verge parking lot vibes in raleigh, nc for no good reason
well i’m lying on a park bench right now because my laptop died and the wi-fi at this coffee place is slower than a dial-up connection from 2005. nothing says ‘digital nomad’ like being tethered to a park bench and a half-finished blog draft. it’s 17 degrees and i’m out here because someone told me it’s the ‘vibe of the season’-whatever that means. i didn’t ask for snow, i asked for predictable wifi.
walked past a guy yelling into his phone about ‘cpu usage 100%’ at a tech startup. i asked if he was a ghost hunter or just cursed at his job. he said ‘both’. i’m not sure which one. the cold here is different though. it’s that weird kerry-warmth kind of chill where your nose runs but your bones feel like they’re made of concrete. i just checked and it’s 16.6°C at this exact moment and i’m holding a latte that’s going to go cold before i finish the post. hope you like that kind of thing.
image gallery:
the weather app says the sun will set at 4:12pm but i swear i saw a streetlamp here that was on. maybe it’s a time travel glitch. or maybe the city’s just lazy about updating the tech. neighbors? i mean, the park across the street has a guy juggling pinecones. not sure if he’s practicing or just trying to be the life of the neighborhood. if you get bored, chapel hill is a short drive away. someone warned me that the library there has a vending machine that only sells instant espresso. i’m 70% sure that’s true.
review gossip: i heard that the old diner downtown serves a burger with bourbon glaze. i’m not saying it’s good. i’m saying i heard it. also, someone told me the beach here is ‘too loud for quiet nerves’. i don’t know what that means either. tripadvisor link for the diner: raleigh diner reviews. yelp for the park: park reviews.
i’m supposed to be writing about ‘authentic travel’ but i’m just here because this bench smells like cinnamon and regret. maybe that’s the point. maybe the mess is the point. at least the coffee is cheap and the wifi’s a 2/10. if you’re into that, check out digital nomad hubs or co-working spaces for better setups. not that i’ve used them. i’m too busy pretending i’m a local by saying ‘nice weather’ every time someone asks.
the map says this is 35.991,-79.9937 but i’m pretty sure i’m not that precise. i’m in a park and i’m not tracking gps. i’m tracking vibes. and this bench has a lot of them. too many. honestly.
image idea: if you’re into this kinda chaos, here’s a random shot of a local food truck selling tacos al pastor. yes, tacos in december. yes, in raleigh. yes, it’s a thing.
so yeah. that’s it. messier than a keyboard in a hurricane. leave a comment if you’ve ever lied about being a nomad just to get free wifi.