Page 1 of That First Flight
You know what I hate more than anything in the world? Snow.
This is the first time I’ve seen my brother's cabin since he purchased it at the end of the summer. I’ve been itching to check it out but couldn’t find time. Now, due to an impending snow storm, I’m the one up here making sure everything survives the fluffy white stuff with no damage.
This town is where my brother, Marc, realized he was head over heels in love with Avery.
I don’t understand it myself. How people can just fall in love like that.
The idea of it makes me queasy.
“Your destination is on the right,” the GPS says through the truck speakers.
I let out an audible groan as I maneuver the truck down the first entrance of the horseshoe shaped driveway while simultaneously thanking Mother Nature for keeping the snow to a flurry so I can make it here in one piece.
His idea for buying such a giant property with a mansion-like cabin on it, was for the entire family to use it as a get away from city life whenever we needed a change of scenery. Except I’m only partially here for that, thanks to this storm.
They are calling it the winter storm of the century which leaves Marc uneasy about this place while he whisks his now real fiancée, Avery, off to Paris for a surprise New Year’s trip.
My first reaction when he asked me to do him a solid was, ‘Why don’t you ask Thomas?’ But my oldest brother is living happily ever after in the honeymoon bliss stage of life. Again, how people fall in love like those two saps did is beyond me.
As much as I love living in the city and being close to my two brothers and little sister, I’m not cut out for city life and the billionaire lifestyle my bank account tells me I should be living.
I’ve learned that I’m more of a small-town guy from all the little towns I’ve traveled to. I drive a pickup truck when I’m in the city and live in dark wash jeans and tees. I stick out like a sore thumb.
It’s one of the biggest reasons I started traveling the world and blogging it on my social media accounts.
When dad died, we all received an inheritance. Thomas used his share to invest in dad’s business. He took over in his early twenties and has been wildly successful. Marc used his share to buy his dream sports car and whatever else he decided to spend it on. Who the hell knows because he was already successful in his real estate career. His boss just handed him the keys to the entire company a few months ago and his life is more than he’s ever dreamed of now that he’s got the business and the girl.
Emiline, our baby sister, is working her way through nursing school. She didn’t receive her inheritance until she turned 18 years old, but when she did, she used it to buy her own apartment in the city so she can start her independent living.
I’m not a fan of it, if I’m being honest. I’m protective as hell over her and hate the thought of her living alone. We all are. I don’t care that she’s 22 years old now, she’ll always be our baby sister.
As for me, I used my share to buy myself the best camera money could buy and started traveling. My first trip was a small one to Charleston, South Carolina. My plan was to build up a few small blog posts to grow a following before spending money on bigger trips.
Well… that one took off like a rocket.
People from all over the world were enamored by the little bed and breakfast I stayed at for the weekend. The post was packed with pictures of the food I enjoyed at the restaurants, the coffee shop downtown, and a few shots of me at the beach.
My best friend, Logan, swears up and down that it went as viral as it did because the I was shirtless in the beach pictures. I take care of myself, so I can see why he thinks that. But I’ll never know if that was really the reason or not. I certainly haven’t stopped sharing random candid photos of me in my posts though.
My phone vibrates in my pocket. When I pull it out to see the name on the screen, I click accept right away. Because, speak of the devil… Logan.
“Hey.”
“Hey, yourself.” Logan laughs. “What are you up to tonight? Want to head out for the night?”
“Unless you’re planning to come to Roxbury and hit the corner gas stop that doubles as a bar, I don’t think I’m making it.”
“Shit. I forgot you’re house sitting for Marc.”
“House sitting. Working. Solitude for a week. All the same shit.” I laugh.
He scoffs. “This isn’t work. This is you getting away. Work is when companiespay youto go away.”
Ever since that first blog post, about ninety percent of my trips have been fully sponsored by companies wanting me to promote their products, or businesses wanting me to visit and share my experience.
The other ten percent are me taking advantage of just having the luxury to travel the way I do. I’m not tied down by a wife and kids. Not to mention the fact that Ilovethe variety of women I’ve found everywhere I go.
“You gonna find a local lady to whisk away to your bed tonight?”