like. I would just be so crazy fit if I could just land a rich husband or win the lottery!

On my way out I stopped by the tiny Dunkin Donuts to get an iced coffee and snapped this picture. There were at least 5-6 cars in the drive thru line all morning. In the time it took me to park, run in, and get back to my car, maybe one or two cars got their orders. This is a major difference between Raleigh and DC -- people down here drive everywhere and are willing to wait for their coffee fix at a ridiculously long drive thru line. DC people would walk blocks and pay an exorbitant amount of money for a Starbucks latte. Both seem kinda crazy, but it struck me as funny how different people's coffee habits can be in different locales. Nevertheless, we all love our coffee and are willing to sacrifice for it ;)

In honor of Memorial Day, here's a pic from my ice cream truck experience in Portsmouth yesterday. Decided to go with the classic bomb pop for this patriotic occasion :) Happy Memorial Day, everyone!!

summer strawberries

Today was really perfect. Mid-70's, gentle breeze... great day for picking strawberries! I headed to Page Farms this evening to grab a bucket of strawberries with some friends. You can start at one end and pick as many strawberries as you want. You'll pay by the weight, but it is so worth it. You can get an entire bucket of strawberries for around 8 bucks. They don't even compare to grocery store strawberries, and the price is really reasonable. I will definitely be going back!

As we walked through the rows of strawberries, I realized how slowly my bucket was filling up as compared to my friends'. I was examining each strawberry and only picking the ones that looked just right. It made me think a lot about what my job search has been like -- if I scrutinize every opportunity and talk myself out of them before I give them a try, my bucket won't fill up very quickly. I may end up finding the right thing, but it may just be a better approach to take more strawberries right now and see what happens. 

That's what I've resolved to do in Raleigh - pick all the strawberries and find the sweetest one. Here goes nothing!

best of both worlds: the cowfish

So far I've been kinda surprised by how little mention of brunch I've heard since moving to Raleigh. Apparently DC regards it as much more of an event, but Raleighites have their own amazing eats. A few nights ago I was invited to dinner with a fun group of new friends at The Cowfish in North Hills and enjoyed some firsts...

1) Sake bomb

Verdict: Not terrible! I know I'm a little late to the game in trying these, but I'm a fan. This may be the only socially acceptable opportunity (over the age of 5) you'll get to bang your fists on a table in public. Take it!

2) Burger WITH sushi

Verdict: Best idea ever. Now those of us who love raw fish and our more carnivorous friends can get along. Not only can you get a burger OR sushi, you can get a burger and sushi together. You can get sushi with burger inside or you can get a burger with sushi toppings. Burgushi is a revelation!

In short: I highly recommend this place whether you are a sushi fiend or don't know which end of a chopstick is which. It's the perfect place to try sushi without fearing that your stomach will be growling by the time you get to your car. If fish eggs aren't your thing, a burger will always be there. 

thoughts on a carwash

After paying my 10 bucks a few days ago, I was reminded of something. A carwash is one of my favorite places to be. It's a place where you can sit blissfully with your car radio turned up, watching as all the grime you(r car) accumulated is rinsed away amidst a sea of fluorescent foam and water. It's beautiful. Now for some background...

Moving to Raleigh has been one of the scariest, most exciting things I've done thus far. Thinking back, making the decision to move to DC without much of a plan felt like a risk, but this has been a bigger decision now that I'm older and (assumedly) wiser. Either way, it's done and I've arrived!

I'm starting this blog to document not only what it's like for me to take a crazy leap (and hopefully not fall!) but also my experiences in RALEIGH, NC a city that promises to have new opportunities for an adventure-seeking, culture-loving young lady like myself. I'll eat, explore, and entertain everything I encounter. Enjoy!