Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Words to live by
"Wherever you are, at whatever age, you're only a thought away from changing you life."
Hello Again
Well, I had no idea it would take me this long to get back on here and check in. My goal along the whole trip was to share some things I learned, touch on some highlights, and reminisce. I still plan on doing that but first let me fill you in on my life as of now...
I got home and immediately hit the job searching. My mom was almost disappointed that I wanted a job so quickly because she needed me for cookies (she takes time off each year and our kitchen becomes Santa's cookie factory) but I was hell bent on getting a job. Within 5 days of looking I snagged one in Princeton which is only about 25min from my house. Good pay, good hours, weekends off (WHAT?!?!)! Turns out that the dad is the Commissioner of Transportation for the State of New Jersey and he works for the Governor of NJ...let's just say this is a dream job for my current situation.
I was on a trial basis for the first two weeks but on my 3rd day they asked if I was willing to sign on full time. HELL YES! So long story short, I found an amazing job only days after my amazing trip. Now originally I had every intention of moving back to Orlando in March. Funny how plans never work out. I have been with the job for six weeks now and if I stick with it for a year then I can be virtually debt free. No car loan, credit cards, trip loan, and NO school loans. Now this is only if I really buckle down and do it. But I figure what is a year? So this year is officially my "Super Awesome get out of Debt Year" <<Thank you Tj>> and so far so good. Thanks to my car being in the shop twice in December I am already a bit behind but I don't think it will slow me down too much. My goal now is to hopefully get back into my career field by 2013.
I have a lot to look forward to this year like Nicole's wedding in July and my sister graduating high school (I'm so old!) and getting out of debt would just be the cherry on top! Now let's see if I can live at home for a year...it's already killing me! At least Louie and my dad are on better terms. My mom and I joke that when I move he will want Louie to stay. That's just not happening!
So lets get back to my trip:
My trip earned a lot of names along the way...
I got home and immediately hit the job searching. My mom was almost disappointed that I wanted a job so quickly because she needed me for cookies (she takes time off each year and our kitchen becomes Santa's cookie factory) but I was hell bent on getting a job. Within 5 days of looking I snagged one in Princeton which is only about 25min from my house. Good pay, good hours, weekends off (WHAT?!?!)! Turns out that the dad is the Commissioner of Transportation for the State of New Jersey and he works for the Governor of NJ...let's just say this is a dream job for my current situation.
I was on a trial basis for the first two weeks but on my 3rd day they asked if I was willing to sign on full time. HELL YES! So long story short, I found an amazing job only days after my amazing trip. Now originally I had every intention of moving back to Orlando in March. Funny how plans never work out. I have been with the job for six weeks now and if I stick with it for a year then I can be virtually debt free. No car loan, credit cards, trip loan, and NO school loans. Now this is only if I really buckle down and do it. But I figure what is a year? So this year is officially my "Super Awesome get out of Debt Year" <<Thank you Tj>> and so far so good. Thanks to my car being in the shop twice in December I am already a bit behind but I don't think it will slow me down too much. My goal now is to hopefully get back into my career field by 2013.
I have a lot to look forward to this year like Nicole's wedding in July and my sister graduating high school (I'm so old!) and getting out of debt would just be the cherry on top! Now let's see if I can live at home for a year...it's already killing me! At least Louie and my dad are on better terms. My mom and I joke that when I move he will want Louie to stay. That's just not happening!
So lets get back to my trip:
My trip earned a lot of names along the way...
- The double take (Uncle Dave)
- The scenic route to the other side of my driveway (Chris Kraehenbuehl)
- My flight across the US (Aunt Carla)
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| All the states I covered along the way (plus Montana haha) |
What I learned:
- People in San Francisco talk to themselves
- SeaWorld San Diego is on government property
- Cheese goes on everything in WI including green beans
- Michigan is NORTH
- My Mazda hates hills
- Have cash at all times (TOLLS!)
- The PCH isn't all it's cracked up to be
- Indiana isn't as boring as Kansas
- LA and I won't meet again
- Everything in TX is bigger
- Atlanta has too much traffic
- Need to avoid "spaghetti" in Ft. Worth, TX
- Idaho has lava fields
- I am capable of doing anything!
- Kansas is just as flat and boring as I was warned (and WINDY!)
- Electronics in a cooler (wont get stolen or over heated)
- Don't leave things in your back seat
- Insurance company should be on speed dial
- Call ahead!
- Make a plan A, B, C & D just for good measures
- Don't skip things
- Take pictures
- Learn a new skill
- Phone GPS's suck...so avoid
- Gum keeps you awake
- Don't sweat the small stuff
- Favorite City: San Francisco, CA
- Least Favorite City: Los Angeles, CA
- Least Favorite State: Kansas
- Favorite State: Wisconsin/Texas/Florida
- Total Tolls: $117.75
- Cheapest Gas Paid and Seen: $2.99 (IN)
- Most Expensive Gas Paid: $3.94 (OR)
- Most Expensive Gas Seen: $4.79 (CA)
- Rain Days: 2 (NO complaints there!)
