Blogs from Durham, North Carolina, United States, North America - page 2

After hitting the rack early last night, I was hoping today would bring great things. Best laid plans, right? After waking up on the hour throughout the night I was hardly refreshed. I woke up at 8:30 and after some brief planning, I finally sucked it up and got set to hit the road around 11:00 am. After loading up the car with all my gear, I started to leave the parking lot and noticed a shimmy in the left side of the rental car. I got out to inspect the cause and found the culprit - a flat left rear tire. So I called Avis’ roadside assistance number and they sent out a team to change the tire. Before they arrived, I checked the spare. Of course the replacement was one of those small donut ... read more

Life has been busy since my last entry--I successfully defended my dissertation, moved to North Carolina, started my dream job, helped Ken and the cats move into our new apartment, and started planning for my next trip abroad--South Africa! My first trip outside of the U.S. was to South Africa back in 2001. I went back in 2005 for my master's thesis project, but now that I am directing a 5-year HIV prevention project in Cape Town with couples who hang out in bars, I will be there on a fairly regular basis. My first trip for the project is mid-January, so stay tuned! In the meantime, I wanted to write about the momentous occasion of the election of Barak Obama as our new president. I found that it took me a few days to allow ... read more

Wednesday afternoon, after updating my blog at the library I head out to visit a couple of parks in and around Greensboro in my attempt to make sure my pups stay happy on this trip. Obviously, they're spoiled. We walked through the Bog Gardens, the Bicentennial Gardens and Barber Park; I think that'll do it for a while, at least until Lynchburg. While I was out I decided to call Duke (only an hour away) to let them know I was in town, to see if I could maybe stop by for a short visit before Sunday. Ms. Barber, the assistant to the Director of Graduate Studies was very friendly and asked that I meet her around 10 the next morning. 10am Thursday, we met and she had taken the time to generate a 2-day itinerary ... read more

My last days in North Carolina have been relaxing and also a bit emotional. I spent an excellent two days in Surf City, NC visiting a long time friend and having a last look at the Atlantic Ocean. Upon retruning to Durham, I had to turn over costody of Gus to his new family. I know they will take good care of him so I'm not worried.... read more

Leaving the city this past Tuesday, I felt the urge to stay in the bay. Staring at the UN plaque in the Civic Center bart station, I realized that immense history and richness have surrounded me during the past 8 years (richness I probably did not fully appreciate and enjoy). The feeling intensified as the plane took off. This departure marked the moment that I will no longer return as a traveler back to home base, but as a traveler from another place, at least in the immediate future. People ask why leave. Catch words that immediately come to mind: adventure, diversity, accomplishment, food, etc. Honest truth is, I'm not 100% sure myself. Time to tear things apart and rebuild, hopefully in a positive fashion. The idea sounds okay, but what the architectural plan is, I'm ... read more