09 Oct 2009
Found the Carolina North trail View Comments
When Mala and I started looking for homes, we listed on a yellow notepad all the things that were important to us. Like most little notes in my life, it got lost. I found it a few days after we moved into our home and was pleasantly surprised that we had gotten everything on our list, except a lake view. Not bad, and there's a lake about a half mile from our door. One of the things on that list that we "kinda" got was "running trails nearby". I say "kinda" because there is a trail which is just behind the back of our property, but I wouldn't call it a running trail. It is a paved trail which runs behind the houses in our neighborhood and extends about 1 mile in total length. It is mostly through woods or along the lake, so it's nice, but it's not a running trail. A running trail is not paved. More importantly, a running trail goes for miles and miles, so that you can feel like you are away from (sub)urban life.
So this was one of those things on our "list" that I would say we checked off, but, not really, you know?
I went for a run recently and I can now say with certainty that this is my dream house. That paved running trail which I had been so ambivalent about eventually ends at a main road. And that's where I thought it ended. On Thursday, I crossed the road and found a little mowed path which takes you to the local high school. And then you take a right and WOW! A huge forest with a 10 foot wide rock and dirt trail opens up in front of you. I started down this trail, expecting it to end at someone's private property, but it kept going and going and going. It ran next to a bubbling stream with water clear enough to see the river's bottom. There were countless little paths snaking away from the main one. I just kept running and it just got more and more beautiful. I wish I had brought my camera. It felt like a religious experience. I couldn't believe that this beautiful, seemingly endless trail - the type of trail that I would have driven miles to get to in the past - was in my backyard. I ended up running 11 miles, which is longer than I have run since moving to North Carolina. I can't wait to run there again. This is just another example of how I am the luckiest man in the world. I always wanted to live in a house near trails like this, but didn't think it was possible, so I settled for a little "running trail". Just my luck, it turns out to be the trail of my dreams :-)
23 Nov 2005
My brother Manoj created a touching slide show which had our guests laughing and Mala and I cringeing. That hasn't made it to the website yet, but negotiations with the concerned parties are in progress ("C'mon Mala, it's not that embarrassing!"). We can't thank enough the people who made our wedding day magical. It was, without question, the happiest day of my life.
Next up in the "Life Update Series": The Honeymoon