Would I do it again? HELL YES
Would I change anything? Nope.
Have you had your ADVENTURE today?!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
Driving Blind
The weather is still pretty craptastic today as I leave Cynthiana, IN. I was hoping it would get better as I headed East but no such luck. It not only rained my ENTIRE way but it was also super foggy. At some points I could barely see the road because the fog was so dense. But this didn't slow me down...I had a bridge to see!
As I was driving I was debating if I wanted to just drive through to NJ. It would be a 16hr drive but I felt like I was up for it. I really was not in the mood to do the whole "get to know you" thing at another couch surfing house. I got lost trying to find the bridge and finally pulled over to ask where I was. I was 20mi in the wrong direction :(
When I got to the bridge it was getting dark and the rain had picked up again but I was not going anywhere until I saw this bridge! I drove over it and wasn't super impressed...pretty boring. But I went to the visitors center and walked down the 172 stairs to see the view. I am really glad I did because the bridge from below was beautiful and well worth the drive!
At this point I was determined to drive home. I was tired and sick of the weather but I knew I wouldn't sleep much tonight anyway and I really just wanted to sleep in my own bed with my Louie. The GPS said I would be there by 11:47pm so I figured if I made it home by 12am I would be good.
The drive wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be, despite the weather. I drove through the entire state of West Virginia and drove through Maryland and Pennsylvania. I was home by 12:04am! Good timing! Now I am exhausted but I wanted to do some things before I went to bed. My original idea was to wait until my mom got off of work at 3am but I don't think I am going to last that long!
It's good to be home!
As I was driving I was debating if I wanted to just drive through to NJ. It would be a 16hr drive but I felt like I was up for it. I really was not in the mood to do the whole "get to know you" thing at another couch surfing house. I got lost trying to find the bridge and finally pulled over to ask where I was. I was 20mi in the wrong direction :(
When I got to the bridge it was getting dark and the rain had picked up again but I was not going anywhere until I saw this bridge! I drove over it and wasn't super impressed...pretty boring. But I went to the visitors center and walked down the 172 stairs to see the view. I am really glad I did because the bridge from below was beautiful and well worth the drive!
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| New River Gorge Bridge, WV |
At this point I was determined to drive home. I was tired and sick of the weather but I knew I wouldn't sleep much tonight anyway and I really just wanted to sleep in my own bed with my Louie. The GPS said I would be there by 11:47pm so I figured if I made it home by 12am I would be good.
The drive wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be, despite the weather. I drove through the entire state of West Virginia and drove through Maryland and Pennsylvania. I was home by 12:04am! Good timing! Now I am exhausted but I wanted to do some things before I went to bed. My original idea was to wait until my mom got off of work at 3am but I don't think I am going to last that long!
It's good to be home!
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Rain won't stop us!
I have been very blessed with the weather on this trip. So far it has only rained 3 days out of 73 so I really can't complain about that. Jennifer and I got up and headed out early back to New Harmony. We went back to the spots we were at last night like the bridge, Indiana sign, the roof-less church, Harmony Labyrinth, and the outdoor gardens at the New Harmony Inn. It was such a cute town and the rain was very good to us; when we wanted to get out and get some pictures it stopped, and when we were driving it poured. It was pretty perfect.
After exploring New Harmony we drove out to Evansville for lunch and to see the Ohio River. Today I stood on the edge of Indiana and Illinois and Indiana and Kentucky (across the river). I am officially in the mid-West Tri-State area :) We were going to go to the art museum in Evansville but at this point it was raining and we both were ready to head home and watch a movie. Plus I have really been slacking on my photo book and my to-do list that never goes away (even on vacation!). I also wanted to start applying for some more jobs.
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| such a pretty park! |
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| Where it all started... |
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Full Circle
Well, I'm back in Indiana! I haven't been here since September! I have officially made a full circle!
Last night Trish and I went out to a pub for dinner called the Black Horse Pub and Brewery and walked around Clarksville a bit. They have some awesome architecture in the city and a few sculptures around so it was nice to walk around. Trish also knew a lot about the city so it was nice to hear all the background info on the city as well. We went down to the river and got to see a preview of the Christmas lights along the River Walk. I got to fee like a celebrity with her because any phone call she got she would say she was with her "couch surfer" and they all knew all about me already including my name!
Woke up to an early morning phone call which worked out well since I needed to get going anyway. Trish made breakfast and typically, I'm not a breakfast person but I could not resist the cream cheese danish she had popped in the oven! We chatted and enjoyed that danish before I had to head out. Trish had packed me some snacks and gave me a Christmas present before I left. I stayed with her, not the other way around yet she gave me a present!
