"Headed Down South to the Land of the Pines..."

     I have always been a dreamer; restless at heart and a free spirit.  Amidst the turmoil and emotional upheaval I was enduring at home, I longed to escape, to fly away.  I was envious of many of my friends, who were fortunate enough to go far away for college, mostly on athletic scholarships.  I felt somewhat alone, and stuck, here at home while my best friends were having the time of their lives at school, some without a care in the world.  I felt trapped in the dark abyss that was my father's mental and emotional state -- I knew if I stayed here he would bring me down with him, as I could feel my own emotional strength wavering.  It then occurred to me that I did not have to stay here; that the only thing keeping me was, well, me.  It so happened that my best friend was away at school in North Carolina, in a tiny town in the Blue Ridge mountains.  Her parents purchased a house for investment purposes, and for her to live in while she attended school on a soccer scholarship.  Due to her team's rigorous summer workout and practice schedule, it was decided that she would remain there for the duration of the summer, rather than come home for the break.  I was working at Nordstrom and was nearing the end of a semester at junior college at the time.  I saw an opportunity in that my best friend (more like a sister) had a home for the summer in a place far, far away -- I knew this was my chance to get away like I had always dreamed.  I realized I had to leave my comfort zone and the security of my job, friends, and hometown.  I just had to see what I was missing out on in the world.  Surely, I thought to myself, there must be more to life out there than staying here and continuing to allow my emotionally dependent father to constantly lean on me... Right?  The decision was made quickly -- I would set out at the end of May and make the long, 2,300-mile drive from Orange County to Asheville, North Carolina.  I convinced a close girlfriend to make the journey with me (she was recently laid off and collecting a hefty sum of unemployment compensation each month) -- I think I might have thrown the "you only live once" argument at her in order to seal the deal.  We set off on the 36-hour drive with excitement and anticipation in our hearts.  We were going to see America, but it felt like we were off on an adventure to see the world.  I felt free.