Oranges and Pimento Peppers

By Alexa Dysch – 2014

In the strangest of places and in the most unexpected of ways, a bit of Florida followed me to the mountains of North Carolina.

It started innocently, and crept up slowly. Like a guardian angel sitting on my shoulder, comfort strangely enveloped me in what I expected to be unfamiliar surroundings. Through my initial research, our destinations appeared so different to the town that I grew up in, yet here and there, I found my roots following along. This phenomenon began at our most Western point, Murphy. We met single retirees and young couples alike who visited and fell in love with the mountainous area. I was amused by this coincidence, but when it started happening frequently, I knew there had to be something more.

This blend of cultures continued when we reached Franklin. It was about 3:30PM and we were famished- the nearby shops were closing, and we had a drive ahead of us to Highlands.

We quickly ran into the first place we saw: Life’s Bounty Cafe. Glancing at the menu, I decided to go with a traditional Western barbecue sandwich. Yet, I was surprised as I glanced into the bakery boxes that they had fresh, homemade Cuban bread. I decided to take a chance and try a North Carolinian classic with a Floridian staple. Needless to say, the combination was perfect. The juicy, slightly sweet pork melted into the crunchy, dense dough. I immediately felt transported to a sunny, warm beach, despite the frost that gathered on the window outside.

I was surprised, yet felt an instant connection when I walked into the shop. As I conversed with the shop owners, they had a sense about them that felt familiar but not North Carolinian.

To accompany my sandwich, I had the perfect taste of home — a guava and cheese pastry. This South Floridian sweet treat usually gifted me after a long day of school. Needless to say, it was the first Cuban pastry I had come across in North Carolina. The dough was perfectly flaky and buttery, as the tang of fresh guava and a salty bite of creamy cheese brightened my mouth.

As I took my first bite, I looked at the shop owners with wide eyes. They simply smiled, in a wry, South Floridian way. Suddenly, I knew. I asked them what part of Florida they were from, and we continued to have a lengthy conversation about our favorite Southern spots and the traffic that incensed us.

This experience continued through each town we visited; we ran into more Floridians than we did North Carolinians! In equal parts, I was in awe, delight and slight annoyance that my hometown seemed to follow wherever I went. Despite the massive cultural differences between small, mountainous towns in North Carolina and my sprawling, urban hometown in Florida, the two felt oddly comfortable to me. Yet, in my array of emotions, I was thankful above all that I had the opportunity to explore two completely different regions and be able to reflect upon the similarities that struck me. Driving along the twists and turns of mountain roads made my heart flutter in more ways than one.

Oranges
A guava cheese pastry, enjoyed in the town of Franklin.