2011 DuCkUmEnTaRy

No rewriting history or solving mysteries, but I did dive into a pile of gold coins sand. Let's be honest with each other, Memorial Day at Duck Beach, N.C. --Mormon singles mecca-- is sensory overload for me; I have to talk myself into going. Not that I hate the beach, I've actually come to love it more the last 5 years (I was always a mountain person) but a crowded beach with thousands of my closest friends, not so much.

Yet after a few years of committing then selling my spot to do something else, I actually went this year-- a decision made one whole week before the actual event! That in itself got me in somewhat of a mess, but lets stick the positive, shall we? Let's see, there was the entertaining opportunity to watch Mormon film makers follow four awkwardly Mormon people around to make an Indie film about single Mormon's at Duck (I think it sparked a trend, since PBS was in a singles ward filming this past weekend.) There was also the amazingly nice "main" house that a few of my friends were staying in, so I spent the majority of time either at the beach with them or at their pool. When we weren't at either of those places we were eating the most amazing fish tacos I've ever had in my life. Bible, we went at least once a day. Oh, and there was the Huge TV where SJ and I watched a movie while making new friends and viewing awkward encounters from the shadows. There was also NYC Acoustic Night, crabbing, tons of chatting and endless Karaoke that included a storm trooper courtesy of JJ. Not to mention the night of board games, junk food and fake tattoos. To top it off, AD and I stayed an extra day meaning by Monday afternoon when 99 percent of Duck population left, we got a spot in the main house and a beach basically to ourselves for two whole days--Heaven!

On the way back we had a caravan with AD in my car and FM in SH's car. We had some childish but fun food fights, a stop at Sonic and even though we were somehow separated... when we pulled off on our Alexandria exit 5 hours later, who were we behind? Maganers and Hill! See, no need to mention our nasty house that included a bed with a child-birthing sized blood stain on the mattress, the broken AC, bug infestation or the fact we had to walk nearly a mile whenever we wanted to eat. With a beach nearby, it proves you can get around most anything.