tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34972977052618567202024-03-06T04:05:34.997-05:00Runnin' On SunshineAin't no clouds gettin' in my way.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497297705261856720.post-36028980390959570812012-03-11T01:49:00.000-05:002012-03-11T01:49:12.193-05:00Flyin' down the road with my foot on the floor...Oh no. It has been 2 weeks since my last confession. Er, blog update.<br />
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When I last left off, I was in Ukiah, California for the night heading towards San Francisco. Well, guess where I ended up the next day? You got it. San Francisco. I drove straight there, didn't really stop for many pictures. I was just freaking out because I wanted to find a hotel before the Oscars started because on the West Coast they start at 5. I attempted to go to the same hotel I went to last time, but the dude was rude so I went 2 blocks down, and got a better room from nice people. Since I had an hour and a half to kill before the room was ready, I walked down to the San Francisco Bay area and snapped some pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge. Beautiful afternoon. No fog. No rain.<br />
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I then proceeded to lock myself in my hotel room and watched the Oscars ceremony. One of my favorite days of the year! If only I had been in L.A. for it....The next morning, I hoofed it down to Fisherman's Wharf and purchased my ticket for the boat to Alcatraz. I've become obsessed with the new TV series <i>"Alcatraz"</i> and was really excited to get to "the rock". Definitely would recommend the tour. Loved all the history and getting to see all the cells. Did you know that Whitey Bulger spent some time there? The only thing I didn't like was that it was CROWDED. Couldn't take a decent picture without some foreigner jumping in your frame to snap a picture of their own. But I did manage to take a few good ones.<br />
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I didn't quite make it to Southern California that night so I spent the night in San Simeon which ended up being a good thing. The lady at the hotel had a brother with a hotel right on the outskirts of Los Angeles and gave me all the info. It wasn't the usual hotel I've been staying at (It was a Rodeway Inn) but it ended up being great. It was in the town of Rosemead, which was about 10-15 from downtown Hollywood - a little bit more for Beverly Hills. But it was cheap and the room was really nice. I stayed there for 5 nights. I had bought a ticket for the <i>"Once Upon A Time" </i>panel at PaleyFest for Sunday but ended up splurging and buying a ticket for the "<i>Community" </i>panel Saturday night as well. Meanwhile, I still had 3 other days to explore the city before doing those things.<br />
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I couldn't contain my excitement when I finally pulled into the L.A. area. I basically got so amped up that I quit doing the coast tour and just booked it on the highway. Plus, I heard all sorts of horror stories about the city traffic and just wanted to get checked into my hotel. I think I might have audibly squealed when I saw the Hollywood sign. I got there just as the sun was starting to set. I typed in "best place to see the Hollywood sign" and this is where I ended up. Not too shabby, eh?<br />
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Of course that night I went straight to downtown Hollywood to check out the sights. And lo and behold, Jimmy Kimmel was taping some pre-taped bits for his show. So, I got to see his assistant, Guillermo, do a little segment and then on the way back from dinner, I watched Richard Simmons get locked in the trunk of a car. Yep. Holly<i>weird </i>all right. Plus, it was great to see such iconic places like the Kodak Theater, the Chinese Theater and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.<br />
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The next day was my studio tour day! I first went to Paramount Studios and it was official business. Had to hand the keys to my car to security, get all signed in, and after the tour, I had a escort back to the beginning. Because who knows, I could have been some star-hungry fan, I guess. There were only about 12 of us on the tour which made things nice and intimate. Got to see the whole studio and backlot. The best part was that we got to see the ENTIRE set for one of my favorite shows on TV right now - "<i>Happy Endings"</i>. It was AH-MAZING. Kind of freaked out a bit. Of course, the tour was cool because the guide told us all the shows and movies that had been shot there and some secrets - but of course now I've forgotten most of them. All I remember is that there were 2 annoying "<i>Glee</i>" fans on my tour. Sadly, didn't see anyone famous, but it's all good. It was pricey but well worth it.<br />
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I then scooted over to Warner Bros. for their tour which was the same kind of deal - pricey but only about 12 of us on the tour. I liked this tour a lot. We got to see the working set for the TV show <i>"The Mentalist"</i> and got to visit the old set of the Central Perk from the show "<i>Friends"</i>. Also, really enjoyed seeing the big prop house and getting to go inside a couple of the houses that have been used for shows like, "<i>Gilmore Girls", "Shameless", "Hart of Dixie" </i>and <i>"The Waltons".</i><br />
