So I'm not the kind of girl who dreams about a massive house in a tony neighborhood. I'm just not. I want a house with soul, a house that's seen some things come to pass.

And last weekend, I visited a place that fits that description to a tee up in Eastern North Carolina. It sits on a flat stretch of land that reaches out into Bogue Inlet and it's seen hurricanes, children grow into adults, and made memories for generations. 

The photo below is a little blurry, yes. But I like it that way. 

The house belongs to old friends from Virginia, the Lawhons. These days they come down when they can throughout the summer to fish off the long dock, and cook big messes of seafood for friends, and sleep with the windows open and unplug.

There is no air conditioning. No internet. No television. All the old beaded board on the inside is painted white and there are huge porches and simple white metal beds in just about every room to sleep as many guests as possible.

The night we visited a giant moon lit up the water and even though we were in the middle of a heat wave the onshore breezes blew through the house full tilt. The only word I really have for the experience is happy. Very happy.

On the car ride home, I asked my architect brother to draw working plans for a house just like it.

And when I hit the lottery, I'm going to build it.

Have ya'll ever visited a laid back house like this and felt the same way?