Charleston, South Carolina

Day one.

I woke up in Ashville. Got my stuff together and Kyle drove me to the greyhound station. The way everyone talks seems like the bus is a terrible experience, he asked if I wanted him to wait and the night before all the guys were asking if I needed them to come with me, Kyle told me to call him if I needed anything and then we hugged and parted ways. When I was giving my ticket to the bus driver he took one look at me and said,

“This is your first time, aint it? You got that dazed look in your eyes. Your about to learn what the bus is like.”

That was strange but it’s my only way to Charleston and I wasn’t about to pay $400 for a plane ticket. The bus wasn’t so bad. Ya sure there were a few drunks, a few crack heads that looked like homeless people and in worse shape than I would imagine Charles Bukowski in after reading Post Office. There was this one down southern girl who was in bright blue high heels and talked so loudly that the bus driver had to tell us to give her a Xanax. I listened to my ipod until it died, read a little, and watched Confessions of a Dangerous Mind on my computer. One guy threw up so we had to evacuate the bus. He was so drunk just standing there with a stupid look on his face, he doesn’t know anything about the world or how to be a positive contribution to it. An ambulance came and picked him up and he did a rock star hand symbol on the stretcher. We got back on the bus and continued to Charleston. We finally arrived and I got the first cab I saw to the luxurious Red Roof Inn. Let me tell you, this room is D I S G U S T I N G. it smells muggy and gross and obviously has no window that I can open for fresh air. The navy blue carpet is damp. The only fantastic thing about it, which I desperately needed, is a king sized bed and a nice warm shower. So I took advantage of both those things and two hours later I got a cab to take me down town.

Downtown Charleston is pretty cool. South Carolina is so green and lush and also carries with it one hell of a history. One street is gorgeous and lots of people and the next is all black and broken windows and somewhere you don’t want to be. I walked around for hours when it started raining. I had no umbrella so I was walking in the warm rain and loving it until about 9pm when it was getting too ridiculous wandering around in the dark, alone, soaking wet, and not hungry so I tried to get a cab. That didn’t work so I continued walking. I asked some people where Market St. was and they pointed in the opposite direction as I was walking and I started walking in hopes of getting a cab to my room. I walked two steps when a beautiful girl on her bike rode next to me on the sidewalk and asked what I was looking for.

“Can I help you find something? What’s at Market st.? Where are you going? I’m not trying to hit on you, don’t worry.”

She was talking so fast I didn’t get a word in until I finally said

“I’m not worried. I don’t know where I’m going. I’m not from here so I’m just walking.”

Lauren and I got to talking. I told her about how I just graduated and I was confused/am confused and I need this time to just travel and explore. She was saying how she is in the Charleston College and doesn’t know what she wants to do after either and how she wants to do what I’m doing. Yada yada she invites me to the bar she’s going to to meet her friends, I had nothing better to do so I went. We got there, she bought me a beer and introduced me to her table of friends. Do you think it was fate that I wasn’t able to get a cab? I think that it was pretty perfect that I got to spend an evening with some very interesting, funny people. At about 1am I took a cab back to my room and slept in my king sized bed.

Day two.

I woke up and was so sticky and muggy that I felt gross but I was in a king sized bed with three pillows, naked, so I wasn’t about to go anywhere. I watched Prison Break for a while and did nothing until mid day when I took a shower and called a cab to take me downtown. I figured there was a lot I didn’t get to see and I looked up this Gin Joint on Yelp where they said they had the best gin drinks “ever!.” I waited for a little while the taxi. I got in and asked him to take me downtown, the closest he could get me for $10, because that’s all the cash I had. He said he doesn’t cross the bridge for than little and asked where I was going, I said just wandering. I don’t have a car so I can’t really see Charleston because I chose not to couchsurf here, for the first time in this trip since Memphis two months ago I have my own room and no people, it’s interesting. He said

“I’ll tell you what, want to ride around with me for a while, we will pick up people and that way you can check out more of South Carolina?”

I was a little skeptical but said ok. I told him I wanted to see big houses and cool places. So we drove around for hours by the beach, he showed me really big rich houses, and we got lunch at this great seafood restaurant on the river. Then he dropped me off downtown and I paid only 20 dollars for the whole day. I know what my brother and mom are thinking, they are probably scared that I could be so open and in their words “stupid.” I guess it was instinct that I didn’t think I would get hurt. He dropped me off at about 6 downtown and I walked to new places on the pier. I visited Lauren at work at a burrito joint and sat on their patio for a while. I went into a small bookshop, I walked and sat in a park, got frozen yogurt and had a great evening. By 7 15 ish I decided to check out that gin spot called The Gin Joint on Easy Bay st. I stepped into a different era when I stepped into that place. The waiter had on a red button down shirt, grey slacks, white suspenders, and a green bow tie. The bar was stocked with glass bottles and there were only two beers on tap, no vodka in the place. The bartender had on a vest, and a green bow tie and made me one of the best gin drinks I have ever had. I sat in a seat that was not by anyone but I had no move next to a couple of guys because more people came in. They were cool and worked their and were just hanging out, drinking. We got to talking and savoring our delicious drinks, you know just shooting the shit. Another one of their co workers came by and sat next to me on the other side, James. I ordered a drink with homemade ginger beer, gin, lime, and other stuff and a candied ginger slice with mint and it was amazing. We all started talking and then it was just James and I talking for a while. After a couple hours he got both of us a drink with egg white in it and absinth. I didn’t like it so he drank most of it. I was ready to leave because by that point I was pretty hungry when James told me of this great burger joint that he would drive us to, the other one, Scott, came along. I guess I was in for the ride. My mom and brother would not approve. So we drove to this bar not far where they have great food, I had a traditional Irish car bomb and a chili cheese dog with fries. We played darts until it was late. I was sitting watching James shoot darts when he walked up and slowly kissed me. It was unexpected because all three of us were just being goofy all night. Scott stayed with his roommate who later came and James and I went for a ride. I wanted to go home. After making out in the car he asked

“My place or yours”

I said, “I want to go to my place and I want you to go to yours. I don’t want to sleep with you.”

So he said “that’s totally fine. Whatever you want to do.” The usual guy response.

The thought of sex doesn’t turn me on anymore. I guess it’s the thought of sex with someone that really cares about me and that I care about that really turns me on. I only want one person to enjoy me and who really knows me. I am completely fine until that happens. I went home and passed out and woke up to a message from James on my motel phone with his number, but I don’t think I’m going to do anything with it.

It’s my last full day here and I think I’m going to the beach. Tomorrow I’m off to Atlanta, Georgia to stay with Robert! He is a dear friend that went to Arizona and graduated a year before me and moved to Atlanta. Actually I met him at my very first music festival, Coachella, and we became great friends with a special bond there. Very exciting.