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<i> </i>I ended up back at downtown Hollywood, and of course, there was something completely random going on. Apparently it was some concert for Caesars Palace or something. I'm still not entirely what happened. Anywho, I was given free access to it somehow. My favorite reality TV show host - the gorgeous Cat Deeley was hosting and Lil' Wayne and Cee-Lo performed a few songs. Really random, but it was tons of fun.<br />
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Yikes, this is really long so far. Sorry for that. On to the next day....Universal Studios. I really only wanted to go there so I could go on the Studio Tour and see Wisteria Lane from "<i>Desperate Housewives"</i>. Yes, the tour was basically a ride too, but I loved it. I did a few rides but no roller coasters or anything crazy. Wasn't feeling it. After Universal Studios, I went over to Santa Monica for the night and enjoyed the boardwalk for a few hours. There, however, I did do the rollercoaster and the ferris wheel. Also, totally forgot that this was where I was going to start my Route 66 journey back home home.<br />
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The next two days were spent in Beverly Hills doing the PaleyFest thing. Its basically a 2 week long celebration of TV with featured shows and their cast and crew. Usually you get to see the newest episode before it airs too. I do love my TV shows so this was quite a thrill for me. First up was "<i>Community". </i>One of the best shows on TV and NO ONE watches it! I really hope it makes it to another season, because its brilliant and hilarious. It's back from hiatus on March 15th, but we got to see the newest episode. Can't tell you how awesome it felt to be in a theater filled with people who shared my enthusiasm and passion for TV. Actually before the show, I had an in-depth conversation with a couple guys about the show. Ahhhh...in another life, I would be a TV critic. The cast was frickin' hilarious. Oh yeah, and Jim Rash had just won an Oscar the week before! Non-stop laughs, and got to learn a lot about the process of the show and some upcoming spoilers.<br />
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On Sunday was the panel for <i>"Once Upon A Time"</i>, which no one really knows is my secret obsession right now. I mean, it's cheesy, but I frickin' love it. I love the actors. I love the writers. And the people who produce it brought us <i>"LOST"</i>. C'MON. Though the fan-base is a little rabid and somewhat embarrassing at times, that was really the only thing I worried about. That someone would ask a stupid question and make things all awkward. It was so great to watch the newest episode in a room full of fans. Everyone clapped at the right places, "awwwed" at the right places. It was great. And then the panel came out and it was just great. Very insightful and makes me so anxious to see what will happen the rest of the season! Isn't the cast pretty?<br />
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I thought it would be a smart idea to go to Las Vegas for a couple days. Everyone told me I would love it, so since it was only a few hours away, why not, right? I got a hotel room for 2 nights at Circus Circus for less then $60. The ride was nice. I went to a ghost town called Calico and just generally enjoyed the ride through the desert. Gonna keep this short: Not a fan of Vegas. My hotel room was great, but the hotel was not my favorite. It was a maze to get around, way too many kids, and I hated the smoke. And then it wasn't really located near anything. I took a cab downtown, but quickly learned that I wouldn't enjoy it. I don't like gambling, shopping and didn't want to be drunk by 2 in the afternoon. Plus it was so friggin' windy, it made walking around unbearable. I think the only thing I liked was getting to go to The Heart Attack Grille and being served by the owner - the guy you see all over TV. But really that was it. I ended up back at my hotel room before the end of the afternoon. And then I just got angry that I wasted 2 nights in Vegas when I could have just stayed in L.A. and had a good time.<br />
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The next day, I went back to L.A. for 2 more nights! Though I did stay at a different hotel - this one closer to Beverly Hills - and near the LAX. Oh, I should mention that I found a hangout right near the theater for PaleyFest. Great bar, "good people". Hope to keep in contact with some of the people I met there! Who knows? I could be back! Anyways, since I decided to wash the bad taste of Vegas out of my mouth with a couple more nights in L.A., I ended up buying a ticket for the <i>"Bones" </i>PaleyFest panel. Another great show. I swear to god, Emily Deschanel and David Borenaz are really Booth and Brennan. They banter back and forth like crazy. When I left, my sides actually hurt from laughing so hard. I also did the tour of Sony Pictures Studio. Wasn't impressed. Couldn't take a lot of pictures and the tour guide wasn't very engaging. Though I did see Christian Slater riding a bike.<br />
