My Round-the-Country Adventure

As I begin to plan for the biggest adventure of my life I want to keep track of it. The planning, the trip itself, and related things after. Plenty of pictures to come. Rants and random thoughts. And stories. Lots of stories. I want this to be something not only for myself but for others. Join me in my journey. For those of you out there who have traveled or lived somewhere else in this beautiful country - please contribute. I welcome your suggestions of places to visit or people to meet up with! Beds & showers are also appreciated along the way. Well - I guess here we go! :)

[dededeuces2014-blog]

Portland, OR

As I got into Portland I found Garth, Stephanie, & Azalea's place quite easily. Garth and Azalea were there, Steph was at school. Azalea was a bit  cranky and uncertain of me to begin but we grew to be good friends. :) When Stephanie got home we all went up to Hawthorne to find dinner. We ended up at a place called Harlows on Hawthorne. It had a restaurant feel, but you ordered at a counter. I had a veggie mac and cheese dish with a side of jalapeno cornbread. It was all delicious. I enjoyed a "North by Northwest" cocktail of bourbon, ginger beer, and lime juice. YUM! We poked around that area of Hawthorne for a while, looking in shops and such, before heading home. They were getting settled in for the night so I left to go surprise Danny at work!

Danny is the head bartender at one of the Rogue's in Portland. His is right on the PSU campus. I found it with little trouble and walked in. He was behind the bar chatting it up with a guest. I stood there for a moment waiting for him to turn and acknowledge my presence. When he did it was wonderful! He came running around the side of the bar and we hugged! I sat at the bar and was introduced to some of the guys sitting there. He made me a bourbon drink, and then proceeded to feed me at least a dozen samples of Rogue brewed beer. They were all quite good! I also got to meet Danny's best friend Steve, who is from Buffalo, though the 2 met in Portland! I stayed longer than expected (about midnight) before heading back to Garth & Steph's. I got a great nights sleep there.

In the morning I met up with Danny for the rest of the week. We went to his favorite little coffee place around the corner, called Tiny's. After, he drove down into the city and parked at the Rogue. We spent some time wandering Portland and found our way down to the river for a bit. He talked to me about a lot of the history of Portland, including the underground tunnel system used for the transportation of Chinese prisoners decades ago. We talked and laughed a lot; and caught up on the last 6 years of our lives. We had some food cart lunch (as one should do while visiting Portland). I had some sort of sliced beef sandwich with avocado, cilantro, tomato, pickles and other yumminess on it. :) Once we were fed the drinking could begin. We went to Bailey's Tap Room first. Their beer board was a TV screen. It not only showed ounce pours/$ but also how much was left in the keg. I tried two 10oz beers. The first I can't remember, but the 2nd was Lompoc's Belgian Style IPA. Let me tell you what - the beer in Portland is fantastic! I know why they're known for their beers, because they're all delicious. After Bailey's he took me over to Powell's book store. Oh man! I forgot how much I loved the feeling of wandering a huge bookstore, getting lost amongst the shelves, thumbing through pages of books that jump off the shelf at me. And that is QUITE the bookstore! Multiple levels, and just row after row after row of books on every variety of topics. When we left Powell's we made our way to MoMo's. It's a small local bar with a HUGE patio. There I had an Everybody's Local Logger (Lager). Then we went back to Danny's car and he drove up to this little park in the Western Hill's called Council Crest. It has great views of the city, Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, and Mt. Adams. Up there we sat for near an hour having some really great conversation. We reminisced a bit but also had some talks about spiritual beliefs, growth, and traveling. It was very enjoyable.

We headed back to Danny's around 7:30 and his lady friend Emily came over. She is LOVELY and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to meet her and spend time with her that week. She just recently got her master's degree in counseling also so we had lots to chat about. She was in need of an adult beverage so we walked to the Cascade Barrelhouse. On the way we saw these goats! They're called "The Belmont Goats" and they are wonderful. Anyways - Cascade is a sour beer brewery. Sour beer is a new thing for me, I tried it once at Lovin'cup back home, but have a new-found appreciation for it now. Sour beer is brewed like normal, then fruit is added and it goes through another fermentation. It's a bit of an acquired taste, but once it's acquired it's quite wonderful. I had their Nightfall brew! Yum! :) While enjoying our beers on the patio I saw what is called a "pedalounge" ride by. It's like a bike bus where everyone pedals to propel, but the owner/driver is the one that steers. Apparently it's great for large, drunken groups of people because collectively it doesn't take much to propel it, and it's a safe alternative to drunk driving because the owner is the one controlling it. Really great idea as far as I'm concerned. :) We left there and headed to the Green Dragon, a bar that Danny used to work at. There I enjoyed a Baerlic Cream Ale first. Baerlic is a very new brewery in the Portland area that one of Danny's best friends, Cait, has recently signed with. It was exciting to see it on the draft list. Danny and Emily both had their IPA. Both the cream ale and the IPA were very good. My second beer was by Rogue, one I had not tried the previous night, a ginger pale ale. I really love the taste of ginger and this one was spicy and excellent. :) We finished off our night at Danny's favorite spot - The High Dive. I enjoyed a couple Good Life Descender IPA's. Emily left earlier than us and we stuck around until they kicked us out. We got to chatting with some regulars and giggling at a couple in the corner of the patio who were ALL over each other.

In the morning we went to Jam. I had The Bizness, which is a breakfast reuben with the most splendid corned beef I've ever tried. i also had 1 lemon ricotta pancake with blueberry compote - because...well, it sounded delicious! :) We had decided the day before that we would spend this day going up to Mt. St. Helens in Washington. Danny said it was one of his favorites and I was excited for a mini road trip within my major one. It was also nice to sit in a passenger seat and enjoy the scenery instead of worrying about paying attention to the road, the speed, etc. Danny paid for my entrance to the visitor's center because he said it was important for me to learn about the history of the volcano before continuing up to the observatory. I learned a lot about the May 18, 1980 eruption and got to look at artifacts and photos from the time period. We drove up to the observatory. It's kind of eerie up there - even with the bustle of tourists. The level of destruction, even 34 years later was still so obvious. There are trees down for miles, ripped stumps littering the ground like gravestones. The mountain literally blew out the side scattering rock everywhere. The view was truly unbelievable. I'm really glad I got to experience and learn about such an epic moment in our history.

When we got back to the city we relaxed at home for a bit before taking a Car2Go into the city. Car2Go's are another amazing transportation invention. Basically they're little smart cars that are left all over the city. You pay a one time fee to sign up to use the cars. Then you use the app to locate a car and reserve it. When you get to the car there is a card reader in the front window that you use with your card to unlock the car. You basically pay per minute and when you're done you just lock the doors and leave the car for another person to use. Genius!

We started the evening at Laurelthirst, per Angela's suggestion, for food and beer. I had a Double Mountain IRA and a veggie burger with swiss cheese and mushrooms. The patty itself was made out of walnuts and sunflower seeds. Oh man it was good! Emily and Cait both met us there too. Cait's wonderful. She's super friendly and smart with a lovely personality! From there the four of walked down to Migration brewery where I enjoyed a Luscious Lupulin IPA.  Cait left, but not before an epically hilarious story and conversation about the Deschutes river) and we walked Emily home. Danny and I debated what to do next and we decided to check out this tequila bar called Matador. We both enjoyed a couple of Mexican Old Fashioned's and conversation with the bartender. Danny treated me to a pour of the Milagro Single Barrel Anejo! WOW! Definitely the best tequila I've tried yet!! The tequila woke both of us up a bit and we decided to go High Dive for last call. There we saw some of the same regulars from the night before and enjoyed another fun filled conversation on the patio with them before heading home for the night. For the first time in my whole trip it rained on me as we walked home from the bar at 3am. We decided it was because Portland was sad to know I was leaving. We watched YouTube episodes of "The Restaurant" and joked and talked for hours before finally calling it a night. For breakfast the next morning, before I left for Seattle, we went to Meat, Cheese & Bread. I had a green bean sandwich with bacon relish, Parmesan cheeese, and aioli. Sounds weird - tastes amazing! 

I really enjoyed reconnecting with Danny B for a few days. It was a wonderful experience and I feel like he and I have rekindled a friendship. I am so excited about his upcoming cross country adventures and for him to be in Rochester for a month this fall!!! I can't wait to hang out with him on our home turf but in a whole new way that neither of us have experienced together yet. It's going to be wonderful! :)

I departed for Seattle around 2:15 in the afternoon. But that's a story for another time.

For now - it's back to the road. Stories of Seattle, Missoula, Yellowstone, The Badlands, and Kansas City still to come!

Thanks for following my adventures friends!

peace/love/music

[dededeuces2014-blog]

Redwoods National Forest, CA

Well, leaving San Francisco was not nearly as enjoyable as being there was. I got a bit turned around and ended up off of Rt. 1. I pulled off in Mill Valley to reassess how to get back on track. I did, and just moments after getting back onto the PCH I hit a young deer. The sun was in my eyes and the poor thing was running down the middle of the road, making his silhouette much more narrow than it would have been if he were darting across the road. Also, he was headed right for me. I applied the brakes, but there were cars behind me and to my left, and a ditch to my right. I wasn't going very fast, but the impact shook me. I hit it's back hip with my driver's side headlight. I pulled off where I could and got out of the car. I checked my car, no obvious damage. (I realized later that it did indeed push in my wheel well, causing it to bend a bit inward near the side of headlight.) No broken head light. No crumpled hood. No deer through my windshield. And I was ok too. Shaken, but ok. I then crossed the street to where I last saw the deer. I approached cautiously for fear it was still alive and not very happy; but I couldn't find it. I'm hoping the little guy was alright and just ran off to safety. I didn't hit him hard, and he continued to move as I attempted to pull off....so I'm hoping he's alright. It definitely left me a bit shaken.

I don't know if it was this start to my day that had me feeling a bit off all day, but I did. A little anxious, a little lonely, a little over driving. I think some of it had to do, also, with the amount of construction taking place, taking traffic down to one ways with 15-30 minute stand stills while you waited for the traffic in the other direction to finish using the one usable side of the road. I combated this negative overlay of the day by playing happy music and making sure to take time and enjoy the beauty of my environment. There were a few vista's that provided beautiful views of the northern coast of California and I spent time there, feeling the wind against my skin and breathing in the salty ocean air. I also giggled at a sign I saw on the side of the road that read "No Mushroom Picking!"

