A Bumpy Start

Not long after arriving in Charlotte, I ended up sick in bed for a solid day and half with a fever and lingering sore throat. This is hardly how I wanted to start my journey and even worse to be this kind of house guest at my brother and sister-in-law’ place. But I was thankful to have a place to sleep it off and it wasn’t too long before I was back up and running again.

Friday I went to pick up Jef from the airport. It was the first time I had driven my car after arriving in town. As i got on the highway, the temperature light clicked on, yellow, then red. I decided to continue the shortish journey to the airport because I knew Jef would know what to do. We stopped at a gas station just in time for the engine to start clanking loudly before it died. Apparently my thermostat failed shut causing the radiator fluid to boil out leaving her bone dry and inches from certain engine death. The timing couldn’t have been better. Jef knew how to troubleshoot what looked to be disastrous. We replenished her with coolant fluid (‘we’ means I watched while he did most of the work), and there just so happened to be a auto parts store right across the street. We prayed and thank God, my car started again and drove just fine. However the check engine light came on.

After checking the code and more looking under the hood, we eventually concluded to take my car coco to the mini dealership. They were awesome and got her right in on Saturday morning. They needed to replace a few parts (the thermostat assembly, water pump, etc), major enough to cost an arm and a leg and to keep her in the shop until Monday. In the meantime they gave me a sweet loaner, a white mini cooper s with a black top and loads to pep. Vanilla, as we called her, added to an already brilliant weekend with Jef (who was just in town for the weekend), his aunt and uncle, and my family.

Charlotte is full of active things to do, tennis and frisbee golf at the park, defy gravity (a trampoline center), the pit (go cart racing), obstacle course at the white water center. I also made it out for a little hike at one of the local nature preserves, and I have plans to hike most of the day tomorrow in one of the state parks.

I got coco back earlier this week and she is running like a top. I now have the assurance that she will make the big trip out west. I’m thankful for that peace of mind. Of course I need to figure out a few of the steps to get out there. I am researching my next steps while being serenaded by Itzhak Perlman. I’m excited about what’s to come, even though much of it is unclear I do have a wedding to go to in Colorado in early September. My more immediate plans are to head to central Tennessee next week for a couple of days before I continue west.

I know I have been a bit quiet on IG lately, but I have come out of my ‘bumpy start’ and I’m ready to get out there. Stay tuned to my instagram for photos and blog posts. 🙂