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I know I left some things out, but I just want to stress how much I loved Los Angeles and it's surrounding areas. I could live there. I really could. Add it to the list. I met some great people, saw some amazing sights and got to take part in PaleyFest - which was just a dream come true. I actually felt really sad when I had to leave yesterday. I could have easily spent a few more days there, but it was time to start pressing on.<br />
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Which brings us to my most recent journey - Route 66. I'm going to leave that for the next blog entry because this is long enough. If you made it this far, I'm sorry. It was poorly written and long. But just gotta stress, I'm loving this trip! Feel lucky every day and can't wait to see where tomorrow will bring me!Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497297705261856720.post-38446115703520430832012-02-26T02:15:00.002-05:002012-02-26T07:59:33.257-05:00I'm a 1000 miles from nowhere.GUYS. We need to talk about Salt Lake City. It has officially moved itself up to the Top 5 of Places I Want To Live. I haven't decided what place it knocked off, but right now I am deeply infatuated with SLC.<br />
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OK, so last time I wrote an entry, I was in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. When I woke up that morning, there was almost half a foot of snow waiting for me. Needless to say, that trip to Utah was filled with excitement. The first 50 miles or so of Route 40 was a little bit white-knuckle. Nothing crazy, but definitely had to pay extreme attention to the road. Once I reached Utah, though, it was clear skies! By the time I made it to Salt Lake City, I had just enough time to get to the Lake and take some pictures during sunset.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvumcIHOh3QOP78DWpLsrKfjl14MNNd2dYxRcYk1rJX7bNBfO-Oo3_grs_qyldWavlqTzRG1UJKR5z78XwZujeNbeDfzWKPOYCVpI8YDL145QQGnJR5VSJdBzdHo2NcOd_33fWORMhgT-h/s1600/IMG_0412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvumcIHOh3QOP78DWpLsrKfjl14MNNd2dYxRcYk1rJX7bNBfO-Oo3_grs_qyldWavlqTzRG1UJKR5z78XwZujeNbeDfzWKPOYCVpI8YDL145QQGnJR5VSJdBzdHo2NcOd_33fWORMhgT-h/s320/IMG_0412.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I know it's not the ocean, but after being away from the sea for 3 weeks, the Great Salt Lake was a welcome sight. It smelled so good! What a beautiful place. Another part of this great country that will never cease to amaze me.<br />
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I was only going to spend one night in SLC, but then I ended up spending THREE nights there. The weekend I was there was a big celebration for the 10th year anniversary of the 2002 Winter Olympics. I <i>LOVE</i> Winter Olympics sports so I knew I had to stay in town and take advantage of all the events going on that weekend. I ended up spending a day in Park City, Utah. I love that town. If I am still working at the same job next year, I'm totally going to attempt to go to the Sundance Festival next January. I don't ski or snowboard, but it's still a cool community to me. I toured the Olympic Park - where they held the bobsled, skeleton, luge and a bunch of the skiing events during the 2002 Olympics.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4f_BgQinudgAiZ7einRB3DwRWG4j_73CuOmdmpcr9npI7vVacB5mG56OTuYlEmb3B8NsuH5_xaxUyAkOkS5O9gf1Y1ovV4g5WpWX34pSeQ29ujjRWS53Y6GMAniUDiHDX3_oyysIvNpQ/s1600/IMG_0443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4f_BgQinudgAiZ7einRB3DwRWG4j_73CuOmdmpcr9npI7vVacB5mG56OTuYlEmb3B8NsuH5_xaxUyAkOkS5O9gf1Y1ovV4g5WpWX34pSeQ29ujjRWS53Y6GMAniUDiHDX3_oyysIvNpQ/s320/IMG_0443.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQANd4VaE4W65A4hShPhOC3b1ROjOKdwO5lpaQ6_IIK-B_MBBZqvlBvQlDW5NaMJYQOG_tHjNkq3IY7Qsju0Vlb81FSi-IRn5sUsa7dDX9qlDCFxh6po9o1FmKjogw4uK1GPTMZNiwImm-/s1600/IMG_0453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQANd4VaE4W65A4hShPhOC3b1ROjOKdwO5lpaQ6_IIK-B_MBBZqvlBvQlDW5NaMJYQOG_tHjNkq3IY7Qsju0Vlb81FSi-IRn5sUsa7dDX9qlDCFxh6po9o1FmKjogw4uK1GPTMZNiwImm-/s320/IMG_0453.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>That night I ended up at the Olympic Oval in Kearns where in 2002 they held the speed skating events. The town of Kearns was putting on a little show that night and I thoroughly enjoyed it. They even lit a replica of the Olympic flame. The next day, I spent a good few hours down at the Olympic Gateway where they had all kinds of events going on and a bunch of Olympic alumni. I kind of fan-girled for Derek Parra - one of the best speed skaters of our generation. I never know how to act around "celebrities" so I didn't get any autographs. So instead, I left and walked around the Morman Tabernacle and Temple.<br />
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There is nothing I find more awkward then religion so even though I enjoyed reading about the history of Mormonism, I felt extremely uncomfortable and headed back to the hotel for a little R&R. I just wanted to read stuff and there was people accosting me asking me how I was. No thank you.<br />
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That night turned out to be a dream come true. I have loved ice skating my whole life. I saw Stars On Ice back in 1989 with my aunt Mary and I still vividly remember that night, even though I was only 5 years old. It was in Providence and it was amazing. I also used to rollerblade around the neighborhood thinking I was Bonnie Blair. And when I ice skated on the cranberry bogs - I was Dorothy Hamill! When I saw that the Stars On Ice would be in SLC with a few special guests to commemorate the 2002 Olympics, I knew I had to buy a ticket or I would regret it my whole life. To see Jamie Sale and David Pelletier skate was a dream come true. I hooted, hollered, gave standing ovations. And I had no idea but my favorite skater of all time - Scott Hamilton was there too. I lost my shit when he skated out. Joannie Rochette - the 2010 Olympic bronze medalist - was fantastic, as was Todd Eldridge. I find it hard to believe that he never placed in the Olympics. Anywho, Stars On Ice in Salt Lake City is something I will never forget. It's things like this that make this trip worthwhile.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNrS3RQhmh3Nw_jPKTydQODrs3UM4GzC_w9WXOnWxVkLowXH-VxeB0RcYT5gsvsz_6zso_RNHcKaaYjdBUcG-xVBVHkD7SFej-kjIfdHrTJl3mBFGZeN_1tNKezIvbEJZyAIrB5RbnjBPw/s1600/IMG_0544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNrS3RQhmh3Nw_jPKTydQODrs3UM4GzC_w9WXOnWxVkLowXH-VxeB0RcYT5gsvsz_6zso_RNHcKaaYjdBUcG-xVBVHkD7SFej-kjIfdHrTJl3mBFGZeN_1tNKezIvbEJZyAIrB5RbnjBPw/s320/IMG_0544.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Begrudgingly, I left Salt Lake City Sunday morning. I had nothing but pleasant experiences while I was there. The people of SLC have some deep-seeded pride. And it was a pleasure to stand side-by-side with these people that weekend. I really hope that SLC gets the Winter Olympic bid in 2022. It's a great community with some amazing facilities that is helping to shape some of the future Olympiads of USA. I think I could live there. Easily. Such a great city. Such great surrounding communities. I already miss it...<br />
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After SLC, I made my way to Oregon. I spent the night in The Dalles where the next morning, I partook in a couple local breweries. Speaking of community pride, the people of Oregon really love their state. And they also really love the show "Portlandia" which I find beyond amusing. I ended up spending the night with my cousin Haley, whom I haven't seen in at least 17 years. It was really cool to be able to meet up with her, and I can only hope that we will stay in touch.<br />
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After I hung out with Haley, I had all these big plans of touring Portland and taking pictures, but it ended up being a crappy day so I just did a few breweries and called it a night. I gotta say....some of the beer I've been trying has been delicious.<br />
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I left Portland and headed towards my aunt Louise's house in Port Orford, Oregon on Wednesday. It was straight up down-pouring when I woke up that morning. But I looked to the west and it was clear skies. That made the decision easy. I drove along the Salmon River for a bit and then did one of my favorite rides ever - the West Coast of Oregon - Route 101. It's so friggin' beautiful.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF9t8TVhsx1gOgYWx1HahTr7gquFvk8VUTklZe1T2ryj7RO2EOn91VhVMo9WDxlwr31rmEufqgZMQ8pMaEk_HsPqojCq1E59RBIbhI3zgFIa2mTVH07UTFHMRN9iD0W91fgpBZ9j_9jCf0/s1600/IMG_0607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF9t8TVhsx1gOgYWx1HahTr7gquFvk8VUTklZe1T2ryj7RO2EOn91VhVMo9WDxlwr31rmEufqgZMQ8pMaEk_HsPqojCq1E59RBIbhI3zgFIa2mTVH07UTFHMRN9iD0W91fgpBZ9j_9jCf0/s320/IMG_0607.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBxHjq2NWKZ9oTzP23HkDPgDN4F499xEWVStBui4gpXe1rdTJQeiwxPrkdJUsbv94kQalYE8y0RNk0SsuTYtG44GaAT6ki5bQJkb7Vq3NRhcDOWnZL19Rv8Q5UvdErF1olN_YLKA7vfcYZ/s1600/IMG_0636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBxHjq2NWKZ9oTzP23HkDPgDN4F499xEWVStBui4gpXe1rdTJQeiwxPrkdJUsbv94kQalYE8y0RNk0SsuTYtG44GaAT6ki5bQJkb7Vq3NRhcDOWnZL19Rv8Q5UvdErF1olN_YLKA7vfcYZ/s320/IMG_0636.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Today I left Port Orford after spending a relaxing three nights there. For a town with not much population, I found there are plenty of things to do. Two mornings in a row, we went down to the beach to collect agates. And yesterday I found myself combing the beach and then climbing Battle Point rock. Also, managed to catch up with a lot of my TV shows - which to anyone who knows me, is a very big deal.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8kV95PSn83g6GqxFDWqGyimcfcrkMnw9lChdZA1qT23wL6BlGx-lzSJ6ITPCx0wt6HjPHetFrw8f5W4rfOmJ2g4IlxErH28TIJTlXrWP41jVAmkTLE1t8Tvi6oXp5pPgKGts57liky0w/s1600/IMG_0687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8kV95PSn83g6GqxFDWqGyimcfcrkMnw9lChdZA1qT23wL6BlGx-lzSJ6ITPCx0wt6HjPHetFrw8f5W4rfOmJ2g4IlxErH28TIJTlXrWP41jVAmkTLE1t8Tvi6oXp5pPgKGts57liky0w/s320/IMG_0687.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Today I started to slowly make my way to San Francisco. I made it as far as Ukiah - after hitting up a few breweries. I made the trek out to the coast of Fort Bragg - which I challenge anyone to try. It was a LONG and WINDING road - through the forest. I feel like it was a prototype for the video game Cruisin' USA. But man, was it a great drive. I am forever thankful that I am able to do this trip. I take <i>nothing </i>for granted and I mean that. Driving along the coast of California today made me realize how lucky I am. Here I was in the middle of nowhere with the Pacific Ocean on the right of me and the great Redwood forest on the left of me. And it felt so right.<br />