I got to my campsite in the Jedidiah Smith State Park Campground around 6:45. I got a touch frustrated trying to get the tent set up but finally took a deep breath, shook the negative thoughts and it all came together. I wish I had some wood to build a fire, as it dropped in temperature quickly. But I also didn't want to waste money or time with a fire and told myself that once it was dark I would just go to bed. I lit a citronella candle to keep the mosquitoes at bay and spent my time doing some journaling and sewing the purse that I borrowed from Shana. There was a hole in the front pocket, the inside pocket was flapping around having ripped out, and there was a hole in the outside lining. But not anymore! Sewing stuff in the woods! Go me!

The forest was relatively peaceful, aside from some children a few camps down. But they weren't screaming or crying....simply laughing and enjoying their time. So it wasn't a bother. It was a chilly, uncomfortable sleep that night, but I managed to get at least 7 hours before I decided to get up with the sun and pack up camp. Unzipping my tent in the cool morning air to see giant redwood trees outside was quite wonderful. I got dressed and packed up camp and was on my way by 9am. I stopped for coffee at (unknown to me at first) the original Dutch Bros coffee shop. I got to talking to the baristas, who were very friendly, about my travels and when it came time to pay I was only charged $2 for my turnover and multi-shot espresso beverage. The kindness of strangers in this world continues to show itself as my trip progresses. It has certainly helped reaffirm my faith in humans. :) I continued my drive to Portland with a smile on my face and an excitement to see Danny!

Another post for Portland to come - because that was a fun time! :)

[dededeuces2014-blog]

San Francisco, CA

Somewhere between Monterey and San Francisco I stopped at a beach (Pomponio State Beach?) to hang out and relax. There was a large flat rock that I posted up on at first. I tried doing some hula hooping but it was too windy. There was an old California couple, skin tan and leathery from being in the Cali sun their whole lives, lying near the base of my rock. They enjoyed watching me hoop and then went back to doing their own thing – which consisted of deep breathing exercises, centering techniques & meditation. There was a family to the right of the rock with 2 young girls that must have been about 2 and 5. The little girls ran around the beach chasing the birds and screaming all the way. Then they would run in towards the water and when the waves came in they would run giggling up into the sand to avoid getting wet. They brought quite the smile to my face. Down the beach to my left there was a cliff that jutted out towards the ocean. I decided to explore beyond it and found a few caves and smaller beaches. I wandered so far down that finally no one was in sight in either direction. It was like I had my own little private beach where I spent some time hula hooping (the wind was blocked a bit by the cliffs) and looking for rocks. It was a really perfect couple hours. J

I headed back to my car and continued on my way to San Francisco. The 4 lane highway heading into SF had stop and go traffic, but it wasn’t too terrible. I met Mackenzie and her mom Julie at her place. We hung out for a little bit and caught up on the last few years of our lives. Then Kenz took me down to Haight and Asbury to walk around and check out the hippie neighborhood. So much culture and history in that neighborhood - it was great! A random GDF guy on Haight asked us if we needed anything. I declined and giggled to myself thinking “man…I could really live here!” I would hang out on Haight St ALL THE TIME if I lived there. We also wandered Divisidero a bit. I went to The Burger Urge to grab a bite to eat. I hate the Haight Burger which was incredible. Chock full of vegetables and totally San Francisco. I also used Lyft for the first time and really enjoyed the experiences I had with that. It was great to get back to Mackenzies. Julie had pulled the futon out for me and had made it all up for me. I slept like a ROCK that night.

The following morning I took a shower and got ready. Mackenzie was already at work so I went out to explore on my own. I went to Peasant Pies on Irvine where I met Charlie. He worked there and helped me pick a couple really tasty ones. So Peasant Pies are kind of like hand held pot pies, but instead of being really flakey, they’re more like bread so you can just hold them and eat them and not worry about them falling apart. Charlie was really friendly and suggested some places to check out. I thanked him and walked down to Golden Gate Park. I went right to Hippie Hill. I went up to the top of the hill to smoke. A guy walked past and asked me if I needed any “delicious herbal refreshment.” I thanked him and told him no. He asked me 4 more times that day! I took it all in from the top of the hill – watching the travelin’ homeless kids hanging out in groups, the old school California hippies with their drums and tambourines, the average stoner kids just there hanging out so they could smoke, the pair of girls talking about what’s wrong with the world and how they intend to fix it. After a while I wandered down the hill to the Janis Tree. It is this beautiful tree in the park that Janis Joplin used to sit in and play her guitar. The way the tree grew provides an excellent spot for sitting in it, but it looks like you’re almost sitting ON it, as the branches wrap around in a circle, creating a hole in the middle so you can just sit on the trunk/where the trunk breaks out into branches. Google “Janis Tree” you’ll see what I mean. Anyways – the energy at the tree was really powerful. Standing under it, touching it, you could just feel her presence and the presence of so many others who had been there before. It was really something quite incredible. Then I walked across the path and sat facing it, just hanging out in the sunshine. I met a GDF girl with multi colored hair and a beautiful dog were the most prominent. She sat and chatted for a bit before heading on her way.

Diana and I were in touch during this time and I left to go back to my car and meet up with her at Union Square. It was SO AWESOME to see her after 9 years!!!! We went to Starbucks and spent quite some time catching up on the last decade of our lives. Rosie joined us for a bit too between obligations. It was so wild to sit and chat with the 2 of them for a while. The 3 of us have been friends since we were CHILDREN and to just sit in San Francisco talking about our lives was really quite wonderful. Rosie had to go to work so D and I went down to the Mission area to explore. We had breakfast for dinner at a little diner and it was lovely. When we made it back to Union Square we got in our cars and headed back to her place. She brought home some crème brulee cheesecake, which we devoured before watching some of a movie and heading to bed.

In the morning Mike, Diana and I went to this bagel place nearby, Main St. Bagel. They were super busy with a line out the door, but for good reason. I had a bacon/egg/cheese sandwich on a jalapeno cheddar bagel and a large hazelnut cinnamon coffee. MMMMMM! When we got back to the house I packed up and said good bye. Diana had some work to do and I still wanted to spend more time in SF. It was really so good to see her, I hope it’s not another 10 years before I see her again. Also. Her cat Reggie is adorable. J

I went back to Golden Gate Park because I am in love with it. Totally. If I lived in SF I would spend so much of my free time there. This time at the park I went to the botanical gardens. They were beautiful. I got a great video of a great blue heron for my mom, I hugged my first redwood, and saw some cool plants & flowers. I met up with Julie and Kenzie and walked with them to the museum that’s in the park (The California Academy of Sciences, I believe). On the way we talked about growth and maturity and how too many people believe that at a certain point of their life that everything will fall into place, but that’s just not how it works. As Mackenzie put it: “So long as you’re interacting with the world around you, you are always growing and changing.” Or something like that. It was a really strong, beautiful conversation though. J When we got to the museum I opted not to go in because it was $35. I was perfectly content going to the Japanese Tea Gardens, or back to the Janis Tree for a few hours. But Julie insisted that she would cover the cost of my entrance. I can’t thank her enough. It was so incredibly kind of her. I’m glad I went, because we had a lot of fun. We went in the rainforest exhibit and saw a lot of cool stuff there, and I even walked through the aquarium exhibit without totally freaking out. I was a little uneasy walking through the tunnel, but I think I kept it relatively together given how creeped out I am by that stuff. I think Mackenzie’s “Finding Nemo” references the whole time helped keep the mood light. The reason Kenz had even wanted to be there was for the skull exhibit which was WAY cool! Tons of awesome animal skulls and information about them. It was very impressive and informative. We went onto the living roof of the museum where the whole roof is covered in grass and plants and moss. It helps heat and cool the museum during different parts of the year. They also have solar energy panels to help run it. So awesome – but it was really windy and cold up there, so we left quickly.

I drove the 2 of them back to the apartment and I was deciding what I wanted to eat. I decided on sushi and was going to go by myself (they were 3.5 days into their 5 day juice cleanse) but when I started talking about sushi they got excited and ended up cheating a bit. It was nice to have dinner with them and the good conversation continued. The place we went was called “Sushi Raw” and it was quite yummy! J Mmmmm sushi! J I tried to pay for my part, but Julie again insisted she would take care of it. I surrendered graciously.

The following morning I took Mackenzie to work down in the Marina before getting some breakfast for myself and preparing to leave the city. Mackenzie really showed me an amazing time in SF and I really love her for it. I can’t wait to go back to that city – I really still do feel like it’s where I belong. It’s just everything I want. J I took the Golden Gate Bridge out of the city and it was marvelous. She is really quite beautiful.

More to come about my drive to the Redwoods and beyond at another time.

peace/love/music

[dededeuces2014-blog]

Los Angeles, Big Sur, & Monterey, CA

Alright – so when I left San Diego I headed up the coast a bit to Laguna Beach to meet up with my Aunt Laurel & Uncle Eric. We parked my car at a church and I got in the back of their car. Uncle Eric drove around the Laguna hills showing me the sights. He took me to this cool lookout point where you could see the whole town and the beach.  Very pretty. Then we drove down and had lunch at Ruby’s, a 50’s style diner, where I had a turkey burger with cranberry sauce and brie cheese. Totally delicious! We walked around the boardwalk area after lunch enjoying window shopping. Uncle Eric rode back to their house in Brea with me. When we got back there I took some time up in my room to just relax. Aunt Laurel made dinner (beef stroganoff, noodles, salad, broccoli & pineapple). My cousin Dane came home for dinner. And my cousin-in-law Kayla came too. Kayla’s husband, my cousin, Scott had a final for school that night so he came by after for dinner for dessert. We had lemon bars and peanut butter chocolate crisp bars. It was really nice to sit with the family and catch up. Dane went to bed and Kayla went home. Scott, Uncle Eric and I spent some time playing Grandpa’s old “marble game” and talking politics, the economy, and the social system. It got late and Scott went home and I went to bed.

