Road Trip 2012

After our perfect day in Boston, Ali was packed up and ready to hit the road.

That LONG road, right there.

Here are all the stops we made on our Southern route from Boston to Utah:

We headed out on a Thursday morning,
hitting up Dunkin on our way out of the city.
We just kind of felt like it was appropriate,
seeing as how there's a Dunkin (or two) on every corner of Boston.

Don't mind my randomly bloodshot eyes. They cleared up by South Carolina.

We had fun driving through Brooklyn and getting a glimpse of the NY skyline again,

and the Statue of Liberty. Beautiful day!

We spent our first night in Baltimore, then did a half-day in DC for a few of my favorite things.

First we explored the American History Museum,

then we met my sister-in-law Katie for lunch! 

She's crazy busy in her residency there, so I was glad she had time to meet up with us.

And of course we went to Sprinkles after lunch... :)

This trip proved to be no different than any in the past: I am terrible at getting shots of

the "Welcome to [insert state that is approaching way too rapidly]" sign.

But we managed to snag a few.

We spent a day in Myrtle Beach, and it was beautiful.

Definitely my warmest Atlantic Ocean experience.
We woke up early to catch the sunrise,
totally worth it.

We walked around Broadway at the Beach that night, 

and my dad and I couldn't stop watching these crazy carp. They're nasty and huge.

We fed them like $3.00 worth of fish food from the machine there, so I hope they're grateful.

The best part was watching the ducks that walked right over the top of all the fish,

and grabbed the fish food first.

Then, we loaded up again and headed West.
For the record, only the red & tan bags are mine. I was obviously ready to get on the road.

We had a great experience at church in Columbia, South Carolina.

This man had been baptized the night before, and shared his testimony that morning.

He mentioned that he met an LDS missionary in Panama, who gave him a Book of Mormon.

Then, he named the elder, and it was one of our good friends from the summer I lived in Boston!

Our friend left Boston to go to Panama to serve his mission, and now he's at BYU -- 

it was so amazing to hear this man's story of how our friend had changed his life.

We took a picture with him and sent it to our friend, totally freaked him out :)

We headed out through the southern states, and made sure we experienced some real soul food.

Mary Mac's Tea Room in Atlanta was so much fun -- fried green tomatoes, black-eyed peas,

fried chicken, tomato pie...we tasted it all!

And once we had digested (like six days later), we hit up Lambert's,

"The Only Home of Throwed Rolls."

It's true, they throw the rolls at you. And your drinks come in big gulps.

(Don't worry, that's water).

There's also a bucket of butter on the table, and people walking around at all times

pushing fried okra and all sorts of things onto your plate.

So good, so fun...

But then we never wanted to eat again.

We saw some beautiful old mansions in Alabama, including one that survived the Civil War.
Then in Mississippi, we stopped where Elvis was born.
Are we huge fans, or was it time to switch drivers?
You decide.

In Memphis, we stopped at the hotel where Martin Luther King was assassinated,

which has been converted into a Civil Rights Museum. It was powerful.

From there we did two nights in the one and only Branson, Missouri, 

so my mom could see some shows.

We watched a comedy routine and Jim Stafford,

then we saw the Dutton family perform.

Maybe because they're really talented and entertaining,

maybe because my dad used to date their mom.

You decide.

One of our favorite (and only?) Arkansas sighting.

Once we hit Oklahoma, the land got flatter and the roads got longer.

Luckily we had a lunch break in Tulsa so I could meet up with my friend Jami!

And her adorable family. Isn't little Afton beautiful?

After a night in Amarillo, and a waffle shaped like Texas, we made it to New Mexico.

First stop: Carlsbad Caverns.

Go there.

It's amazing. Mammoth Caves are the longest in America, but this is the largest. 

It has a room inside that can fit 6 football fields. 

Do you know how long it takes a cave to make all the cool things inside?

It's pretty incredible to see.

We hung around until dusk, 

because millions of bats fly out of the opening for their nightly hunt.

I support this. They eat mosquitos.

The ranger told us there is a part of the cave that has 40 feet of guano.

Disgusting. But true.

We spent the night in Roswell...

heard of it?

We didn't see any aliens. And the most exciting thing in the museum

was accidentally walking into the men's bathroom.

Other than that, meh.

 From there, we went to my dad's hometown, Los Alamos, New Mexico!

My first time there.

He took us on the grand tour: his homes, schools, shenanigans, everything.