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Tomorrow I will be in San Francisco just in time to shut myself in my hotel room and watch the Oscars. And then probably on Monday I will do a tour of Alcatraz.<br />
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I love this country so much. I can't tell you how many times I've just randomly smiled throughout this trip. Only a few weeks left, and I can tell that it's going to be epic.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497297705261856720.post-87583280313928729052012-02-16T00:39:00.000-05:002012-02-16T00:39:11.860-05:00On the road and hangin' by a songBrace yourself. This is going to be a long one. It's been over a week since the last time I wrote, and A LOT has happened. Where did we leave off? Smoky Mountains? Yikes. That feels like so long ago...<br />
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NASHVILLE. That was my next stop. Leaving Pigeon Forge, of course, it was a beautiful day out. Could have used that weather the day before on my hike! (Sidenote: my legs hurt for a week from that damn hike....) Can I say how much I love that city? I only spent two nights there, but I could have spent a week. I just really enjoy the whole scene downtown - all the honky tonks, live music, nice people. The first night I was there, it was Super Bowl Sunday. I don't like football, but I still wanted to watch the game - for the commercials and half-time show. Of course, I picked the one bar downtown that wasn't non smoking. Not cool. Also while in Nashville, I did the tour of the Ryman Auditorium - which is the original home of the Grand Ole Opry. I also went to the Country Music Hall of Fame. I really enjoyed it last time I went and a few of the exhibits had changed. And all I've really been listening to during this trip is my country music playlist. It's good driving music!<br />
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After Nashville I made the long drive out to my aunt's house in Alliance, Nebraska. Mostly boring ride but I did stop in St. Louis for lunch at Schlafly Brewing and to take some pictures of the Gateway Arch. I made it as far as Rockport, Missouri that night. The next day, I pressed on. Route 80 is the worst. Nothing to look at, flat and just horrible. So to mix it up, I took a little pit stop at the Pioneer Village in Minden, Nebraska. It's basically an entire replicated village from the beginning of the century. And every building has artifacts and stuff galore. It's a picker's paradise! A hoarder's dream come true!<br />
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I decided to ignore Serena's (my GPS) warning and took a nice backroad to Alliance - Route 26. It brought me up and down these beautiful hills, saw some deer and drove through a few towns that had less than 100 people inhabiting them. All during a nice sunset.<br />
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I ended up spending close to a week in Alliance. I managed to do a lot of relaxing, and mainly because the minute I pulled into town, I got sick. Nothing crazy, just annoying. The first full day I was there, I ended up sleeping 8 hours that night, then a 4 hour Benadryl induced coma and then 10 hours of sleep <i>that </i>night. Guess I needed my rest! During my time there, my aunt took me on a trip up to Devil's Tower in Wyoming. One of the coolest things I've ever seen.<br />
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We spent the night in Rapid City, South Dakota and then next morning went east a little way to Wall, South Dakota and then the Badlands. I love the Badlands. They're beautiful. Saw a lot of different wildlife - tons of antelope and deer, some buffalo, one poor little mountain goat and my favorite - PRAIRIE DOGS! They're just the cutest little rodents - even if they do carry the plague...<br />
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I really enjoyed my time in Alliance with my aunt, the cat Gaby and the dog Gertrude. I wish I could have stayed longer, but it was time to get back on the road. Hopefully the next time I visit won't be too far off in the future!<br />
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So, yesterday I left Nebraska and headed south to Fort Collins, Colorado. Never been to Colorado before except the airport, but that doesn't count. I had big plans on visiting a few breweries so that's what I did! New Belgium was up first. GREAT tour. Highly recommended. You sample 6 beers during the tour and then can purchase more samples for only a $1.50. We don't get New Belgium in Mass. so I really thought it was fun. After that, I headed down the street to Odell - another beer we don't get on the East Coast. Another good tour, and I enjoyed some samples afterwards that I'll probably never get to try again. After that, I drove a half hour south to Longport to go to the Left Hand Tap Room. This is a beer that we get out east. Good stuff. Found a hotel right there in town and was passed out by 10:30!<br />
