Recap: North Carolina

We intentionally slowed down in North Carolina. It’s Robin’s home state and the plan was to be as close to her for as long as possible. Robin and I hadn’t seen each other since October, 2019 at the HLTH Conference in Las Vegas. As business partners and close friends, we talked nearly every day (minus weekends) during the pandemic, but it felt extra special to reach the other side of the virtual meeting chasm that we had grown used to.

This strategy only halfway worked, but I still wouldn’t change a thing.

When we arrived to Chimney Rock, after a 4-hour drive from Nashville, Tennessee, it was pouring rain and our site was right by the river, but required backing in. To say that reversing the trailer under normal conditions is stressful is an understatement, but adding a storm to the mix, my stomach was in knots. Thankfully, the site neighbors rallied to help me park safely.

Once the rain calmed down, a woman from the site next door came over to check up on us and she saw the “HIT Like a Girl pod” sticker on the trailer and quickly realized we were not strangers! Turns out we know each other. It was Pam Peterson, a friend of Robin’s who I shared dinner with in San Diego, back in 2018 when she was in town for a conference. She now works for Aledade and our work lives totally overlap in supporting practices transition to value-based care!

Pam introduced us to her travel companions; I introduced her to Shereese and Juno. And we ended up having dinner and lively discussions well into the night.

For the next couple days, Shereese and I enjoyed the sound of the river as a backdrop for our time in Chimney Rock, as we caught up on work, went for short hikes, and sampled the local cuisine.

Our next stop was Robin’s house in Denver, North Carolina. We had one full day with all three of us in the same place and tried to fit in as much story time, good food, and work tasks as we reasonably could before Shereese flew home on Monday night. She needed to take a break from our #HITtheTrails tour for about 10 days to get some doctor’s appointments in, celebrate Father’s Day, and see her kids off to college. She’ll be meeting back up with me in Virginia.

The storm of the year seemed to hit right as we were about to drop Shereese off at the Charlotte airport. It was pretty torrential for a bit, but thankfully, it only delayed her flight by an hour, so she could still get home as planned. I had been planning to drive on to Greensboro this day as well, but the rain kept me in place, which was actually the right move. I wanted more time with Robin and it gave me a chance to give the trailer and my truck a much-needed deep cleaning.

Tuesday afternoon, I said my goodbyes to the Roberts family with a TikTok and then hauled my cookies over to Greensboro to visit with Hillary, a friend from grad school. She was kind enough to let me park my trailer outside her house for a couple days to give me some downtime and to just catch up. Hillary and I had been keeping in touch through Zoom happy hours once a month, along with a core group of lady friends we went to grad school with. It was great to finally see each other in person again.

She had some house guests staying with her and it’s funny how the universe works. One of them, Derek, had experience pulling a trailer through Mexico for three years (!), so he passed on some very useful knowledge to me about how to pack the trailer so that it’s easier to drive.

Greensboro has been one of my favorite places to visit thus far. It lives up to its moniker as a “big, small town,” with lots of history, community, and overall good vibes. Hillary and her sister are both Real Estate agents, so they have a depth of knowledge about the area.

There was more podcast talk during this leg than usual, because several people I met up with either already have or are wanting to start a podcast of their own. We discussed equipment, editing tools, and lessons I’ve learned the hard way in the process of starting HIT Like a Girl pod. It was fun to geek out and reflect on how far we’ve come on this podcasting journey, especially now that we’re award winning!

I wrapped up the Greensboro leg with a lunch visit with Tiffany Crenshaw, a former guest on the podcast and CEO of Intellect Resources to brainstorm ways to bring more value to our health IT communities. I also got to have a long phone chat with Judy DeVere, CEO of AskPatty.com. Judy has dedicated the last 25 years of her career promoting, mentoring and supporting careers for women in the automotive industry. She gave me several recommendations for acquiring new car skills and for building collaborative communities.

The last stop in North Carolina is in the Jordan Lake, Chapel Hill area. Robin drove out to meet me and one of our favorite work colleagues, Jim Tate, President of EMR Advocate. He and his wife hosted us for a homemade dinner with his family - we were their first guests post Covid. It was great to spend time in person, break bread together, and talk about how the last year and a half have changed our perspectives.

Chimney Rock, NC

Where we stayed: Hickory Nut Falls Family Campground

Where we hiked: Hickory Nut Falls Trail

Indigenous Acknowledgment - Catawba Indian Nation

Denver, NC

Where we stayed: Robin’s house by Lake Norman.

Greensboro, NC

Where we stayed: In the trailer, in front of Hillary’s house in Fisher Park.

Jordan Lake, NC

Where we stayed: Jordan Lake Recreational Area

Indigenous Acknowledgment - Skaruhreh/Tuscarora | Lumbee

#BTS

In this video, I talk about what I’ve been doing with Shereese gone. It’s mostly cleaning the car and trailer, visiting with friends, and running errands.

Did you know the 4Runner is named “Ruthie” for RBG - opening doors for women. And the trailer is named “Rosa”, because she “Parks.”

TikTok!

Thank you

This wouldn’t be possible without the support of our sponsors. Thank you to: