It’s no secret. I’m an introvert- highly selective of how and with whom I spend my time. Most of my friends are also introverts with chaotic schedules. So, in my continuing efforts of mastering the art of human connection, I settled on planning a cabin kickback.

17 beautiful souls agreed to join me in Gatlinburg, TN for 4 days in a cabin nestled in the woods of the Smoky Mountains. Some of were friends, some were associates while others were essentially strangers. Within a few weeks, I’d inadvertently have my past, present & future all under one roof.

As the trip date approached, the newly formed housemates were curious about the itinerary. Man…did they have questions. Couldn’t blame them. It was the anxiety of the unknown. How exactly would the weekend play out? Horror movie scene? A reality show episode? A wild orgy? Awkward silent retreat? Group therapy session? Bear wrestling?

Through the purple haze following Prince’s transition, housemates from OH, GA, FL, TN and AL settled into the mountain cabin. When I tell you I had a blast?? BRUH…amazing. People took a few selfies but no one lived in their phones. Time was spent resting, card playing, cooking, moonshining, ATV-ing, music debating, Black card revoking, massaging, zip-lining, laughing, coversing, hot tub-ing, “soup” making, loving, napping, drawing, BBQ-ing, coloring, dancing, sexing, meditating, eating, overeating, story sharing, vibing, breathing, fire extinguishing, bread breaking…in short, living.

We were an introvert experiment…loud as hell at times and serenely silent at other times. Didn’t get a ton of footage because I was having big fun.

The 18? We all “blended perfectly…let the liquor tell it.”