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Today I ended up in Denver, even though my original plan was to press on towards Oregon. Oh well. Plans changed. I figured since I was so close to the city, it'd be kind of dumb to not drive down and do a tour of Coors Field - home of the Colorado Rockies, and the ballpark the Red Sox won the 2007 World Series in! Great facility. Even better was that there was only 4 people on the tour. I can't wait for baseball season to start!<br />
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Now since I changed the schedule up a little bit, might as well keep changing it! I knew that I would make a stop in Salt Lake City, but now I'm thinking that tomorrow I will spend TWO nights in Park City. I really want to check out the Olympic Village and watch some athletes train. But first, I apparently have a 6 hour ride ahead of me in the morning. Today I took Route 40 through the middle of Colorado. It was a beautiful ride through the Colorado Rockies, over a couple of the Passes. Thankfully the weather has been cooperating because I could see how that ride wouldn't be fun. Hoping for blue skies tomorrow!<br />
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THERE. DONE. I think....Did I leave anything out? Basically, in a nutshell, I'm having a blast doing this trip. Didn't think the second time around could be just as fun. But it is, and I'm thankful that I get to do this.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497297705261856720.post-85750996636689228082012-02-04T21:31:00.000-05:002012-02-04T21:31:13.200-05:00Takes time, you pick a place to go and you just keep truckin' onTime for an update from the road!<br />
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It felt like February 1st would never get here. But finally, this past Wednesday, at 4:30 AM, I took off for my adventure - USA Road Trip Part II! My first destination was a 1:30 tour at the Yuengling Brewery in Pottsville, PA. I left so early because you never know what kind of traffic you'll run into in that horrible state of Connecticut. And of course, I didn't really even hit too much. It was smooth sailing from the Tappan Zee Bridge and I arrived almost 2 hours ahead of schedule. So, I went and had some lunch at a local sports bar in Pottsville called Maroons. It was like heaven to see a whole draft beer area devoted only to Yuengling products! The tour itself was great. I did it two years ago and I have to say, hands down, this is the best brewery tour you'll get. Over an hour long, you get to go in and out of the whole belly (and underbelly) of the business. And at the end, two free samples!<br />
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After the 3 hour stop in Pottsville, it was time to press on. My next destination was Lexington, KY but I knew I wouldn't make it there in one day. Instead, I just really wanted to get to West Virginia. After almost 700 miles clocked and over 12 hours of driving, I finally pulled into a hotel in Fairmont, WV for the night. It was a long day, that's for sure. Didn't anticipate having to drive through Maryland, but the way Serena (my GPS lady) brought me, I ended up going up and down the mountains of northern Maryland for what seemed like forever! Never again.<br />
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I've got to say that Lexington was a nice surprise. Put a few hours on the road and got to Woodford Reserve distillery in Versailles, KY for the 1:00 tour. I'm not a fan of bourbon, but I'm always interested in seeing how different alcohols are made. There was only 6 people in the tour which made things a little bit more intimate. Good tour, and actually, not a bad bourbon!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Q0_-6YCY5t9OM8lkIWQGejB6_tc_9C_vQTdauTE6gvLaRS-47JxgU6TfxbU_5RUSrhNvTiJ_T9Rt3_K7kSnxPUiChCgWrWOFr7tSEGhpoE6t_DWdCmgQHg9sal-zxFy2Rehe0n_omdGb/s1600/IMG_9395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Q0_-6YCY5t9OM8lkIWQGejB6_tc_9C_vQTdauTE6gvLaRS-47JxgU6TfxbU_5RUSrhNvTiJ_T9Rt3_K7kSnxPUiChCgWrWOFr7tSEGhpoE6t_DWdCmgQHg9sal-zxFy2Rehe0n_omdGb/s320/IMG_9395.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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From there, I took a tour of the Alltech Brewing Company. They make a great beer called Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale. It's hard to find in Mass. but Wines & More usually has it. No one else showed up so I had my own private tour! Good stuff and got to try a beer that's not on the market yet because they're still tweaking with the recipe.<br />
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That night in Lexington was a blast. The Irish pub Lynagh's was recommended to me by the tour guide at the brewery because they have a good selection of beer. I just figured I'd go in for a burger and a couple brews. Well, next thing you know it's almost 1 AM and I'm just leaving! I met this nice local couple who introduced me to almost every local in the bar - including one of the owners who gave me a free t-shirt. It ended up being trivia night so we entered (and lost). So much fun! I love when random things like that happen. This is also another reason I love traveling alone. If I had been with someone else, who knows if a conversation would have initiated between someone else. So thanks Charlotte and Tim for a great night!<br />
