first I am jealous you are on a 30 day walkabout from NC :) :) We are NC also and we would love to have that option right now that you have, you lucky OP!!
Yes it is small cause we have also experienced these close areas when we chat. So and so from X area right where I grew up. This person near where we live now on holiday and more.
But we just love finding those from SO far away, the other's that are living in an area so diff. then ours and visting to 'see it all' in our area....and we just laugh in a way cause who would come here to vacation when we have it on our front porch HA HA