The next morning I was up at 6:15 to meet up with Brandon. We met at Highland Center and Hollywood. We got some Starbucks and he drove us up to Runyon Canyon Park. It’s an amazing place to hike with wonderful views of the city of LA & the Hollywood Hills. It wasn’t super sunny out, but it was still hot – so we got nice and sweaty and worked up an appetite. He took me to this amazing restaurant in Hollywood called The Griddle Café. This place had the BEST breakfast I’ve ever had. And most definitely the best food I’ve had on this trip. I had French toast dipped in crushed up peanut butter crunch cereal. He had HUGE pancakes with bananas, walnuts & caramel. And we shared an egg dish with tequila chicken sausage, cheese, avocados, pico de gallo and a tequila cream sauce. YUM! Their coffee was served in a French press for your own pouring. Such a great meal – we both had to take leftovers home. The servings were just HUGE. After breakfast he had some time to kill so he drove me around Hollywood & Beverly Hills. I saw the Beverly Hills Hotel, a bunch of gay pride set ups, etc. We realized at one point how hilarious it was that he and I were hanging out in Hollywood. Our senior year of high school Brandon and I were both elected “Headed for Hollywood” as our senior superlatives. We found it quite perfect that 10 years from our high school graduation we would find ourselves in Hollywood together. Granted he is actually doing the Hollywood thing, and I was just passing through, but that was still fun. J It was so wonderful seeing and spending time with him!!!

After I got back to the house I did some blogging and booked my hotel for Monterey and my campsite in the Redwoods. Dane and the family spent the day moving him out, so dinner was a simple pizza and salad. After supper I repacked and wrote some postcards. Scott called and I met him out at TGIFriday’s for a drink. It was excellent to sit and chat with him for a while about relationships, family, keeping in touch, school, work, my trip, everything. I adore Scott. I wish he & Kayla lived closer so that I could see him more. When I got back to the house that night the doors were all locked and I had to sneak in the back. It disturbed the dog, Obie, which woke Aunt L & Uncle E…I felt terrible. I went to bed because I had to be up early to leave the following morning.

Aunt Laurel is wonderful and woke up early the next morning to make breakfast before I left. We had a blueberry & cream cheese French toast casserole and mixed fruit. I left by 7:45 to head up the coast. I was so excited to drive the PCH and finally see this magical place called “Big Sur” I had heard so much about. A couple hours into the trip I saw a roadside stand for strawberries, and per Aunt Laurel’s suggestion stopped for some. Super glad I did – they were delicious. The drive on the coast is an incredible one. It’s full of sharp turns and mountainous roads, but the coast itself is absolutely stunning. Bright blue waters, jagged rocks, luscious green trees…absolutely incredible. And lots of tiny little towns along the way. What a wonderful life it must be to live in one of those small towns. For example, I saw a sign that read: “Town: Harmony, CA; Population: 18”!!!! 18 people in that town!! Wild! I spent about an hour at Elephant Seal Vista watching the elephant seals on the beach. It was molting season and you could actually see the old layers of skin hanging on their bodies like old, holey t-shirts. I also watched a couple older males fight by bashing their necks together and trying to climb on one another. Quite entertaining! It was a beautiful day to drive the coast – the windows were down, the music was up and I did not stop smiling the whole time. Though eventually I did turn all the music off and spent some contemplative time driving. It was quite lovely. In addition to the elephant seals I also saw 2 whales and I’m pretty sure I saw a bald eagle too! It was a pretty great day. I got to my hotel in Moterey and went down to Carmel Beach to watch the sunset. How beautiful it was!!! There was a couple there who were having their engagement photos taken. They were clearly very in love and having a marvelous time together. He was the sweetest, wrapping a blanket around her and holding her in his arms when they were waiting for pictures to be taken, as it was a bit breezy on the beach and she was wearing a short dress. They were so lovely to watch. There was also a young Asian family playing on the beach. They had a young son who was absolutely enthralled with the beach and the waves and the birds. He was so adorable. As I was sitting on the beach taking it all in a big wave came in and I almost got soaked. But I was able to get up and away from it before that happened. My time on the beach was quite a lovely way to end such a beautiful day.  I’m fairly certain June 12th is hands down my favorite day of my trip.

The following morning I went to the Village East Café in Monterey for some espresso and breakfast and to do some blogging. It was a cool little place that had photos from Burning Man all over the walls. They used a record player to play music which I thought was so clutch.  It really added to the feel. Then I went down to the Monterey bay Park to take my famous video for Lamie crabwalking while wearing the Viking helmet. What a perfect way to finish up my time in Monterey before I took off for SAN FRANCISCO!

[dededeuces2014-blog]

San Diego, CA

I got to Ally's around 3:30. Man - it was so good to see her! I'm glad she was the first face I saw! For SO LONG I've wanted to go to San Diego to see her, and she was the one I was MOST excited about seeing there. She took me down to Ocean Beach (at the time I had no idea I'd end up spending SO much time in OB) and put my feet in the water. We wandered around the area and stopped at a place called Raglan to enjoy a couple delicious cider sangrias. She had to go to work so I went up and met up with Carlie.

Carlie is someone I met at La Casa, she sat at one of my tables, about a week before she moved to California. She told me she was leaving and she and I hit it off right away so we became Facebook friends. Random, yes. Awesome, also yes. :) We wandered her area heading down to the Adams Ave area. We ended up at Heights Tavern and I had a Sculpin IPA (per Ally's recommendation) and some Canadian Fries. They were basically poutine and they weren't that awesome. Carlie had plans with friends to go to a Vance Joy show, so we went and got in line. Unfortunately it sold out before we got in. She she, all of her friends, and I went for Plan B - El Camino. Well, we weren't allowed to sit if we were just drinking....so we went for plan C - The Ballast Point, a local brewery that brews the Sculpin brew I had tried earlier in the day. It was a neat place. All of Carlie's friends, and friends of friends,  were nice and lots of well wishes for me when we left. When we got home we both passed right out. Carlie let me sleep in her bed (pull out futon) and that was very kind of her.

I felt really homesick that night and it was difficult, but it began to improve as the weekend went out. I think a lot of it was just that I was a) exhausted, b) really wanted my best friend to be there with me, c) was the furthest I'd be from home. As the vitamin D soaked through my skin the rest of the weekend my mood drastically improved.

The following morning Carlie and I went down to Ocean Beach and just laid in the sun and played in the ocean. It was relaxing and exactly what I needed. But I burnt the HECK out of the back of my legs and they were sore for 4 or 5 days. Her friend Sarah joined us at the beach also. She's got a lot going on so it was a lot of her talking about the bullshit she's dealing with and us just listening and comforting her. People are so ignorant and it sucks when their stupidity affects a lovely soul like hers. We went to this vintage antique shop in OB too and wandered there for a long time. On the street I smiled and said hello to a guy with a guitar case and a dog. His name was Matteo and the dog was #9 Cow Pie. He asked if he could pay me for a cigarette, I said he could just have one, I said well why don't I trade you a song for it. Who was I to argue? He sand me "Codeine" by Trampled by Turtles. It was beautiful. I really enjoyed chatting with him briefly. :) That evening Carlie and I stayed lazy and watched the 2nd Bridget Jone's movie.

The following morning she went to yoga on the beach and I headed to Balboa Park to hang out and wait for Ally to go to brunch. It was lovely laying in the park watching everyone around me. I did some hoola hooping too, of course. :) Ally and I went to West Coast Tavern where we shared a pitcher of mimosa. It came out in a HUGE mason jar with 2 straws. It was awesome. We shared a red velvet pancake with cream cheese frosting and each had our own savory option. I went with "Buffalo Bacon Potatoes" basically loaded home fries with buffalo sauce (made with Red Hot cuz the chef is from the East Coast!!!!), bacon and cheese. Super yummy. Ally's friend Lauren joined us and I enjoyed chatting with her. She was really great and decided to follow me on Instagram. :) Then Ally and I went to True North Tavern for a cocktail. I chose the strawberry bourbon mule. Wow. Great choice! She had a spicy orange margarita - also delicious! Ally went to work and I went down to OB to do some souvenir shopping and such. Went into this smoke shop called Stuff2Puff and ended up having a wonderful conversation with the girl working, Tiffany. She was really great. We talked about life & travel, love & sex, smoking, self-confidence, beauty, so much!!! What a positive interaction that was. :)

Jane got a hold of me in the early evening and I headed over there. It had been TWELVE years since we'd seen each other but it was comfortable and fun to hang out with her and her friends Krysta & Laura. Laura's even from Red Creek! We went down to the beach (Jane lives RIGHT ON Ocean Beach) for a bonfire. She and her friends (Krysta, Laura, Ryan, Beth, Erin, Michael, Jeff) are all wonderful. We played music, sang, danced, laughed. It was perfect. Post-beach Laura, Ryan, Jeff & I hung out for a little bit, then I hung out with Jeff for a bit, before going back to Jane's to catch some Z's. The 4 of us hung out for a little bit before I left for Oceanside and to see Lauren!!!! :)

My time with Lo was perfectly wonderful. We had the best couple of days together. I can't believe I had so much fun with someone I'd never met before in person. Even though I knew I loved her because she's Tria's niece and we're FB friends and all that fun stuff. She helped squash a LOT of my homesickness. On Sunday, when I got there, we polished off a bottle of JD throughout the day. We started at Swami Beach with her new boy Brandon where we hooped and spent time in the sunshine. It was the perfect "ice breaker" for us. It was her dad's birthday so after we took B to work we went back there for dessert. Afterwards we went to Torrey Pines State Beach where we sat up on the cliffs and watched the (terrible, due to clouds) sunset and hooped some more. I got some really cool shots of her on the edge of the cliff and of the 2 of us with the sky/ocean in the background. :) After dark we went back to Oceanside and did "night time beach time" where she and Tria always did. I started to doze on the beach when Brandon called and was done with work. we went back to his place and drank with a bunch of his friends and hung out with his dogs (Sammie, Jager, & Roxie). His sister Deana came home late night from work and we chatted for a bit. She seemed to like me, which B said was not normal. She was sweet tho and made sure I had everything I needed to sleep.

