Southern Comfort

I suppose today doesn't really count as my first day of Build America officially, but it was quite a trip. First off, I survived my red-eye flight from Seattle with the only problem being the aircrafts climate control was set to a sweaty 80*F; which I think was a ploy to get me ready for north carolina's ridiculous heat and humidity. I arrived in Charlotte at 6:30am est with the same zombie gaze I developed in Vegas for my 21st birthday. My pick up, old bud Charlie Maier who's interning at the Push Headquarter office, came with a smile to the airport glad that he had to pick me up after a healthy night of drinking he had yesterday. We both decided breakfast was in order so chuck took us to "Bojangle's Chicken House" which is like a glorified KFC and my first bite of southern exposure.

Most of my crew members were still making there way to Charlotte and I didn't have anywhere to go until 4pm. Charlie gave me a quick tour of his summer apartment which was surprisingly plush for what I thought an intern would typically get; lazyboy chair in the bedroom, huge leather ottoman, full kitchen and a "flat" screen tv. We were pretty bored and so we trekked over to the cinema for flick then got lunch at yet another chicken restaurant (they're like starbucks in seattle).

At four charlie dropped me off at my hotel where I met my team's project manager Brian Schenck from Georgia Tech - great guy. Later I met two more of my crew guys: J.T. from UAB and Andy from Virgina Tech. As soon as they were situated we traveled to South Carolina to meet Mike from Georgia Tech for dinner. His parents were sponsoring our first meal and he lives an southern neighborhood with astounding brick homes. I suppose anything down in the Carolina's for me is ultra southern, but this was a kick in the pants - very old school. For the first time I had Sweet Tea with my lasagna dinner and after three glasses I was almost in need of an insulin shot; great stuff though.

After dinner we ventured back to our hotel in Charlotte so we can crash at the suites and start tomorrow at 8:45am....better get used to it I guess; it's only 5:45am pacific time.