The One That Is More Charlotte and Less Dreary

My last post was a bit of a downer. I wanted to end on a positive note, but it almost felt hypocritical to insinuate a happy feeling where there was none. As I may have mentioned before, the past year was hard. It can be difficult for me to see the sunshine through the fog. 
No life is a complete veil of tears though and mine has a lot of good in it. I am determined to focus on some of the positive parts of our move. 

CHARLOTTE
We both love living near a big city and the past year holds some dear memories spent in Charlotte.
 Here are some pictures and tips for you.

Parking can be a bear, but you may discover that it's easier to park outside of the main part and take the train to where you wish to be. The $2 train ticket is much less painful than paying $21 for 3 hours in a parking garage, which I accidentally did once.


 You never know what you will see in the city. You may be innocently drinking an iced mocha and suddenly be surrounded by cos players. Trying not to be obvious about your curiosity is not going to work and you will probably end up asking for a photo with them. 

 You definitely want to climb to the top of parking garages and look out at all the twinkling city lights and peer down at all of the oblivious passerbys. Take friends with you. 

Scooters may be cheesy and they may have batteries that die very fast, but you can't help but grin as you zip about the city sidewalks. This also saves in energy and shoe leather. 
(It is the perfect way to celebrate Rachel's birthday.)

There are many coffee shops in the city. Now some of them are sub par, but we are still discovering favorites. 
Amelie's is an eclectic 24 hour French bakery and cafe which you may need to visit after an evening at the theatre or when you are craving a creme brulee. 
Coco and The Director has pillows for one to sit comfortably upon while chatting with new friends and watching the city go by. Their drinks are also delicious. 

Charlotte goes all out for Christmas. You will want to walk around downtown and check out her lights and large ornaments. 

There are also restaurants and theaters and parks with fountains. And, if you want to, you can sneak into hotels and businesses and ride up and down the escalators, just for the sheer joy of it. 
Charlotte is definitely a happy part of our life!

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