The following day Lo and I did some shopping for gifts in Oceanside and had lunch at Roberto's Taco Shop. I had Chille Rellanos and an horchata. YUM! We picked up B and were going to go to the San Diego County Fair, but it's closed Mondays in June. BUMMER. So we drove around a bunch, picked up some tequila, and met up with his friend Casey  and his friends Ryan & Jessica. They left though and Casey, B, Lo & I went back to B's and drank even MORE tequila. It was my 1/2 way point in my trip (day 24 of 48) so we had to celebrate hardcore! :) I think we all passed out by 11. Lauren and I both puked. I think it was a successful 1/2 way celebration. I really like Brandon. He's good people with a great heart and he's a lot of fun. I think I may have convinced him to drive with Lauren to NY sometime later this summer!!!!! :)

The following morning Lo and I (somehow!) got up early and went to the San Diego Safari Park. Her mom gave us 2 free passes and we wanted to see the new tiger exhibit. It was a really good time and I got some great photos. After we went to "That Boy Good," a southern bbq joint, in Oceanside that Tria insisted I go to. We split the "dirty fries" which were OMG INCREDIBLE! Fries, topped with queso, pulled pork, bbq, & jalapenos. Wow. Lauren treated me to those and that was very kind of her. I really enjoyed spending time with Lauren. She is wonderful. I really hope she & Brandon get up to NY soon.

After getting back to her place to change I left for my couple days in LA. That post will have to wait, as will my post about my drive up the coast to Monterey. Coming soon! :)

peace/love/music

[dededeuces2014-blog]

Las Vegas, NV

I left Zion sweaty & hot, but feeling amazing. One more bit of driving to go until I made it into the Pacific Time Zone and Las Vegas!!! My route cut me into the NW tip of Arizona. You know, it's funny, by this point I had driven a good deal of mountains...but the mountains in Arizona change drastically. They are so dry, rocky, and winding. It felt like I was driving through the earth instead of on top of it. It was also super duper hot (102+) most of the drive...but dry. I like dry heat - I'll take it over humidity ANY day! :)

I got to my hotel (El Cortez) around 7:45 pm. I laid for some time on my bed not wanting to move - but eventually I got up, showered, and got dressed to go out and explore Vegas. I went across the street to Container Park, this great place my mom had told me about. It's made out of old shipping containers converted into restaurants and shops. Unfortunately it was late and most of the shops were closed down but there was a Mexican restaurant open and I enjoyed a Dos Equis Amber and some flautas. I walked around Container Park and just looked - it's really got to be something awesome during the day when it's all open, because at night it was still something to see. Out front there is this large metal praying mantis out front with long antennae that shoot fire from them. That was fun to watch!!!!!

I was so exhausted and the thought of going to the strip made me even sleepier. I opted to wander around the Fremont St. Experience - which was perfect for my needs. It was bright and lit up, had tons of people wandering around, things to look at and see, and people to interact with. Above the street there's a big screen that they do light displays on. At one point all the music stopped and a voice boomed "WELCOME TO THE FREMONT ST. EXPERIENCE!" and this wild light show began to play to music on the screen above. This screen runs from one end of the street to the other. It was insane. Everywhere people just stopped and watched. Camera's and video recording equipment were everywhere. It was incredible. I understand why people drink and do drugs in Vegas - the environment is so stimulating! If this is what Fremont was like, I can only imagine what the Strip is actually like. WOW!!!! 

I did a little gambling, not much, but enough to say I did. I went to bed around midnight/1:00 am and when I woke up my sheets were still all neatly tucked in around me. I must not have moved a bit while sleeping - which is very unlike me - but I told you - I was beat! I got a later start than I would have wanted but, again, I must have really needed that sleep. I left around 10:15 am and headed towards CALIFORNIA!

[dededeuces2014-blog]

Arches National Park, Moab, Salt Lake City, & Zion National Park, UT

Per Ike's insturctions I detoured from 70W and took 128 down into Moab. The drive was stunning. The giant red rock mountains, the rushing river, the sun - all made for a very enjoyable drive. I stopped to take a lot of pictures and did some hooping. Hooping with a view like that is a lot of fun. I did some gift shopping in Moab and had a bite to eat at a place called Twisted Sista Cafe. I ordered a portabello mushroom cap burger with all the fixin's. Mmmmmm!

From there I headed a few miles up to Arches National Park. It was incredible. I can't believe I almost didn't go in order to get to Salt Lake City earlier. I would have seriously regretted it! It was super hot (hovering just below 100) all day so I didn't do any hiking. That is one thing I regret on this trip is not having someone to hike with - but I'm still glad to be doing this alone. I need it. Regardless - I saw some beautiful sights including the Delicate Arch. The Delicate Arch is the one featured on Utah license plates and the structure most think of when they think about the park. It is also the most likely to fall first with shifts within the earth and the instability of the arch itself. It's a long walk up to it, so I viewed it from a distance - but it was still awesome. :)

I got to Braden and Britt's around 10 pm. We chatted for a bit and I started some laundry but I was beat and we went to bed around midnight. Part of me wanted to go out and explore Park City the next day, but I opted for a lazy, mental health day. I finished laundry, repacked my bag, cleaned my car, repacked my car, cut my hair, showered, and watched a lot of Big Bang Theory. It was really nice to have a "normal" day and I bit better after. I took my car to Pep Boys for an oil change and walked out spending almost $200 because I needed my transmission fluid changed. Apparently one of my struts is in bad shape too, but since it isn't going to leave me broken down & stranded and it costs $500 I opted to wait until I got home to have George fix it. 

That night Brittany and Braden took me to Mill Creek Canyon to cook out. Braden was very excited about the Dutch oven meal he was creating for good reason! It was phenomenal! Chicken - in a delicious "secret family recipe" sauce - with potatoes cooked with bacon & onions, topped with cheese. Finished up with some s'mores by the fire while we packed up and headed home.

Salt Lake City was a lazy city for me but it was exactly what I needed. Some time to recoup, focus on me and my needs, and reevaluate my situation. It was great to see my cousins and spend some time catching up with them. I don't get to see them very often so it was nice to just sit and chat. They were concerned with making sure what we did was what I wanted and I kept reassuring them that the reason I was in SLC was not because I'd always wanted to explore that area, but because they were there and I wanted to see THEM. That's the beauty of this trip...some of my stops are to see people I want to see, others are because of the city itself, and lots are both. It was nice that they wanted to make my time there special and I hope they know how special it really was to me just to have that time with them (no matter how short). I love them and thank them dearly for their hospitality and concern for my happiness.:)

I left around 8:15 the following morning when Britt left for her ortho appointment (TO HAVE HER BRACES REMOVED - YAY!) and headed towards Zion National Park. What a beautiful area of the country Southern Utah is. Again, I wish I wasn't solo and that it wasn't 95+ degrees so I could have done some more strenuous hikes with better views - but what I did do was awesome and gorgeous. I hiked the Lower Emerald Pool trail and the Grotto trail. Really pretty sights! :) Despite the desert feel and look, water that collects on the upper plateaus finds its way down into the canyons and there were a couple spots on the trails where water dripped and splashed from above creating an oasis from the heat that brought smiles to all I saw walk through it. :) I rode the tram the whole length of the park and enjoyed listening to the recording talking about the park, it's history, and some of it's features. 

Once back to my car it was hi-ho to Vegas! :)

[dededeuces2014-blog]

Denver Day 2 & Crested Butte, CO

Well last you heard from me I was sitting at a coffee shop in Denver. Wow. So much has happened since then! 

That afternoon I went and met up with my friend Erin and her roommate Myra. They had plans to go to the Chalk Art Festival downtown and were happy to have me tag along. We checked out the Urban Market and I found a great gift for a friend. Also - the most PERFECT necklace found me. It was made from all recycled metal materials and has a dragonfly on it with the word "Journey" on a little license plate looking thing. Dragonflies are symbolic in many cultures of change, specifically in that of ones perspective of self realization that has a source in mental and emotional maturity and the understanding of the deeper meaning of life. Pretty appropriate, I do believe. The Chalk Art fest was great. Lots of really talented artists and awesome designs. I had a lot of fun walking around there and didn't have to spend a dime! :) Myra took me to my first dispensary (Native Roots Apothecary) and that was a cool experience as well.  Got to talk to the employees about the different products and they really help you make an informed decision that is the best for you. While headed to Commons Park we stumbled across an AMAZING tequila bar called Biblioteca de Tequila. Holy. Tequila. They had everything La Casa has times 4! It was incredible. Enjoyed an anejo called "Dulce Vida" which was smooth and sweet and wonderful. Also had a couple margaritas - one was just the house and the other used a house-made tequila infusion with tamarind. Going to attempt to do some infusions when I get back to Rochester too. We then made it to the park. We wandered up "Stoner Hill," as the locals have dubbed it, and wandered to the Platte River where we found a nice place to hang out.

That night I spent some time with my friend Jenn, from HS, at a place called The Ale House on the other side of the Platte River. We sat on the rooftop and had a beautiful view of the river, bridge, and city at night. Quite breathtaking. It was wonderful to sit and catch up with Jenn after so many years apart. What a beautiful woman she is and with a great life plan!

Stayed that night with Ike & Eric again. In the morning I headed to Red Rocks to check it out. Wow. The hike up to the amphitheater was intense, but the view was totally worth it. I took a bunch of pictures at sat at the top doing some journaling. What I would GIVE to see a show there!!! It has to be breathtaking. After hanging out for a bit, and soaking up that beautiful Vitamin D, I hit the mountainous roads for Crested Butte, CO and Jesse. 

What a beautiful drive that was. Crested Butte is a small mountain town about 4 hours west of Denver. To get there one must drive through the majestic, triuphant Rockies in all their splendor. Never before had I been humbled the way I was driving through such magnificence. Stopped in Leadville, CO at a restaurant called The Blarney Stone for lunch. Nothing fancy - just a burger and fries. The waitress was having a tough day so I made sure to tip well (as if I don't already!) and I left her a "smilE" sticker to remind her to always smile. :)

I got to Jesse's around 6:30. He took me into town and we had a beer. He gave me a little tour (quite little....CB is SO SMALL!) His friends, Nate & Rather, were having a cookout with their friend Seth so Jesse and I joined them. We hung out, cooked food, drank beer, and chatted. They were all very friendly and welcoming. It was a very positive experience. Their house is beautiful and the scenery was simple yet lovely. Saw a pretty sunset and headed back to Jesse's for the night. But WOW - talk about a clear sky and being able to see the stars. I could have totally gotten used to that. 

