After all is done, after all my travels are over, my body finally betrays me and crashes.

It knows that I don’t have any more travels planned. No work travels. No personal travels. I’m taking a break. It is now time for my body to tire and get sick.

How in a way, I feel great about it, since I’m not sick on vacation, even though I did get a little sick during my Dallas and Moorestown trip, thankfully I felt good for the most part in my Chicago trip.

Rest. I need rest. That is the plan for the weekend. Rest. Everything can be put aside and be done later. Rest. That is all that is needed at the moment.

Rest.

* * *

For the past couple of weeks, I have been hooked on the music from the Broadway show, Hamilton. It’s fucking awesome. I had been listening to the production nonstop practically for the past two weeks or so. The music, so good.

The premise is about the life and time of Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the United States, told in a musical. The catch, the music is hip-hop, blues, R&B and some old school musical. It’s a fantastic mashup and the music is so powerful and so strong. I can’t get enough of it.

I love musicals.

I think that is something that most people don’t know about me, but I love them. I love them when they work. When the music conveys the message and a great story. I love musicals.

In a way, I wish that in life people will burst out in song about what they are thinking and feeling, monologuing, ballading all the time. But tis is not life.

When it comes to musicals, there are a few types of different musicals. I may have touched upon this in this vast blog of words, but here I go again, if it was never discussed.

I’m new to the whole Broadway Musical thing. But it is something that I have loved from when I first saw Rent (the movie) and fell in love with the music.

Now, to be fair, I had been a lover of movie musicals before. Moulin Rouge, Singin’ in the Rain among others.

To the different type of musicals and which ones I love.

There are the “backstage musicals” and then there are the ones that most people that aren’t a fan of musicals think of, which are the ones where people just burst into song.

Can you guess which ones I love and which ones just don’t work for me?

Yes, I am not a fan of the “backstage musicals”. These are the musicals where the music make sense, because the songs come from a platform already, like they are musicians or they are on a stage singing and that is incorporated into the story. No, generally not a fan of those.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the musicals where people just bursts into song. I love the fantasy of it, the whimsy. It’s refreshing.

People should just burst into song. Period.

But back to Hamilton. Great great great music and I would love to watch it, but unfortunately it’s sold out and only showing in NYC. Maybe I’ll treat myself to a vacation next year and watch it. We shall see.

I just checked. Minimum number of tickets you can buy is 2. Ugh.

Maybe someone will go with me? Ugh.

But, listen to it. Embrace it.

Hamilton.

* * *

Charleston.

The Carters.

Circling back to the vacation and the tiredness that I was talking about earlier in this post.

My last vacation of the year.

Ugh, just a general observation, how much time slows down when you are sick.

They moved away a few years ago, 2012 – 2013 maybe? April? It’s definitely been a few years and Scott and I mainly communicate through email and phone calls. During our writing meetings, we’ll see each other on Skype, but actually hanging out, it’s been a few years.

I saw Rutledge earlier this year at Katy’s wedding, and it was falling back to familiarity, and I thought it was finally time for me to pay them a visit.

I’ll get a free place to stay and get to explore a new city. It was set and that was it.

It was an extended weekend trip.

I took a redeye out on Friday night and got to their house around 11 on Saturday. Man, I really do hate redeyes. I mean, I guess it might be better if I could sleep better on the plane, but it’s always a hit and miss for me.

Overall, it was a great trip. It was just great seeing them all again and actually being able to hangout and chat in person. It was like old times again. Times I missed. It felt so natural and great.

It was good times.

I got to hang out with their son, who I haven’t seen in a long time and he remembers me. He’s a great kid, albeit a little kiddish, but that is most kids. He’s trying to find the best way to work his parents, getting the most out of the littlest.

It was interesting to see the dynamics of how the they parent the kid, the good cop/bad cop angle. The coddled and then the harder, you do everything and try and see what happens. Very interesting and I guess when it comes to parenting, you just have to go with the flow and pick a stance and stick with it.

It makes me wonder what kind of father I would be and how would I raise my kid or what approach I would take, assuming that I have kids.

The first night there, they took me to an Oyster Roast. It was totally not what I was expecting, in terms of how the oysters would be.

I’m use to the individual oysters, but I would describe these as oyster clumps. Each clump would be about 3-4 oysters, or you may find a stray individual oyster. It was good. Fresh. Smokey. It was a different way to eat these oysters. It was very rustic, simple, humble food for humble people. I loved the party vibe, the atmosphere.

It was different.

Sunday, Scott and I managed to do something that we usually always do, and that is watch a movie. He was my movie buddy. We’d go watch most movies together and it was great to do this again. It was simple and nothing special, but just two movie lovers go and watch a movie together. We watched Spectre, the latest Bond movie. It was all right. Not horrible. Not good. Just Bond.

Monday was an uneven and interesting day. I didn’t really have much planned and was just going to go with the flow as Rutledge was going to Gabe’s school to volunteer. The day started with heavy rain and it didn’t seem like it’ll let up. We were watching Jinx when Scott got a call. There was an accident and Rutledge took Gabe to the emergency room.

The poor kid got his thumb smashed by a door. That was their day.

I was left alone, at home, to my own device. I surfed the net, kept myself entertained, grabbed lunch and dinner by myself. I do I usually do, just go with the flow. In the afternoon, the rain finally let up and I went to explore Mount Pleasant.

I went to the Shem Creek area and then drove around to Sullivan’s Island and then to Isle of Palms. I saw the Atlantic and just explored and saw more of the area in the car. There was light rain, but nothing as bad as how it was in the morning. It was a simple day.

They finally got back home late that night, past 9.

Tuesday was my last full day in Charleston. Scott took me to downtown Charleston and we just walked and explored. She showed me around famous King St. with all the shops and the Battery and College of Charleston. We just walked and talked and then got some lunch and that was it. It was a simple afternoon.

The next day, I went home.

Simple. It was a simple trip.

It isn’t a trip like the ones I normally take, where I just go and explore. I didn’t have anything planned as spending time with the Carters was more the priority than me seeing the city. They were very southern and very hospitable. Great people.

I miss them, but hopefully it won’t take me another 3 years before we all get to hang out again.

Let’s hope not.

* * *

So tired. So sick.

Sleep. Nap. Rest.

That’s what I need. That’s what I’m ordering for myself.

Starting to eat clean again. It’s definitely hard to maintain some kind of diet while traveling, especially coming back late from the airport. You got for what’s open and convenient. Fast food.

Starting to get back to the low carb/no carb diet again. Clean eating. Cooking.

No processed food. Just simple food.

Back into the habit.

Rest.

Sleep.

Nap.