Got back from North Carolina on Sunday night, I had a really great time. The mix of vacation/business trip turned out to be just fine - but it has inspired me to look for a new job. The company I met with produces tools to easily create MMORPGs, which they license to larger companies like NBC. I'd spoken with them on the phone before, and the tool set seemed too good to be true (easy to use tools separated by skill set? No way). Imagine something something like the Sims or Sim City, and using it to create epic worlds for real people to play in all over the world. I basically geeked out with a few of the developers for a few hours about game play and logic. I wish they had an LA office... but that's another story/development.

The rest of the trip was fantastic. One of many highlights was a place called Ocracoke Island in the Outer Banks, recently named the #1 Beach in the nation by Mr. Beach. If your name is Mr. Beach you have to know what you're talking about, and the guy definitely did.

We took a ferry there, spent two nights, rented bikes, sat on the beach, ate rapidly melting ice cream and had a wonderful time.

The rest of the week was spent playing Mario Kart, canoeing (very well, I might add), watching baseball and fireworks, movies, hot tubbing, eating, staying cool and seeing the sights. Also: Fireflies! Made me realize the older you get, the less things there are in this world you've never seen before. Fireflies was one of those things for me. I'm still grinning like a little kid about it.



The beach on Ocracoke Island.


Lighthouse on Ocracoke Island with Phil (who I not only kind of totally adore, but am completely, 100% crazy about).


The lake where the phenomenal canoeing took place.


View from hotel in Wilmington, NC.


Squirrel enjoying a tasty snack on Duke campus.

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