In the morning Jesse took me to this place in town called "Camp 4 Coffee." He said it was the "dankest coffee" and he was NOT kidding. It was delicious!!! And just what I needed to send me on my way and into Utah.  Utah post...coming up next!

[dededeuces2014-blog]

Atlanta, Memphis, Tulsa, and Denver day 1!

I left Savannah for Atlanta around 3pm on Tuesday May 27th. And so began my trek West.

A short storm hit as I passed through Dublin, GA. But fortunately it was short lived. What a jaw dropping skyline Atlanta has! As the trees and roads opened up and the city became visible I was in awe! It's SO big and VERY beautiful!! Like nothing I've ever experienced before. Now...that being said...the traffic and highways make ZERO sense in Atlanta. I felt like I got turned around a zillion times...but I MADE IT! :) Shanna's apartment is incredible. It definitely fits the bill for "luxury apartment!" We shot the shit at her place for a while and then decided on a place for dinner. It's called "The Porter" and it's located in a pretty "hip" area of town. From the outside it looked TINY, and walking in and past the bar was definitely tight. But then you went up a couple stares and it opened a bit, then a few more stairs and the whole back was huge with tons of tables. It was dimly lit and very rustic. The dry storage and everything were kept on a "balcony" that ran along the outer perimeter of the back dining area. There were vintage suitcases lining the border of the balcony and the ceiling fans were actually 2 smaller fans attached to a ceiling fan mechanism that turned much slower. They had a limited menu, but if I've learned anything in the last year or so it's that smaller menus generally mean better menus (master of a few instead of mediocre at many....) but their whiskey and beer selections were extensive and impressive. They had Rock & Rye Slow & Low whiskey - so that was no question! We shared an appetizer of salt and vinegar popcorn. I was skeptical as I'm not much of a salt and vinegar person - but they were so addicting! I took the leftovers to go and ate them on the road the next day! :) For dinner I chose the fish taco special. 3 flour tortillas, fried catfish, grapefruit salsa, avocado mousse, pistachios, pickled jalapenos, & cilantro. I cannot put into words how delicious they were. The pistachios gave it nice texture and flavor that was very surprising. It was really awesome to she Shanna. We never really spend any time together, but she's great! We never ran out of things to talk about. We shared engaging conversation about prisons, mental health, criminal law, etc. We share a lot of the same views on things and wish we knew how to successfully do a complete system overhaul! It's so good to know there are others out there fighting for what I want to fight for too. Maybe there's hope! :)

I left Atlanta around 9:10 when Shanna left for work. It wasn't as treacherous and scary leaving Atlanta as it was navigating in. One thing I've learned about driving in Atalanta - blinkers and turn signals are apparent "optional"....so irritating for an out of town driver trying to navigate an unfamiliar city with screwy roadways.

I entered the Central Time Zone right around 11 (or I guess 10...?) I stopped in Birmingham, AL at this industrial vintage coffee shop, "Urban Standard" where I had some espresso and a maple pecan scone. Next door was this old antique store called "Who's on Second?" that I wandered through briefly. Then I went down to Railroad Park. Railroad Park has an AMAZING view of the city skyline. There's a pond, benches, running trails, picnic tables, and the most beautiful array of black eyed susan's I'd ever seen. I spent some time hula hooping and enjoying the sunshine before getting back on the road for Memphis around 12:45.

Spencer and April, friends of Wesley's, that I stayed with in Memphis are beautiful souls. I thank them deeply for opening their home to a complete stranger and helping me feel comfortable right off the bat. We watched the end of Back to the Future 2 and chatted when I first got there around 4:30.

Around 6 I headed down to Beale St. solo to check it out. What. A. SIGHT! The happenin' part of the street was blocked off and you could meander freely between bars, through the street, with whatever drink you were consuming at the time. Music exploded from bars and parks, to-go beer windows at every establishment with a smiling face inside, and neon lights buzzing as if accompanying the bustle of people on the strip. I found myself at Rum Boogie Cafe. The bar was empty when I got there besides the bartender (Webb) and some members of the band that was playing that night (The McDaniel's Band). Webb was friendly, charming, and funny. I ordered a cup of Gator Gumbo and a BBQ bologna sandwich. Both were superb. I chatted with Webb and as it turns out he knew Paul & Wes. Everyone seemed to. It was comforting but saddening at the same time. Paulie was always telling me I needed to come visit him. And I kept telling him I would. Being there without him was weird. And without Wesley too. :( Per Wesley's instructions I went to the New Daisy theater where they worked together and met Mikey (who I assume is one of the owners). He bought me a beer and we chatted. He invited me to stay for the show, but I politely declined and headed out to spend more time on the strip. Wesley said she had never seen the street as flooded as it was last 4th of July, the day Paul died. It wasn't flooded, but it was definitely raining the whole night. And I didn't care in the least. I could feel Paul there with me.

I wanted to get back to the house and spend some time with Spence and April. Bought a bunch of beers, got back to the house and proceeded to get shitty. Even after they passed out I hung out with their friend Trebor and their roommate and a bunch of his friends. It was nice to smoke while there too! Memphis really showed me a super time! I didn't know a single person there, yet somehow had the time of my life. I passed out on the couch and woke the next day far later than I initially had wanted to.

I thanked Spence & April for their hospitality and left them with some parting goodies.  I really wish I could have spent more time with them. They are beautiful people and I am confident our paths will cross again. They are welcome in my home in Rochester any time. I left around 12:15.

How is the sky so BLUE in the center of the country!?! It's incredible!!!! Just deep, bright, BEAUTIFUL blue! :) I did hit some really horrible rainstorms thru Arkansas unfortunately. They were rough. I couldn't see anything. Fortunately it wasn't relentless. I found myself in a bit of a mood Thursday. Restless. Anxious. Maybe a little homesick? I talked with my momma a bit which helped. I put on the cd Lindsey made for me labeled "Listen to me when you're sad!" and attempted to focus on the good. As I did, the sky broke, the sun emerged and the most stunning rainbow appeared behind me. I am continually reminded how the universe works. You have to take the good with the bad. But with the two come beauty. It was truly a special moment, or chunk of time. I found myself crying & smiling. Simultaneously. The sky's occupied my brain for hours as I drove through Oklahoma. The clouds - amazing! And the sunset - truly the most awe inspiring, beautiful thing I've seen this trip so far. There were color's in the sky I had never seen before. Layers upon layers - backgrounds of bright sky blue with neon pink clouds in front of them, with dark, deep purple wisps of clouds in front of those. I wish there was a way to take a panoramic sky view while driving. Holy moly it's beautiful out here.

I arrived at Heather's around 9:30 pm. we spent a few hours drinking beers in her driveway and catching up. It was really relaxing and nice. I hadn't seen Heather since HS graduation 10 years ago so it was to catch up. So much has changed. She has a beautiful family. We shared some funny stories about ourselves that i think were eye-opening to one another about some of the shit we've been through and done. We both went to bed just after midnight and I passed out immediately on her super comfy couch. Woke up around 7:30 to Cherokee (their 6 mo. old chocolate lab) licking my face. I got ready, thanked Heather and James, and left around 8. I stopped for breakfast and to journal.

Got on the road for Denver around 9:30. Stopped for gas in Billings, OK and again in Hays, KS along with a Wal*Mart stop for some foodage. Kansas BLOWS. I knew it was going to be a rough drive because I've heard from everyone how much it sucks to drive through there and because I also knew that it was my longest day of travel yet and I was sure to be over it. Why does such an awesome city like Denver have to be after so much NOTHING through Kansas. Just as I thought it couldn't get more boring, it did. It was terrible. I just turned up my music, rolled down my windows and jammed out. Crossed into the Mountain Time Zone and arrived at Ike's around 8.

I walked in and was immediately handed a beer. Perfect. :) I met his roommate Eric and his new girlfriend. I wasn't expecting to be fed but she was cooking and I had a delicious dinner of grilled salmon and vegetables. We then continued to drink the night away drinking quite a good amount of Coors Light, Angry Orchard's, and a pint of Jim Beam. I don't even know what time it was when we finally called it a night. Woke up this morning with a raging headache. Totally worth it. :) Showered and came down the street to this place called Taza de Cafe. It's basically what would happen if you combined Boulder and La Casa into one establishment. Coffee and espresso drinks, sandwiches and soups, breakfast stuff, with a Mexican flare. Very cute decor and Mexican takes on some of the food. Right up my alley.  The music playing reminds me of the stuff we listen to at La Casa though. So I got to finish this up, write in my personal journal, and get out of here.

Heading downtown with a friend from home to explore the city.

So glad to not have to do any traveling until Monday morning! :)

Love y'all!

xo

peace,love&music

[dededeuces2014-blog]

Savannah

I got to Hannah's place right around 6:00. As soon as her roommate Sam finished getting ready we left. Hannah took me down to this restaurant called "Coco's Sunset Grille" on Tybee Island. The margarita was no where close to as delicious as the ones at La Casa, but it made do and paired nicely with the fried shrimp and fried scallops I ordered. We sat on the top deck of the restaurant which overlooks a marsh. There's a dock below with ships that take you out onto the ocean for dolphin viewings and such. It was a beautiful night to sit outside on the water. There was this great sign in the marsh below us that read "Do not throw your cigarettes in the marsh, Our alligators are developing cancer." Hilarious. For dessert the 3 of us shared an order of fried strawberries. OHMIGAWD! They were incredible!!! Strawberries dipped in pancake batter, deep fried, and tossed in cinnamon sugar. Drizzled with a strawberry cream sauce and whip cream. Unbelievably amazing.

Post dinner we went down to Tybee Beach to look for shells and walk in the tide. The sun was setting behind the lighthouse and it was just so beautiful. After a bit of time there we headed downtown into the historic district. We were going to go to this place called Lulu's for dessert and martinis, but unfortunately it was closed due to it being Memorial Day. BUMMER.

