Wilmington to Raleigh, North Carolina

Well, the weather picked up for the better:) Alex and I have enjoyed a nice and sunny week. We spent the last few days in Wilmington, NC and today we just arrived in Raleigh, NC.

Wilmington is a really nice North Carolina coastal city. There are tons of beautiful old homes and buildings; plenty of nice shops and restaurants; and they have a nice University, as well. The first day we were there we spent the day walking around the college campus. It's not a really big college, but the buildings and grounds were beautiful.

View of the campus sitting from a bench swing

There were many column style buildings on the campus

I met a girl at the Starbucks close by the college who just got accepted into the University's very competitive nursing program. I over-heard her talking to her friend about getting in the program, so I introduced myself and told her I was a nurse. She said the nursing program there is very hard to get into and most of her classmates in her prerequisite classes didn't get in. She had a mixture of emotions; shocked, excited, nervous, etc. I can remember how I felt when I got into nursing school in Sacramento. I couldn't believe it either. After three semesters of applications, I couldn't believe it was actually true that I finally got accepted. I remember opening the letter at my parents house and my dad was in the kitchen. I walked into the kitchen and said to my dad with a surprised/shocked expression in my tone and face, "Dad, I just got the letter about the nursing program!" He says, "What? You didn't get in?" "No, I got in!"
After the first two times I applied to multiple nursing programs and never got in, I guess it was just expected that I was going to get turned down for a third time. Then while going through the nursing program, it was the most stress I've ever experienced in my entire life. I had multiple melt-downs and feelings went through my head like, "Maybe nursing just isn't for me, I won't make a good nurse, This is too stressful!" But I did it. And being a nurse is a lot less stressful than being a nursing student. I'm so glad I didn't give up. I told the girl at the coffee shop about my experience as a nursing student vs. a licensed nurse and hoped that it would bring her encouragement.

Alex and I walked around the Wilmington downtown and river area admiring all the beautifully restored buildings. The town has a very nice river-walk lined with unique and affordable shopping. Wilmington was one of the only ports open for exporting cotton during the Civil War. So, it was very important in a commercial aspect during that time. Most of the beautiful homes in the historic district were owned by merchants and plantation owners.

On the River in Wilmington

World War II Naval Ship

I thought this looked cool. The asphalt covering up the old brick road.

Alex sitting at a bench in the middle of the street

Old Apt building in Wilmington

Wilmington has a very picturesque feel to it, especially now that it is springtime with flowers budding everywhere.

Beautiful flower vine growing along an old house

Springtime Blossoms

Downtown Wilmington

Downtown Wilmington

Many films and TV shows have been filmed there to capture the "typical American hometown."  Since I've been traveling, I would not say that Wilmington is a "typical American hometown," It is far above average. I would say the typical American hometown is forgettable, meaning there isn't much that stands out when it comes to beauty, charm and history. Wilmington is a town that you would like to think that it represents what the rest of America is like. I really enjoyed my time there.

Old Historic Mansion

Historic Mansion

Restaurant on the river

This was a fire bell rung whenever there was a fire in the town. Last rang in 1917.

Now we are in Raleigh, NC. It's the Capital of North Carolina. The wonderful thing about State Capitals is that they are free to tour. They have an abundance of history and it is all free. I love that! So, earlier today we walked around the rather small capital building and enjoyed learning about North Carolina. Most of the exhibits had to do with the Civil War and not how North Carolina became a state, which is what most State Capitals talk about. It seems like ever since Georgia all I learn is something about the Civil War. I guess it makes since because the Civil War is a huge part of "Southern History." North Carolina was the last State to secede from the Union and they seceded when Abraham Lincoln ordered the Governor to send 75,000 troops to Charleston, SC to stop the southern rebellion after the battle at Fort Sumter. The Governor refused and then held an emergency meeting for the state to decide if they were going to secede, as well, and they did.

North Carolina Capital Building

Anyways, I'm getting a little tired of all this war history. Is there any history in the South that doesn't involve war and racial discrimination? I'm sure there is, but it seems like the majority of the stressed history involves war, fighting, rebellion and discrimination.

One of the many statues dedicated to honoring the Confederate Army

I haven't mentioned food in awhile on the blog, so I guess today I will. We ate at a really good Thai/Vietnamese Cafe. It wasn't your typical Thai cafe, it was more Americanized, without compromising the traditional flavors of Thai cuisine. They had a variety of sandwiches and salads. I got a delicious grilled chili steak sandwich with chili mayo. The chili wasn't actually chili, like beans and stuff, it was the spice chili. It was sooooo good, lite and fresh:)  On the side I got a coconut lime chili soup with button mushrooms and shrimp. I wish they had a place like this in Sacramento and if they do then please tell me about it.