It was a lot of fun to see.

Then, the home stretch.

We had an Atlas-GPS battle the entire trip,

but we'd always found our way just fine.

But somewhere between Los Alamos and Farmington, NM, 

the road turned to dirt and the rain started pouring.

Then we came around the corner...

and found this.

Ultimate road block. Seriously?

It was craziness. So after some minor backtracking, we DID find our way again.

After one more night, we made it into Arizona land. We stopped at Glen Canyon Dam...

Then drove home through Zion.

It's still the prettiest place in the world. (See the goat?)

After 11 days, 23 states, and 4,000 miles...Cedar looked pretty good. Always does :)

Now, just 5 states left on the list!

It's great to be back in Indiana with Michael...

I carried some guilt through every state when I thought about him alone and in school.

He was so sweet to send me on the trip and never complain about it.

(He's probably going to complain when I make him drive to North Dakota with me though.

Gotta go someday, right?)

:)

Wrapping Up Summer

Last day of work! 

Had to throw this up to prove I didn't just move to DC to play all summer.

I'm going to miss taking walks in DC, and constantly stumbling upon history.

The theater where Lincoln was assassinated is just a couple blocks away from my office.

And Lincoln himself (ok, the commemorative version) was just a couple blocks away from the Barlow.

I'm going to miss taking walks to his memorial and thinking about life on those steps.

That right there is my favorite spot in DC.

Life on L Street

 These are my roommates.

Yep, all of them.

Ok, minus the missionaries & professor+spouse. But they're around a lot too.

I love them.

It (unexpectedly) hit me tonight, during our very entertaining Barlow Center variety show,

that these bright people are my last fellow BYU adventurers.

They'll go on adventuring. I will too. But I'm guessing we won't all live together again.

I had a roommate once that told me she felt like she went through life collecting people.

Every stage/semester/day of life brings you people to meet,

and learn about, 

and love,

and usually miss.

But collecting them is always worth it. 

It's kind of a snowball effect -- you just roll through life getting a bigger heart,

 and a bigger list of people you love,

and a bigger list of people you want to catch up with,

and a bigger list of memories you laugh out loud about...

...I'd roll with these guys any day.

Clubbing.

This weekend the PR girls of the Barlow paid a visit to the National Press Club.

On the left, the club member that put the tour together for us.

Next, Cardell & his wife. He teaches the political science classes at the Barlow this semester.

Then Haley & Janet, my PR friends.

Next to me is Sister Sowby, half of the wonderful missionary couple assigned to the Barlow Center here in DC.

And the far right is Gill, a former president of the press club who gave us the tour.

This is the view from the upper floor of the press club. 

Recognize anything?

Two buildings away is the east side of the White House.

As Gill put it,

"The club is just a stone's throw from the White House. And we provide the stones."

I will forever love the love/hate relationship between media and, well, everything.

On the way home the Sowby's took us to the New York Ave Presbyterian Church,

and we saw an original draft of the Emancipation Proclamation.

It's hard for me to comprehend the reality of pieces of history.

But, you can't lie in church, so this is has to be the real deal.

Guess whose pew we are sitting in...

I'm just going to tell you. Abraham Lincoln's!

That's cool, right? He attended church here and sat on that very bench.

I'm glad Mormons aren't the only people that enjoy consistency in their meeting seating.

Pause.

I love summer adventures. 

D.C. has definitely been just that.

But this particular adventure has been a little tainted by my lack of post-summer plans.

When I packed up my all too familiar life in Provo, 

I didn't really know why I was leaving.

I left this...

and found this...

I guess the loss is written on the wall - confidence.

But you know, as the end of the summer gets closer,

I'm realizing that the only worry going on here is too much freedom.

And there are a lot of people in this world I wouldn't share that complaint with.

***

So in three weeks, my life isn't on a schedule of four-month homes anymore.

No classes, no campus, no clear-cut days.

It sounds like a potential rough patch.

But, it doesn't have to be.

You don't always have to read the writing on the wall.

Sometimes you can just make your own.

Zero to Sixty

I went HERE...

And rode THIS... 

And I'm still happy about it.

That right there is Superman. The people just about to race down that drop are SO happy.

Especially the lucky two sitting in the front row.

I know this, because I was in that seat four times on Saturday. 

Roller coasters and I have come a long way. I used to refuse to go on any ride with an incline past a 50-degree angle, and never even considered a ride that involved going upside down. 

When you turn something upside down, the stuff inside falls out. 