Despite the short amount of time I got to spend with Hannah she really did a wonderful job at taking me to some awesome unique places. She was also able to direct me to some stuff to do Tuesday before I left town. I left Hannah's around 9:45, drove downtown, parked at the Civic Center and walked the historic district. What a beautiful city Savannah is!!!! I bought some postcards and gifts. Found my way down to Wet Willie's on River St. It's this frozen cocktail bar. So they've got all these slushie machines behind the bar that are all different flavors pre-mixed with the booze. They use 190* grain alcohol - so that shit is STRONG. And tasty. And refreshing. I sat at the bar and conversed with the 2 bartenders (Matt & Molly) while filling out a bunch of postcards. Savannah's historic district is one of the few places where there isn't an open container law. So basically as long as you've got your alcohol in a plastic container and you're not being an ass you can walk around and drink on the streets. So I did so. :) I went down to the birthplace of Juliette Gordon Lowe, the founder of Girl Scouts. I didn't take the tour but it was cool to be there anyways.

In one of the random square parks located all over Savannah a man was making palm leaf flowers and baskets and such. He motioned me over and handed me a rose. He wouldn't let me pay for it and said he wanted me to have it because my smile made his day.

I left the city and headed to Savannah's National Wildlife Refuge where I did one of the drive thru tours. It was about a 4 mile drive with it's own AM radio station so that people driving through can learn about the history and such. It has some blind viewing opportunities. I wasn't having too much luck seeing a whole lot - but then less than a half a mile from the end of the trail I SAW AN ALLIGATOR! It wasn't a big one, but it was just lazily floating down the river. Pretty awesome! I've never seen one in the wild like that.

The universe has been working in mysterious ways recently - really allowing me the experiences I'm looking for. I am truly blessed.

[dededeuces2014-blog]

Charleston

Charleston

I experienced my first great deal of anxiety on the trip to Charleston…and it wasn’t even travel related. The closer I got to Charleston the more I began to shake. I was nervous as all get out about seeing my cousin Matt and his wife and their 3 daughters. Without getting into a great deal of detail about personal family stuff I’ll just say that I was really nervous and it brought me to tears about 4.5 miles from their house where I had to pull over. After I got myself together and made it to their house (which is beautiful by the way!) my feelings started to dissipate immediately. Mandy and the girls had spent the day out and about in the sun so they were all napping when I arrived. Matt came to the door and let me in. We sat and chatted for an hour or two, catching up on life. It was the transition I needed. Mandy, Stella & Aiden joined eventually and the 5 of us had dinner – salads with chicken and veggies. We shared lots of stories and laughs. Stella is a bit shy and quiet, at least towards me, but she is definitely the dramatic, theater type.  Aiden, at 10, is boisterous, mature, and polite. After dinner, Mandy went to bed (had to work an overnight) and Stella & Aiden sat with Matt and I until they went to bed. Stella kept to herself mostly, but Aiden appropriately participated in mine and Matt’s conversation. She is so much more put together than some 30 year olds I know. Matt and I had a few beers from a local brewery. Palmetto Amber Ale. Quite tasty. Matt told me stories of his home brewing experiences – I had no idea he was into that and we had some good laughs about some of his mess ups – like the time he attempted a blueberry lager and ended up exploding everything all over the ceiling and walls in the hallway between the kitchen and dining room!

Yesterday, Matt took me out for brunch to a place called Parson Jack’s Café where we enjoyed a buffet brunch and bottomless bloody mary’s (or in my case…maria’s! duh!) We had just the best conversation. Just like old friends who hadn’t seen each other in years – catching up, sharing stories from throughout the years. We were both dying laughing a few times. After brunch he took me downtown – drove around abunch showing me some sights, then he parked and we walked through some of the Charleston Market. After there we stopped in a bar called Mac’s Place where we enjoyed a couple cold beers to cool off from the already 90 degree sun. I kept it local and tried a rye pale ale called One Claw by Westbrook Brewery. It was tasty enough to have 2! Then we walked down to the battery and walked the boardwalk. Beautiful! Charleston has a lot of charm. But beyond any sightseeing or beautiful views the best was spending some much needed time with my cousin.

That evening I went with the whole family to a BBQ at a family friends: Lyra. What a hoot and a half she was!!!!!!! I absolutely ADORED her. The whole group was a bunch of Matt & Mandy’s friends and their families. I had so much fun hanging out, drinking, laughing, & talking. Nothing like some good southern hospitality! Everyone was interested in me and my story….which I’ve really started to enjoy telling. I feel like, for the first time, I can have conversations with other adults and be confident in what I’m talking about with valid points and solid arguments. It’s a neat feeling. Sometimes I forget that I am an adult and that others see me as an adult, and not the kid that I was every other time I’ve seen or spent any time with my cousin Matt. I also enjoyed chatting with Zoe, Mandy’s oldest (16 years old) and her new boyfriend Kilbey. Last time I saw Zoe she was only 11, and now she is a beautiful, smart, young woman with opinions and views of the world. I wish I had been as mature and focused at her age. She’s been involved in computer programming at school and is thinking that that may be the direction she goes for her career. I had no idea what I wanted at 16. Her boyfriend is a pretty great guy too. Highly intelligent, cultured, and has a 10 year plan! Incredible.

Upon getting home we all passed out pretty quickly, after a long day of being out and about. Unfortunately I awoke around 3:45 due to an incredibly vivid nightmare and had some trouble getting back to sleep. Some text conversations with Larissa back home made me feel much better though and I got back to sleep. This morning the girls were up and out of the house pretty quickly. I’m sad I didn’t get any pictures of them while I was there. I was so distracted with other things that I totally forgot. I spent a few more hours with Matt this morning. This time the conversation was more personal and emotional. We both cried. We talked about Grandma & Grandpa and how they’d both come to visit us at different times. What was the most striking was that we’d both had experiences (his with Grandma, and mine with Grandpa) where they were not the old versions of themselves that we both were so accustomed to, but instead younger versions, what they would have looked like in their prime. It was a bit solidifying I think for both of us to know that what we’d experienced was in fact real and that they were indeed looking over us and communicating with us the only way they could. I also shared with him, hesitantly, the anxiety that I experienced coming into town on Saturday. He laughed, but validated my feelings in that he could see where I could have been coming from. He reassured me that despite family dynamics that we were cousins and that the family drama had nothing to do with our relationship and we should keep it that way. This was obviously something I already knew and was trying to do for myself – but to hear it from him was really comforting and appreciated. I left there feeling wonderful. My cousin Matt is an amazing person with a huge heart. I am blessed to have him as a cousin and am so glad he married the woman he did and that I had the opportunity to spend such great time with them and Zoe, Stella, & Aiden. Hopefully it’s not another 5 years before I see them again.

Now I sit in a little café, City Java & News, in Beaufort, SC where I had some lunch and some espresso and updated this blog. I will leave soon and head to Savannah, Georgia where I will see my friend Hannah and stay at her place for the night. Tomorrow I begin my adventure west. Atlanta on Tuesday, Memphis Wednesday, Tulsa Thursday, and I’ll be in Denver by the weekend. Craziness!!!! This week is certainly going to be an interesting one. More travel and fewer hangouts than the last 10 days. But it will all be worth it come Denver and beyond. So many good times yet to come!

Thanks for following my adventures.

I miss you all!

☮♡&♫

[dededeuces2014-blog]

Wilmington Days 2-4

Sorry for the lack of updates here recently, I just haven't had the time! But here we go!

Saturday afternoon, after a much needed long sleep, Billie & Ben took me down to Carolina Beach for a few hours. It was a BEAUTIFUL beach day: high 80's, blue sky, a few clouds in the sky, bright & shining sun, and a breeze on the ocean. We took the Jeep (with the top off!) down to the beach. HAPPY ADRIENNE! :) We had such a great time there too. We sat and sunbathed, played in the waves, sat in the tide looking for shells and sharks teeth (until the occasional unsuspecting wave pummeled us knocking us backwards), laughed, and talked. It was perfect. Except for the part where some "sky rat" seagulls had us surrounded while we ate lunch. I blame Billie & Ben for feeding one of them at the beginning. The funny part about the seagulls (cuz honestly I find them TERRIFYING) was the one-legged seagull. Yup. One leg. Now...I'm all for disability rights, but this little shit was the loudest, most aggressive of the bunch. In the counseling world I'd praise him for being his own best advocate, but in the bird world I wanted to pummel it. SO SCARY! But also hilarious. I got some great color at the beach - was a little red to start, but it's already a nice tan. :) Let's just keep it going! :) OH yeah! A couple dead jelly fish rolled up on shore too. That was pretty cool. Didn't have a chance to run and grab my phone to snap a couple pictures though before they washed away. Billie made the most amazing dinner when we got home from the beach that night. They are her specialty. She claims, and Ben won’t disagree, that it was her Chicken Bundles that got her the ring! ;) They’re croissant dough folded into bundles with a cream cheese, chicken, Italian cheese blend, tomato & pesto blend inside. They’re baked and served hot. DELICIOUS!!!! If Ben hadn’t put a ring on her finger already I may have after trying those. YUM! J

The following day Billie and I went downtown. She took me to this place called “The Cotton Exchange” which reminded me a lot of The Village Gate in Rochester. It’s basically an old building with different shops throughout it. We browsed mostly, but I did buy a really pretty ring. Unfortunately it’s already turning my finger a different color if I wear it consistently. My favorite shop with this co-op of artists who sold their work there. Ceramics, baskets, painted gourds, etc. Such beautiful work. My favorite were all of the painted gourds. We chatted with a couple of the artists who were working that day, a couple older ladies. They were just too sweet. We talked about art. We talked about travel. They were excited to hear about trip and had lots of helpful tips to share with me.

Krysta, a girl I know from NY that I met at a party at the Dyckman’s a few years back moved to Wilmington a few years ago with her boyfriend Chris. She messaged me on Facebook after seeing I was in town and after the Cotton Exchange Billie and I drove to their place. We had a couple beers and caught up. Billie went home to get Ben and do some things around the house while I went to an art show with Krysta & Chris. We walked from their house to the location of the show (just a few blocks) and started off at the wine shop next door to the gallery. There was a wine tasting, so Krysta and I tried those 5 wines before purchasing a beer (Bell’s Oberon) and taking them out back to enjoy them and smoke. Afterwards we went over to the art show, where Chris’ friend Dusty had his art on display. Beautiful work, both of his and the other stuff on display in the shop. Met a bunch of people who I chatted with. Everyone was so nice and excited to hear about my trip. I also met a girl from Rochester! When we left the art show to head back to their place we passed another gallery with an art show. Very different art, much more raw, with a focus on the feminine form – it was very beautiful. There was a woman in the front room doing aerial arts on a metal hoop that hung from the ceiling. We enjoyed chatting with both her and the artist before heading back into the downtown area.