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Yesterday was a little struggle to get up. 2 days of driving, not a lot of sleep and a night out on the town took a toll on me. But I had to get going. First, I did a tour of the Four Roses distillery where I was the only person on the tour. I could get used to this private tours! Ended up in Pigeon Forge, TN just in time for sunset where I settled into a hotel for 2 nights under $100. Not bad! Of course I found myself at the Smoky Mountain Brewery where I enjoyed some good brews, shooting the shit with the bartender, Josh.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21xY3pSyZoUJRbaudGEg-lV_rzoeWWMoWJH3h51NDQ5cP0XjtNQg0WkOn64hR3Vx59jkp63bwWGCIPAS3pQvyoGH49jTnUYV2GQLjjC0gECxDolnpi6P65I7tolL7zsjW6aaod93idwWy/s1600/IMG_9429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21xY3pSyZoUJRbaudGEg-lV_rzoeWWMoWJH3h51NDQ5cP0XjtNQg0WkOn64hR3Vx59jkp63bwWGCIPAS3pQvyoGH49jTnUYV2GQLjjC0gECxDolnpi6P65I7tolL7zsjW6aaod93idwWy/s320/IMG_9429.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Today I had all these plans of getting up early and doing a trail on the Smoky Mountains. Naturally, I slept later then expected. But that's because I thought it was still dark out. Yes, of course, it was raining. Just my luck. I took a drive up the mountain but you couldn't see anything because of the rain and fog. But then once I crossed over to Gatlinburg - the sun was trying to come out and the temperature was at almost 60. I decided to do the Rainbow Falls Trail. It was 5.2 miles round-trip and let me tell you, it was torture. Lots of rocks, boulders, mud. And I was by myself, so no one to talk to. Even the descent down was hard. But the waterfall was nice to look at. My legs are killing me right now! If I can move tomorrow, it'll be a miracle. After the hike, I went and stuffed my face at the Brewery again. I can only imagine what I looked like devouring those BBQ ribs. Hot mess.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIEe0XaIbu1TG2UxwApSTV-cPccG-vxhGswDf9ezhRN9TXnQROJ9HVp6LJGpQ_tFgwxaSFEcgoWSabG6Vm6jmEtxoAIukUzFgR19MyqY3LFhoAR1jaP6H8JdziJaZuCrY1uPvEptkJOOqs/s1600/IMG_9468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIEe0XaIbu1TG2UxwApSTV-cPccG-vxhGswDf9ezhRN9TXnQROJ9HVp6LJGpQ_tFgwxaSFEcgoWSabG6Vm6jmEtxoAIukUzFgR19MyqY3LFhoAR1jaP6H8JdziJaZuCrY1uPvEptkJOOqs/s320/IMG_9468.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Onwards tomorrow to Nashville, TN. Thinking of taking the backroads I took last time. It was a nice drive and if the weather actually cooperates then I'll do it. I'll be spending 2 nights there - doing the tourist thing. Can't wait to chill out at all the honky tonk bars. Then I will head out to Nebraska to spend a few days at my aunt's house. I'm hoping to hit up Kansas City along the way - probably spending the night there.<br />
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So, that's been my trip so far. Not really an exciting read, but I know a few people wanted updates, so there ya have it!Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497297705261856720.post-12033075298451064492012-01-27T01:15:00.002-05:002012-01-27T07:27:29.088-05:00Get your motor runnin'. Head out on the highway. Lookin' for adventure... HEY. Remember that time I went on a road trip around the country for two months in 2009? Well, I'm doing it again.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=35+Michael+St,+West+Wareham,+MA+02571&daddr=YuengLing+Brewery,+Mahantongo+Street,+Pottsville,+PA+to:Versailles,+KY+to:Gatlinburg,+TN+to:Nashville,+TN+to:Saint+Louis,+MO+to:Kansas+City,+MO+to:Alliance,+NE+to:Denver,+CO+to:Truckee,+CA+to:39.92035,-120.83244+to:41.51561,-122.47319+to:Port+Orford,+OR+to:Ukiah,+CA+to:San+Francisco,+CA+to:Los+Angeles,+CA+to:Las+Vegas,+NV+to:Mesa,+Phoenix,+AZ+to:Chicago,+IL+to:Buffalo,+NY+to:35+Michael+St,+West+Wareham,+MA+02571&geocode=FeiqfQIdBHvI-ykLWKouEcHkiTE3zGEkQDcBEA%3BFajEbAIdLFF1-yGkfW2j2OcAHg%3BFeCiRAIdph_z-imZqSed-GNCiDFueZorseKeSQ%3BFdP0IAIdbLwF-ymJpQjL6lNZiDGoebd-rtexSg%3BFQLZJwIdRcbT-ik9kOsTMuxkiDGg2umh0Lk_fQ%3BFbpmTQIdlKqf-in5ju36qbTYhzFb4Lsiyuo5vg%3BFU6dVAIdedhc-imXmemvXvfAhzGiUapq5iWFVQ%3BFYJrggIdr0ve-SlfO7mTvQtwhzF0p1PZthawIQ%3BFRJfXgIdgQ---SnPFx8jqoBrhzHWNoon-PSOEQ%3BFdoYWAIdKybW-CnXjU487N-bgDHJ_DTBiC8XbQ%3BFd4iYQIdSD7M-CkN32mwZ1ecgDGBiRaoSgdoTg%3BFVp6eQIdGjWz-CmRYaLAQm3OVDEB_BZ2X3HHxg%3BFUA_jAIdUVKU-Clxjpqh_87EVDFvsbpI5beYoQ%3BFVtiVQIdmf-n-CnjdQGc_mSBgDHmwE2Dl7zccw%3BFVJmQAIdKAe0-CkhAGkAbZqFgDH_rXbwZxNQSg%3BFYqYBwIdm77z-CkT2ifcXcfCgDH0CEYlb98v4g%3BFdYQJwIdMJoi-SnRffWkgre-gDGjebPV5tXMOg%3BFXuGAAIdBupS-Skt-OPBVnIrhzGAZdSWhJqzfQ%3BFWICfwIdGuDG-inty_TQPCwOiDEAwMAJrabgrw%3BFS9ljgIdX2lM-ymh5d9SYRLTiTFxgR8YpQQjmA%3BFeiqfQIdBHvI-ykLWKouEcHkiTE3zGEkQDcBEA&aq=0&oq=buffulo&sll=41.170384,-77.01416&sspn=6.209672,9.876709&vpsrc=6&hl=en&mra=ls&via=10,11&ie=UTF8&ll=38.387425,-97.61916&spn=9.59805,53.7575&t=m&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br />
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And by doing this, I'm attempting to resurrect this blog. <br />
