You ask, I (try to) answer

"Where exactly is New Bern, North Carolina?"

This is the most popular question from my from geography-challenged friends. Well, don't fear lucky reader and friend! My husband found the wonderful picture above that gives you a better idea about the location of our new town home!

"When are you expecting to move?"

Second most popular question. For those of you who have previous experience moving, you know that trying to pin this down is like trying to medicate a greased pig (don't ask for a picture of that-I don't have one). Our 'plan' is to have the movers come and pack us up on Monday, June 16th. Of course, that is today's best guess and is subject to change with little notification and enormous amounts of anxiety (just kidding, I think).

"Have you sold your place?"

A popular question from our money-conscious friends and neighbors. The (unfortunate) answer to this question is, no. Bummer. Y'all know anyone who is wanting to buy an immaculate, move-in condition town home? Send 'em our way!

Frustrated Southerner no more?!?!

Not sure what you're looking at? It's our new residence! Yes! We had a moment of insanity (actually entire weeks worth of insanity), threw caution to the wind, followed our hearts and were led to this town home in the colonial capital of North Carolina . . . New Bern.

Yup, after eight years north of the Mason-Dixon line, we are moving down to North Carolina. New Bern, NC is located about two and a half hours east of Raleigh, 45 minutes from Jacksonville and 45 minutes from Greenville (home of East Carolina University). On the Inner Banks, New Bern was recently recognized by Coastal Living Magazine as one of the places to live if you wanted to live on the coast. In fact, the authors of the Coastal Living article commented that New Bern is a smaller version of Williamsburg, VA. Hmmm . . . . Did I mention that I grew up part time in Williamsburg?

Intersected by the Neuse and Trent Rivers, New Bern has water all over the place! The bottom picture was taken from the back deck of the town home. It looks out onto a canal that leads to the Trent River. Oh! Did I mention we have our own boat dock? There is even a step down platform almost at water level for your canoe and/or kayak. If you were to go out to the Trent River, hang a left, a mile or so down you would T intersect with the Neuse River. Take a right onto the Neuse and you'd be headed down to Oriental and the Intracoastal waterway.

Some of you might be familiar with New Bern. Besides being picturesque and surrounded by water, it is just up the road from Havelock, home of the Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station and Croatan National Forest.

Oh geez. I'm excited, nervous, scared, cautiously optimistic and a whole bunch more human emotions that I'll not bore you to tears by listing.

More to come later!