Krysta and Chris walked me right to Front St. Brewery where I was meeting Billie and Ben for dinner. I sat at the bar and waited for them to get there while I enjoyed a flight of local beers called the “Flagship Brews.” This included: Coastal Kölsch, Riptide Raspberry Wheat, Amberjack ESB, Port City IPA, & Dram Tree Scottish Ale. They were all really tasty. Had some conversation with the bartender about their tequila selection, because they had a HUGE selection of liquor. They even had the single barrel reserves of Milagro blanco & reposado. And for only $11 a shot. I was impressed. We sat down for dinner and I ordered a flat iron steak with portabellas and gorgonzola served with loaded potato salad and a cuke/tomato marinated salad. Everything was awesome. For dessert we went to Kilwin’s Ice Cream. I had a single scoop (huge portion, OMG!) of Georgia Peach in a waffle cone. We took our ice cream and walked to the river to enjoy them. On our way back to the car we stopped at a bar, Barbary Coast, for a couple of drinks. They had a big Grateful Dead steely on the door and lots of fun bar decorations. They even had one of the same signs that Rehab has hanging back home. A guy at the end of the bar bought me a shot because he “liked my style,” or so said the bartender. That was cool. He wasn’t creepy about it or anything. On his way out the door he simply stopped and said that he liked my style and wanted to buy me a shot because of it. I thanked him and he was on his way. Encounters like that are what make me love humanity.

Before I left Saturday morning Ben went and picked up what I needed for an oil change and changed my oil for me in the driveway. Seriously, amazing! J Billie made a breakfast of bacon wrapped in cinnamon rolls. Yes…it IS as amazing as it sounds. Billie gave me some beautiful pottery, of course I broke one picking up the box….but she replaced it with another beautiful vase. Can’t wait to get them back to Rochester and display them in my home.

I really could not have asked for a better time in Wilmington. It was so great to see Krysta and Chris, and Billie & Ben are truly amazing friends. I know I’ve only just met Ben and gotten to know him, but he is a really great guy. I’m so happy Billie has finally found someone worth her time. She is too incredible of a woman to have anything less than a stellar man. And he is quite so. I can’t wait for their wedding! :D

Upon my departure from Wilmington I stopped for gas and energy drinks and found CAMEL NO. 9’s!!!!!!!!! I haven’t seen those in Rochester in years. Needless to say I bought 4 packs! Then I was off for South Carolina. I’ll do that as a separate post.

peace,love,&music y’all! ;)

[dededeuces2014-blog]

Charlotte & Wilmington Day 1

Oh man! Day 5. I feel like I've been gone for way more than 5 days. I still have 40+ days. Still very surreal. So far my travels have been easy and enjoyable. No major traffic problems, beautiful weather conditions, and no directional issues. I'll be honest, I had some concerns about navigation - but things have gone well for far. I've yet to get super turned around or lost or frustrated with navigation. Even in my time in Richmond, where I went out into the city and did things on my own I was comfortable and confident.  Now that might have something else to do with the fact that I REALLY like Richmond as far as driving is concerned. The roads all make sense and are labeled appropriately. Drivers aren't assholes. And it's a fun, pretty city to drive through and in. In fact I really enjoyed Richmond a whole lot in general. Temperature was perfect. The energy vibed with mine. It was pretty awesome. I left Richmond around 10 Tuesday morning. I filled up the tank and was on my way to Charlotte, or so I thought. I took 85 south out of Richmond and it was beautiful. It was like driving through a tunnel of trees with a sky blue ceiling. So stunning. Approximately 10 miles northeast of Durham I decided to take an impromptu detour south to Coats, NC to see Gummer & Beccy, Billie's parents. They're like parents to me. I probably could have seen her mom with her this week, but her dad was waiting on a load to pick up and couldn't guarantee he'd be around. So I headed there to ensure seeing him. So glad I did. It was so great to just sit and catch up with them for a half hour or so. We had a glass of ice tea and sat out front. Pops pulled his Harley out of the shed to show her off. Custom paint job, bitchin'! Didn't stay long before getting back on the road to head west to Charlotte. Eric & Lindsay have really done an outstanding job at putting together CD's for me. His "In Da Club" mix required windows down and music up the entire CD's length.  Some of the "Deep South Holla" mix were new and pleasantly surprising. I've definitely learned some fun new songs and artists from both of their CD's. I did see my first accident of the trip. While driving east on 70 (to Coats) there was a 5-car "fender bender." It was pretty nasty as far as the cars were concerned, but everyone seemed to be OK and didn't slow traffic up TOO much. Still scary to see though. Especially the thought of "What if that was me?! What the heck would I do!?!" But I shook the thought and just keep focusing on safe driving. Got to Charlotte and Tresa's around 6:15 Tuesday evening. What an amazing hug I got from her. It was one of those hugs where you try to let go 3 times and it just doesn't happen. SO NEEDED! We spent a few minutes doing the necessary catch up and then I sat down to journal while she started dinner. We listened to Frank Sinatra Pandora radio and shot the shit about nonsense like old friends. I love friends like her - you don't see them for years and years and when you finally see them again it's like no time ever passed. Somehow it's like we made MORE sense together now than we ever did before.

After a delicious candlelit dinner of individual lasagna rolls, Tresa took me to this great place called "The Common Market." It's basically a craft beer and wine store. But when you make your purchase they ask you if you want them to open it then for you. You have the option taking it home or drinking it there on the patio. They've got some benches, and patio stools, and picnic tables. Everyone just kind of hangs out and chats. Tons of hippies and hipsters. And it was totally poppin' for a Tuesday night! I tried a beer by Epic Brewing Co. called "Brainless on Peaches" a Belgian Style-Ale. It was really tasty. (The sour apple version I tried later...not so much so!) We met this guy, "Mr. M," we're calling him cuz we don't remember his name...Matt, Mark, Mike...something....? He was fun though. We chatted about love and life and travel and work and the military and lots of fun stuff. I love meeting new people! :)

This morning Tresa made a breakfast of pancakes and omelets. She's such a good simple cook. And home cooked meals were certainly appreciated. So was the shower I took in her HUGE shower! :) I left when she left for work, around 8:15 this morning, for Uwharrie National Forest. I took a short hike, hoola hooped, journaled, sat by a river and thought for a while. It was perfect. Got some fun pictures too. :) Not to mention, just being in nature was wonderful. I loved just sitting at a picnic table, journaling, feeling the warmth of the day creep upon me, but in the shade with the breeze it remained comfortable. I could hear birds and bugs. So relaxing.

Left there for Wilmington. Got here around 2:30. Billie and Ben have this great new little house out in the middle of nowhere. It's so cute and so perfect. They just moved in so things are still kind of in boxes and such. I'm so grateful that despite their chaos they're still totally willing to let me crash here for a few nights. I have the most amazing friends. :) We had spaghetti and meat sauce for dinner and have just been hanging out relaxing the night away. Might go run some errands with them in a bit, but SUPER looking forward to getting some sleep tonight. For some reason I thought this trip would be a bit more relaxing. And while I've certainly enjoyed the leisurely lifestyle I'm just exhausted all the time. Hoping this traveling thing gets a bit easier....either way I'm having a blast and will continue to do so!!!! :)

I've also restructured my plans just a bit. So I'm going to be here in Wilmington with Ben & Billie until Saturday morning. Then I'll leave for Charleston to see my cousin Matt, his wife Mandy, and their girls Zoe, Stella, & Aiden. I'll be there until Monday morning. Then going to Savannah for a night. People keep telling me how awesome it is and how much I'll love it. My friend Hannah is still there (leaves Wednesday) so I'll be able to see her, which will be amazing! :) Then Atlanta on Tuesday and on from there.

If anyone knows anyone in Memphis who might be willing to put me up for a night please let me know. :) I'm thinking that might be a feasible stop between Atlanta & Tulsa before kickin' it hard to Denver. So if anyone has some friendly folk in Memphis who wouldn't mind helpin' me out for 12ish hours I'd certainly appreciate it. :)

Thanks friends!

And seriously, if you actually read all of these - you're awesome! Thanks for not making this all for nothing.

peace,love&music

[dededeuces2014-blog]

RIchmond Day 3

Had another wonderful day today. It's my last day in Richmond. Went with Kelly to meet her mom, Sharon, at Olive Garden for lunch today. It was so nice to chat and such with Kelly on the way - I've never really gotten to spend a great deal of time with her and she's such a great person. I'm so glad she's a part of our family now! And I can't wait for this little bundle she's carrying around to be brought into the world!!! :) It was nice to sit and chat with her and her mom too. Sharon is such a beautiful soul. She's kind, funny, and amazing! And she gives awesome hugs! :)

After lunch we stopped at Advanced Auto Parts to buy a new headlight. Apparently one of mine blew Saturday sometime between Rochester and Richmond....After we got home I went back out. Was supposed to meet up with Kyle again to explore the area but he never got back to me. So I wandered around by myself. Went up to Libby Hill Park again and took some videos of me hooping with the city scape in the background. Will post some pics/vids eventually. Then I wandered over into Carytown and found this place called the Cary St. Cafe. It's this amazing little Grateful Dead bar with Dead memorabilia everywhere. There were 2 guys on stage, 1 playing a guitar and singing, the other playing violin and backup vocals. I sat at the bar, the only one inside (there were a few people on the patio), and ordered a beer. The guys were playing fun folk/jam music. At the end of every song I clapped politely and they smiled and thanked me. When they took a break the guitar player came over to the bar and said hi. His name is Sun. His friend's name is David. They call themselves "Clay Spokes." Anyways, we chatted about music, the bar, my travels, Dave's travels, etc. It was really nice to chat with them. They went back to playing and I finished up my beers. They had CD's for sale for $7 so I wrote a little note for them, stuck a "smile" sticker in it, along with $7, and put it in the jar and took a CD. I smiled and waved as I left and Sun nodded and smiled. It was such a heart warming experience. So glad there's people in the world like them that help the world go around.

