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Jai & EL

Shine & Rise

Updated: Oct 25, 2021

Let’s catch you up. Charleston was a bust. Upon our arrival we learned that our a/c shifted while in motion annnnnd we needed a mobile RV mechanic to come out. Once that was fixed we finally were able to explore the town a bit. I expected a quaint little town filled with local small businesses of coffee, art, craft beer, baked goods and restaurants. It definitely was not that. It was way more commercialized. We did have one good meal, and an ok cup of coffee from Bitty & Beau’s where all the employees have some sort of disability. It’s an experience, a movement, a human rights movement. if you’re ever in Charleston or DC stop in and say hello. I believe there are 21 locations throughout the United States total. The next five days we spent on Shine & Rise organic farm in Painter, Virginia. Our host was once the chief of staff for the Governor of Virginia, but felt inclined to helping the environment and removing the carbon footprint that he decided to do something about it. Upon arrival, we realized the right turn into our site was about to be extremely challenging. Our entry point was only a few feet larger than our rig because on either side of us were 2‘ ditches. In any slight turn in either direction we would tumble over so I indeed must be the darn best ground guide I was trained to be. Oh, about 30 minutes later we were in our site only for me to super impressed with our skills, so much so I somehow convinced my wife to turn the rig around. After asking repeatedly if we were good to go I guide Jai around only to be stopped by A LARGE TREE. How Jai missed the tree during her lay of the land I’m not sure but now we are committed. I’m 40 years old and throw my back out when I pick up my Boston terrier but I’m determined to move this tree! Scrapes, blood, reverses, drives and lots of fucks after the tree was moved and were 3/4 around the brush! We eventually made it and set up camp for the next week. The host and his daughter took us on a two hour tour of the farm. This farm had chickens, roosters, turkeys, pigs, a miniature horse, fruit and nut trees, herbs and vegetables. We were able to help ourselves to as many blueberries and basil that we wanted, and we helped ourselves to a generous amount so we made blueberry jam and pesto. The time we spent here was exactly what we needed. It gave us time to breathe, relax and enjoy the company of each other while appreciating Mother Earth. Also worth mentioning are Savage Neck dunes which is home to the Tiger beetle. This is the only place that this insect exists and therefore the dunes are protected. We stopped in a local dive spot Yuk Yuk & Joe’s which just so happened to be a Philly bar.

On our way to Karen and CJ’s for the birth of their baby girl who live in Maryland we stayed in Aberdeen, MD for a few days. We checked out the harbor and ate crabs in Baltimore. Jai never really sat down and picked crabs before so we really enjoyed doing this together. we feasted on crab legs, Maryland blue crabs, oysters, and crab fries. That say also brought us to the Guinness factory which I wasn’t too impressed with. Cool outdoor space but again, too commercialized. Onto Karen and CJ’s…and here is where I’ll end this entry because at this point life is about to change. and I’ll catch you up soon.

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