BEST WEEKEND EVER!!

Oooh Wow..
what a weekend..
Perhaps tops the list of crazy things i;ve done.. but SO SOOOO glad i did it

So.. for the whole Couchsurfers.com thing.. a mysterious "Nathan Arden" posted a message to everyone in the Asheville community saying that he was planning a road trip up to this Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scotsboro, Alabama.
I initially (as usual) was gung ho.. as time crept closer, i started chickening out.. in which Nathan talked me out of all my excuses.
As a result this past friday i waited anxiously as 2 fellow Asheville Couchsurfers picked me up at my place.. one, Harayz i knew from many times of texting/messages AND we spent one night at a bar.. the other i had no idea who he was.
We drove 8 hours to the little town of Scotsboro, Alabama... Harayz entertained by strumming guitar in the backseat and cuddling with my cuddle frog pillow.. Halfway through i crawled in the backseat with Harayz while we tried to stay warm and tell stories of our travels.. Harayz and i had already started on some drinking in the car so by the time we arrived i was quite giddy..

The party was already going.. delicious smells were drifting from the kitchen.. laughter and people were all over..
I do remember there was quite a time i was literally sitting on the heater, letting the warmth flow up and everywhere.. everyone asked me if i was doing my Marilyn Monroe impression.. i was JUST getting WarM!
We geared up.. drank.. mixed drinks.. sampled others.. talked... mingled.. went into the Roman Room for some black lights and herbal fun.. then back down to try to act "normal" and then back up.. 8 of us piled on a Queen bed.. up WAY past everyone else.. giggling.. hearing conversations on the other side of the bed and our side trying to decipher their mutterings.. all of us ending up in laughter.... then came the time where the talk slowed down and eyes were droopy.. i remember waking up at one point and seeing two hands caressing each other in front of me.. i was in the middle.. there were actually 3 people in between these 2, but they didn't care.. they wanted to caress each others hands.. i felt hands brushing.. touching.. feeling all over for a good 45 minutes until we all drifted off into a pile of sleep..
The next morning i woke at 9 am.. WAY before anyone else.. had WAY too much energy and ended up glittering everyone..
we hung around until noon or so.. Harayz strumming on his guitar... germans talking german accenty.. chocolate chip
pancakes and bacon and sausage being made.. i played soccer with one of the germans with a tennis balll.. INTENSE!!

At the Unclaimed Baggage Center.. WOW
It certainly is not small.. nor is their selection sparce... I bought Bongos, a Ukelele and a beautiful gold trimmed Sari. I saw everything from spikey heeled boots to Punky Brewster shoes to costumes for dogs to surfboards to a Compound bow (which i REALLY anted but was $450), burned cds, lacrosse set, tea set....
AND i ran into Julie and Nick!!! hugs and laughter and catching up...
AND i ran into Wade!! ohh Wade! ha~! i miss him~ we used to work at the Arboretum together and since he left (graduateD) in 07 i think ive seem him TWICE now.. such an infectious smile.. he needs to come couchsurf with me~
AND Trent came to visit too!! he initially went to the Unclaimed Baggage Center (which i had just lefT) and eventually showed up at the lodge where everyone was staying AND spent the night! SOO exciteD! i hadnt seen him in forever and i have him to thank for introducing me to couchsurfing.com.. I OWE him.. i owe him big times.. not JUST for that, but for everything else he has done for/to me whether he knows it or not..

Last night a lot of them went out to the bars.. since my license was expired i decided not to chance it and stayed back.. which was not a good idea.. down times brought out the thought tiems and i started cleaning like a madman to make it all stop.. People kept leaving to go cuddle down on the pier in the FREEZING.. or to bars or to wherever.. i felt like doing NOTHING..
Eventually people came back.. and the night culminated in the Big Ball war.. JP (from Birmingham, AL) and Trent and I vs. 6 or 7 on the other side of the room.. the rule was you had to bounce the ball on the floor before it hit or went to another person.. though i made my share of direct hits to peoples heads (NOT on purpose).... in the middle of it all.. the bar folk came back.. drifted upstairs or to bed... I played soccer with the tennis ball with my German friend again for a good long time.. was super tired.. went upstairs to check out the scene.. but it was boring so i went back downstairs and crashed, cuddled in a corner.. wishing for certain things that i knew wouldn't happen.. the hope still lingered..

Last day.. i woke at 6:30 with WAY too much energy.. helped the chef cook french toast and walked to the pier with him and made more breakfast.. jumped on peoples beds.. jumped IN some peoples beds (depending who they were and how badly i wanted them to wake up).. SLOW.. long morning..
At around 11 i went upstairs so we could all do one more Roman Round hit before we all split.. i think i got WAY too good of a hit because for the next 4 hours i was floating.. giggling.. feeling soo distant yet soo close.. lookin in the mirror and freaking out because i thought i had a lazy eye.. hearing people clap and feeling Trent hug me as he left and i kept my eyes closed feeling as though everyone was clapping for me.. wow.. it was a VERY VERY good feeling.. though i felt kinda bad because i felt VERY out of touch with reality..
slept the whole way back.. invited Harayz and Miguel in for cocoa and popcorn as i popped in my blacklight, cranked up the music and we chiled for a bit, recollecting memories of the weekend..
the weekind i can never
and willl never forget

SOO many new experiences.. new situations i had never been in before.. some were intimidating.. some were scary.. some were intriguing.. tempting.. fun.. intense.. delightful.. freeeing..

all in all
i am super glad i did it
and would LOVE to do something like this again.

Nor could i forget any of the people i shared the weekend with
ESPECIALLY
Nathan
Harayz
German Micheal (sp?)
Trent
Holly

thank you all again
and pictues will be up soon :)