Met Kelly and Elwood at Bottoms Up Pizza. It TOTALLY lived up to it's reputation of being awesome. I had a slice with broccoli, spinach, artichokes and crab meat. SO freaking good! Also enjoyed a brown ale from Legends, a local brewery in Richmond. Delicious. I treated El & Kel to dinner as thanks for their hospitality the last couple days. After dinner they took me to this bar called "Penny Lane." It's a Beatles themed pub! Oh man! So great! I was a happy hippie today - a Grateful Dead bar AND a Beatles bar!?! :D

Now we're home and I'm exhausted. I leave tomorrow morning. Gonna head to Charlotte tomorrow to see Tresa. Can't wait for the next exciting adventure!!!! :D

Thanks for following friends!

peace,love&music

[dededeuces2014-blog]

Richmond - Day 1 and 2

Alright! First update of the trip! Let's take it back a couple days....

Friday morning I graduated from UB with my masters degree in Rehabilitation Counseling. What an incredible feeling!!! I couldn't stop smiling the whole time. What a wonderful feeling to know that I'm done! After getting back to Rochester I went to my graduation party at Kaleigh's mom's house. How amazing of them to let me celebrate such an awesome day at their place. I had such a great time with friends! After there I went to La Casa to say goodbye to some more people. And to Ryan's to see more people. Then home to pack. Justin & Connor came over for a bit which was nice. Was up way later than I wanted to be. Got a later start than I wanted to yesterday as well because of it. Ah well!

Got on the road about 9:00. Didn't even make it out of NY before I was pulling off to buy some caffeine pills to wash down with 4 shots of espresso. Just into PA decided it was a better idea to park for a bit and close my eyes. Set my alarm for 20 minutes. Opened my eyes about 15 minutes later feeling a ton better! The ride from there out was far more enjoyable. It was a BEAUTIFUL day for a drive. The sky was bright blue, the clouds were fluffy and white, and the longer I drove the warmer it got. It did briefly rain, just a touch, as I was driving through some Pennsylvania hill towns. The dichotomy that formed in the sky during this time was stunning though. Bright blue skies and white fluffy clouds with a heavy, dark rain cloud just below them. You could actually SEE the white clouds and clear sky ABOVE the rain cloud. It was neat! Speaking of these PA hill towns - how cute! I would just be driving along a typical looking highway and all of a sudden would come through some trees into a small town with hole-in-the-wall looking places. I am not, however, super great at comfortably navigating those hilly towns. I guess I'll be more comfortable by the end of this trip as I'm positive I'll encounter more hilly towns in my travels! Anyways - major props to Marcel for the suggestion that I take 15 & 11 south  instead of another route. Driving between the mountains and the river was the best scenic route I could have asked for. In addition to the beautiful drive I also had the best musical accompaniment. Lindsay did a wonderful job building me some mixed CD's. A perfect mix of songs I know and love and songs I'd never heard before but was so glad to learn and can't wait to listen to over and over again the next 7 weeks.

Drove right into downtown Richmond around 7pm and parked in a garage near the corner of 7th and Tredger St. My cousin Elwood & his wife Kelly are pregnant with their first child. They were at River Rock Sports & Music festival which was happening on Brown Island. Brown Island is such a neat little place. It's a little island with James River on one side and the city of Richmond on the other. Reminded me a lot of Party in the Park's with the city right there, even with a big bridge running just behind the stage. Matisyahu played a free show there last night starting around 8. It was a good show, not the best I've seen of his, but fun none the less. Left before it was over though because I was exhausted and when Kelly decided she wanted to go I did not argue. We came home and hung out for a little bit before heading to bed pretty early. I think I was in bed around 11.

Didn't get out of bed until 11:30 this morning. Felt SO GOOD to sleep for so long. I needed it so bad. Went for brunch today with El & Kel at a little place called "Joe's Inn." It was super tasty. I had a spinach, feta, & tomato omelet with home fries and biscuits. Tried a new beer: 21st amendment Watermelon Wit. Not a huge watermelon flavored person, so I'm not really sure why I ordered it, but it wasn't bad at all. It's nice to step outside my comfort zone sometimes. After brunch they took me around downtown Richmond and explored some of the neighborhoods. Checked out the capitol grounds. Such a beautiful little section of the city - lucious green grass, incredible architecture, and cute little fountains. We saw a little duck family in one of the fountains. The 5 babies were so young they were still fuzzy and couldn't get out of the fountain on their own! SO CUTE! We went and checked out some of Monument Ave, and headed up to the end of 29th street for a good city view. It was really nice. Regretting not bringing my hoola hoop so that I could have gotten a video hooping in front of the skyline.

Then we came home so Kel could rest. At that time I went back up into the city on my own and met up with Kyle, a friend from Rochester that used to work at La Casa. So nice to see Rochester friends in Richmond. We had a few drinks at a bar called "On the Rox." Then Denise, his g/f, and her mom came and joined us for a bit. I left there and came home to have dinner with E & K. Elwood grilled chicken and we had salad and corn. It was all so delicious. :) After dinner we played a game of Settlers of Catan and had some ice cream cake. Now, I am exhausted and going to head to bed here soon.

Love and miss you all. Thanks for following my adventures!!!!

peace,love&music

[dededeuces2014-blog]

3 weeks!

Ho.ly.crap.

3 weeks. 21 days. That's SO not a lot of time! Everyone keeps asking me: "Are you ready?" and all I can seem to do is laugh at them. Not that I'm not ready to get on the road. But how does anyone ever actually prepare for this....?

The east coast part of my trip is pretty well planned and stable. But that's only the first week I'm gone! Richmond is pretty set in stone. So is Wilmington. I'm also thinking about taking a day or two to cut inland and go to Asheville & Charlotte, NC. You know...friends and things. I have an offer of a place to stay in each. And I've heard awesome things about Asheville. Charleston, SC is a bit up in the air. My cousin and his family live there. I've been in touch with his wife. No confirmation on a place to stay, but I also have friends that have friends there that might be able to help out and I've got a couchsurfing request out for Charleston too. Atlanta, GA is confirmed too. But then it's kinda confusing and uncertain between Atlanta and Denver.  It's just kind of scary. The uncertainty in the middle is terrifying. Everyone keeps saying I'll be fine, and I hope I will....

I'm stressin' about money. I'm trying to work as much as possible, but I seem to be getting dealt shitty work schedules at both restaurants right now. Either not as many shifts, or sharing shifts with others. Not cool. It's not like I was expecting to be able to spend a ton of money on this trip...but it WOULD be nice to be able to spend some money, on things other than food and gas. :\

What if I fail miserably at this? Is everyone going to judge me? Or am I just too hard on myself....

Blech.

Terrified.

[dededeuces2014-blog]

One month!!!!!!

One month from this moment I should be in my first destination on my trip and (probably) asleep after a long days drive. Originally I was planning on making my first stop in Ocean City, MD...no friends or family there, but why not!? However, due to my cousin, Elwood's, work schedule and time off and those things I think I might skip OC and drive straight to Richmond. He can only take so much time off and if I go right there I will have Saturday night and Sunday all day with him. Then when he's at work on Monday I can head to Virginia Beach with his wife, Kelly, for a day in the sun before doing my own thing Tuesday morning, when she goes to work, and heading out later that day for North Carolina. Also while in Richmond I hope to see my friends Kyle & Denise. I have already have confirmed dates with Billie & Ben in Wilmington for a place to sleep. Hoping to stop on the way there and see my friend Jayson for lunch or dinner or coffee or something. Also hoping to see my friend Tresa, who lives in Charlotte, while I'm in NC. I'll drive to her or her to me or we can meet elsewhere. I just know I need to see these people. :)

Honestly, that's about the most I have planned of this trip. I felt, starting out, that I would have an itinerary and this whole thing would go a certain way. I'm quickly realizing that there's no way to "itinerize" this trip and that I just need to have faith in the universe that things will work out as they should. I'm going to get through this trip one way or another. I'll find my way. And if I struggle, it's all a part of the learning experience. There are good people in this world. And karma is a beautiful, nasty thing. It does good for those who do good. And it does ugly for ugly things. Things will play out as they are meant to play out. Financially I am still stressing; despite my faith in the universe I am still a creature of the 21st century who has been raised on money being important and needing to blah blah blah. Again, I know deep down things will work out but there's still an unsettling angst.

I think I've decided I'm going to take my guitar with me. I've had this guitar for years and never learned to play. It was my grandmother's before she passed over 25 years ago. I've always wanted to learn but have "never had the time." I kept saying, for the last 3 years, "I'm too busy with school. I'll learn after school." Well. School's almost over. And I have seven glorious weeks off of work and all responsibilities. What better a time to learn? I'm sure I will be spending plenty of time alone in forests and parks with nothing to do and no one to talk to. Practice time. Also - I know I'm going to run into a serious amount of people while I'm gone that can play and can help me learn and practice. It's now or never.

I've also been looking into different National Forests and Parks. My unlimited season pass came this last week and I'm so excited!!!! There's so many beautiful lovely things in this country and I can't wait to see just a fraction of them! Planning on doing as many of them as I can fit into my schedule. Looking forward to solo hikes and majestic scenic views. Nature at it's most humbling. As much as this trip is about seeing friends and family I haven't seen in a while, I'm equally as excited about the alone time with nature and my thoughts. Sometimes I think that seems crazy....but I think it's true. The idea of having no deadlines, no schedule, no responsibilities....it's invigorating.

I've been talking to some friends lately and their overwhelming support and belief in me is all I need to keep moving forward. To hear people tell me how much they believe in me is so powerful. I love you all so much.

I have one month til I leave. That's approximately 700 hours. Holy fuck.

If you'd still like to help out or contribute in any way to my trip the link to my GoFundMe page is www.gofundme.com/7hjdwk. Gas cards or cash will also be graciously accepted. Other than financial help I am also accepting help in the gift of music. Please. Make me a playlist or burn me a cd or two. I will have plenty of down time to listen to music and would love something that reminds me of you. Or you of me. Or both. I love music. Make it good! :)

Again - thanks for all the support and love and well wishes. I could never do this without all of you. You are my rocks. I love you.

*peace,love&music"