Basic gravity, right?

But then, one fateful day in 8th grade, we took a school trip to Lagoon (it's what fun is!).

I could go on an emotional tangent right now about how much I love Lagoon. 

Let's just remember to talk about that later.

Back to the fateful day.
All my friends headed straight for Colossus long before I was mentally prepared.

I was terrified. Not only does the ride go upside down, but it goes upside down TWICE. 

Who would build such a thing?

Well, whoever it was, they're a genius. 

Thanks to pride and peer pressure, I conquered Colossus that day. 

Then rode it again. And again. And again...

And now I have a constant roller coaster craving.

Six Flags America definitely satisfied it. For at least a week.

Dessert First

Bless you, Twitter.

Every day the delicious bakeries and ice creameries of Georgetown tweet special "code words."

You walk in. You whisper said code word. You receive free deliciousness. You embrace the excess calories.

First stop today: Georgetown cupcakes, of TLC's "DC Cupcakes" fame.

"Chocolate mint crunch," Rachel whispered. Then Sarah. Then Amanda. Then Maddie. Then David.

I don't think businesses around here love the Barlow students too much.

 Next stop: Good old Ben & Jerry's.

Walk in, pass the motion-sensored cow that moos, whisper "milk & cookies," leave with a very summery treat.

Sprinkles cupcakes. Stop #3. Don't judge us.

I'm in love with these cupcakes. True, true love.

It's time to leave DC before I officially turn this into a food blog.

To Do List

West Virginia: #32

Here's what's left people:

That's why Ali and I hit the road when she visited over the fourth of July. 

We drove 800 miles during two days of her four-day trip.

Had to check off North Carolina and West V! Both beautiful.

I'm addicted to road trips, and I'm not afraid to admit it.

This is called an Atlas. People used them before the GPS fad hit.

Ok, more than a fad.

And ok, sometimes we used a GPS. But not too much!

This picture would be a lot cooler if I wasn't cursed to miss every "Welcome to (insert state)" sign that we pass.

It's a problem. 

But I have 18 more chances to fix it!

Well, ok, 17...I don't plan on road tripping to Hawaii.

My LAST Field Trip. Ever.

Isn't that the saddest blog post title you have ever read?

The truth hit me hard when I started this post.

Our trip out to Harper's Ferry and Gettysburg last week really was my last field trip.

Ever.

Ok, as a student.

You get to go with your kids on fun field trips, right?

Enough sad stuff, look how much fun we had!

Harper's Ferry is beautiful. AND it's in West Virginia. State #32, people!

I recently learned that I need to hit all 50 before I turn 25,
because Ali is trying to hit 50 in the next 3 years.

I don't want to be left behind.

Just 18 to go...

Look how much fun they're having! We were incredibly jealous.

They're just tubing down the Potomac, then meeting up with the Shenandoah. 

West Virginia is SO beautiful. I could live there.

We were wishing for our swimsuits...but this was almost as good.

Except for Jon and Sean. They needed the full experience.

This was right before they both surrendered and just got completely wet.

We made friends with a guy that was hanging out on a little island in the middle.

When I told him I was from Utah, he said, "Are you guys Mormons? 

I mean...I can definitely tell those two out there are Mormons, but are the rest of you too?"

Then we laughed at Jon and Sean a little more.

I love how green it is, but is it worth the humidity?

Still deciding.

I like trains.

Miss Jacqui Bird! This is the Gettysburg Battlefield, full of monuments and history. 

This picture is very appropriate because Jacqui's smart pretty head is also full of history. 

And someday she will teach it.

Red barns. 

On my church history trip last fall they taught me that red barns are red because they were painted with ox blood.

That was the cheapest color of paint to make. You painted yellow barns if you were rich.

I kind of wish I never learned that?

Blood is gross.

We climbed a tower. And this is what we saw.

I love mountains, don't get me wrong...but I love it here too.

This is Sean shooting a Canon. On a cannon.

And this. This is David Sentman's focused, focused face. Notice that he is about to finish that nugget.

One of forty that he finished that day.

Alex, on the left, challenged David to a nugget-eating contest.

David won.

I am still amazed.

And that, my friends, was my very last field trip.

Didn't even cross my mind during the day. It was too much fun.

I know I'll miss being a student in the fall when 92% of my friends are back on campus with backpacks and books and class schedules and...other student-ish things I won't have anymore.

But I'm excited for my next chapter. Whatever it is :)