Ever get in the car and spend the night out of town to relax and not compromise on choices? I did and would like to share the quick journey. This is the extended version.

Listen to the Signs

Have you had one of those weeks where things keep popping up and you need to let the universe know you are listening. For some reason, I was being told to do the things I do not do. Then I was watching #MillionDollarListing on Bravo. Ryan went to his psychologist and he said to do something he normally doesn't do like watch a sunset. That didn't workout so great for Ryan but I've been trying to get out of town for weeks so I figured I would see how the strategy worked for me.

Detour for Real Estate

Friday I had the minivan packed up and of course real estate had different plans for me. night and had the van packed up but real estate had different plans. An agent who showed one of my listings didn't put the key back and said he didn't remember where it was. That means other agents calling angrily that they cannot get in. During this time, I have another agent who is making an offer on another listing but gives us 2 hours to respond. Obviously, since I'm off to get the key issue addressed it will be difficult to discuss and get signatures on an offer.

Law of Real Estate

The law of real estate simply states if you want business go out of town. Everything becomes urgent and legitimate business occurs. Note: This law is in double effect if you are on a cruise out of the country with no phone or internet access.

So I've addressed the two items above and then I receive a voicemail from an agent who is not in the local MLS. Therefore, he insists on seeing a house and making a full price offer on it the next morning. As he is not a member of the MLS we do not have the ability to let him use the electronic keybox. After verifying him with the Labor, Licensing, and Regulations board I confirmed he was a real agent and coordinated the showing for him and his client.

Wake Up & Heading to Charleston SC

I will admit I tend to do very similar things when I head to Charleston. I walk downtown. I grab good seafood. I spend time by the water to reflect. Well today I tried to not make the trip one from Groundhog's day. The most unusual part of the trip is allowed to do what I wanted not what I felt like I should.

Once I got here, I started at the outlet malls. I'm not a fan of crowds so this being the weekend where there was no sales tax in South Carolina to allow for back to school shopping didn't fit well into my plans. It wasn't that bad and I even forced myself to buy cloths that weren't the exact same as all the others in my closet. :) Well, a few of them do not match with the existing lineup. :) :)

Starbucks & Lunch?

Because I never skip lunch I made a change and ate TCBY for lunch and then headed to Starbucks. Starbucks had a bogo deal at the time I was there. I tried a hot and cold version of the coffee and watch as the lady in front of me was all crazy. She didn't feel her coffee was 190 degrees extra hot because of the order it was done in. I loved her kind words 'Do I have to tell you again how I want it blah blah. I guess people have the right to get coffee the way they like it when it is $5 a cup but I can't imagine her being rude would make your experience better.

Local Bookstore

Next was a local used book store. I've been spending a lot of time weeding out my book shelf to a more manageable state. However, I was amazed at all the real estate books they had. I picked up 3 new books all by authors I know about because they are industry leaders. My favorite part is an agent I almost partnered with years back had a book in the store. I bought it and look forward to reading it. The cashier recognized the agent from billboard's around town.

Costco may be the downfall

Next, was a quick stop at Costco. They have their own alcohol store hear and I wanted to pickup some Scotch. If I am going to try to get a taste for it I mine as well drink quality at a great price. Kirkland signature tends to have great prices labeled by the tops in that industry. After that, I went into the main part of the store and boy can they sell in this town. The guy sold me on getting raw tuna (Ahi Poke). I usually just eat the rolls so this was quite a different option. I'm so happy I asked other workers if they had tried it before. The cashier said she thought it would taste better if it was seared on both sides. When I got to the hotel and tried a bite raw I just couldn't do it. Later, I tried searing it and it was very good. Point Costco home chef. I did not eat a lot of it because I wanted to try Bonefish Grill.

Bonefish Grill

Bonefish was walking distance to the hotel so of course I had to go try the bang bang shrimp. I may be the only one in the continental united states that hasn't tried it. I did and it didn't disappoint. I was entertained by the 3 grandmas at the bar next to me. They were full of life and welcomed me into the conversation. It was a nice way to hear about the life of Charlestonians. They were financially well off so I was pleased when I could elaborate on their discussions. One of them had talked about wanting to travel to Israel one day so I told them about my journey there.

Relaxing for the Night

I have never been one moved by music like others. There are many favorite bands that I may recognize their songs but previously wouldn't know they were the artist. I had bought a bottle of aged Whiskey and a bottle of wine so I was going to relax and watch tv. I enjoyed learning more about the band, times, and what is going on in their lives now. I really respected how these artists were so focused on music (not just there own) and developed good perspective on what matters to them. Of course, these were stars after the twilight of their career so they may have had much different stories earlier in life.