Mammoth Caves was only 1.5hrs north so I was there by 10:30am and already looking to get on a tour. I took the 2hr New Entrance tour which was supposed to be the best for photo ops. The tour didn't start until noon so I went and wandered the gift shop and had lunch at the cafe on property. I also had to get my shoes cleaned and quarantined since I have been in other caves in the last 3 years due to the outbreak of White-Nose Syndrome in the Bats. The mortalities rate in over 90% in the first years after contracting the disease. And now the bats could face extinction within the next 15 years! No good!
The tour started with meeting our guides; Dominic and Lance and a bus ride out to the entrance and then we (a group of over 40ppl) started off. The cave system is over 392mi long (longest in the world) and we were going to do about a quarter mile of it. It was a total of about 500 stairs and I expected it to be like the caves we did in Missouri this summer but it was very different. The walkways were very narrow and not lit well at all. Good thing I'm not claustrophobic because you had to squeeze and bend through the pathways. There were three main rooms we stopped in to chat and turn off the lights to see how dark it truly was and lots of stairs and fun walkways. We didn't see any bats but we did find a snake and some cave crickets. I made some friends along the way and we swapped cameras throughout which worked out great for everyone!
I think that the Mammoth Cave Tour was one of the highlights of my trip. I just really enjoy things like this and hearing the history behind it and walking through this underground world. I am so glad I got the opportunity to stop! After the tour ended it was time to continue north to Cynthiana, Indiana to see Jennifer. This drive was only 3hrs and I made good time! Most of the drive was in KY and when I hit IN I only was about 25mi to Jennifer's house. Really glad I didn't do this in the beginning of my trip like I had originally planned...it would have been way out of my way! I was at her house by 5pm!
We went down to New Harmony for dinner and she showed me around that area. Today I crossed over from KY to IN but she showed me the bridge that connects IL and IN. We also happened to hit downtown on a good night because the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art was having an opening for a new show and we got to go in and look around. I really liked the artwork that was being shown so we spent a good amount of time walking around and seeing it. We both decided that tomorrow we are going to go back in the daylight and check the area out again. There were a ton of fun little features that I want to take pictures of!
Last night Trish and I went out to a pub for dinner called the Black Horse Pub and Brewery and walked around Clarksville a bit. They have some awesome architecture in the city and a few sculptures around so it was nice to walk around. Trish also knew a lot about the city so it was nice to hear all the background info on the city as well. We went down to the river and got to see a preview of the Christmas lights along the River Walk. I got to fee like a celebrity with her because any phone call she got she would say she was with her "couch surfer" and they all knew all about me already including my name!
Woke up to an early morning phone call which worked out well since I needed to get going anyway. Trish made breakfast and typically, I'm not a breakfast person but I could not resist the cream cheese danish she had popped in the oven! We chatted and enjoyed that danish before I had to head out. Trish had packed me some snacks and gave me a Christmas present before I left. I stayed with her, not the other way around yet she gave me a present!
Mammoth Caves was only 1.5hrs north so I was there by 10:30am and already looking to get on a tour. I took the 2hr New Entrance tour which was supposed to be the best for photo ops. The tour didn't start until noon so I went and wandered the gift shop and had lunch at the cafe on property. I also had to get my shoes cleaned and quarantined since I have been in other caves in the last 3 years due to the outbreak of White-Nose Syndrome in the Bats. The mortalities rate in over 90% in the first years after contracting the disease. And now the bats could face extinction within the next 15 years! No good!
The tour started with meeting our guides; Dominic and Lance and a bus ride out to the entrance and then we (a group of over 40ppl) started off. The cave system is over 392mi long (longest in the world) and we were going to do about a quarter mile of it. It was a total of about 500 stairs and I expected it to be like the caves we did in Missouri this summer but it was very different. The walkways were very narrow and not lit well at all. Good thing I'm not claustrophobic because you had to squeeze and bend through the pathways. There were three main rooms we stopped in to chat and turn off the lights to see how dark it truly was and lots of stairs and fun walkways. We didn't see any bats but we did find a snake and some cave crickets. I made some friends along the way and we swapped cameras throughout which worked out great for everyone!
I think that the Mammoth Cave Tour was one of the highlights of my trip. I just really enjoy things like this and hearing the history behind it and walking through this underground world. I am so glad I got the opportunity to stop! After the tour ended it was time to continue north to Cynthiana, Indiana to see Jennifer. This drive was only 3hrs and I made good time! Most of the drive was in KY and when I hit IN I only was about 25mi to Jennifer's house. Really glad I didn't do this in the beginning of my trip like I had originally planned...it would have been way out of my way! I was at her house by 5pm!
We went down to New Harmony for dinner and she showed me around that area. Today I crossed over from KY to IN but she showed me the bridge that connects IL and IN. We also happened to hit downtown on a good night because the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art was having an opening for a new show and we got to go in and look around. I really liked the artwork that was being shown so we spent a good amount of time walking around and seeing it. We both decided that tomorrow we are going to go back in the daylight and check the area out again. There were a ton of fun little features that I want to take pictures of!
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