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In 5 days, I'm out of here. First stop: Yuengling Brewery in Pottsville, PA. My favorite beer, my favorite brewery tour - basically the best place to start off.<br />
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I'm experiencing some extreme cabin fever. For the past month, I've really been doing nothing except work at the Country Market and watch TV/movies. While it's been great to sit back and relax, I'm getting antsy. Just want to get out this town for a bit. I updated my GPS the other day for $50 (now hopefully I won't get stranded in the middle of nowhere like last time in Alabama!), got my bills and cash flow in order. Just have to get new tires and I'm good to go.<br />
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These next 5 days are going to be the <i>longest</i> 5 days EVER.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497297705261856720.post-87263025254398929632010-10-18T21:22:00.001-04:002012-01-01T21:37:09.988-05:00I have to drive. I have my reasons, dear.Tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary of my USA solo road trip 2009. So, I felt it only fitting that I start back on this blog. Wow. It really feels like it was just yesterday that I was packing up my jeep and hitting the open roads bright and early. And honestly, not a day goes by that I don't think of some part of my trip. It's kind of sad but this weekend - on my way to UMASS Amherst for Homecoming - I realized that that 2-hour trip was the longest I've driven since returning home from my trip at end of December. Yes, I did go to Arizona in January but that doesn't count....because I flew.<br />
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Going on that road trip was the best decision I ever made in my life. I don't care about the repercussions I dealt with afterward. It was totally worth it. I've come to accept the fact that my credit card bill is never going to be paid off, but I've been trying. Paying a little over the minimum every month, but even then....barely a dent! Haha. I came back to Cape at possibly the worst time to be unemployed. And I struggled for a few months. It wasn't what I call ideal. But here it is, almost November, and things are starting to come together. I would say that the months of January through April were definitely the hardest. Just because you have no job doesn't mean that bills don't stop coming in! I look back at those few months, and it's a wonder that I was able to make all my bills on time and in full. Definitely scrapped by by the skin of my teeth.<br />
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When I came home from the trip, it was definitely one chapter of my life coming to an end. I no longer worked at the Beverly Yacht Club - and after meeting with the new club manager, realized that I NEVER would again. I had just completed one of my goals that I had set since college. And now I was presented the same question I seemed to ask myself every year. "Now what?" I worked at the music store for a few months and then got a job down at the Falmouth Yacht Club. Once some sort of money starting rolling in, it was time to make a new plan. I had to set a new goal if I wanted to survive this summer. The highs and lows of job searching had really put a damper on my self esteem. Here I was with, in my opinion, a pretty damn good looking resume and no one wanted to hire me. It was tough. So when the opportunity to work at the FYC came about, I jumped at it, even though the idea of commuting to the Cape everyday was not something I wanted to do. <br />
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So I busted ass this summer - worked as much as I could, but still was able to do a little playing. Actually I had more free time then I had in YEARS and sometimes I was making more money then I had been at BYC, in a manager position. Ironic? <br />
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So, I'll just get through these next couple of months. I'm basically done with the job in Falmouth right now (which I'm happy about) and full time at Woods Hole and hopefully the music store will throw me some hours soon. I still can't believe that it's been a year. And still every day I get in my car, I just want to drive....<br />
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Wish me luck on the next chapter of my life! I'll try to update this more frequently too. YAY! <br />
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<a href="http://tinypic.com/?ref=out7kk" target="_blank"><img alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic" border="0" src="http://i40.tinypic.com/out7kk.jpg" /></a>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497297705261856720.post-58857820045130728772010-01-13T16:54:00.000-05:002010-01-13T16:54:05.947-05:00Not really sure what I'm going to use this blog for now that I'm done with my trip....<br />
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Maybe some movie or concert reviews? Maybe just some random writing? Not sure.<br />
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As for now, sit back and enjoy a drink!<br />
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</div><a href="http://tinypic.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic" border="0" src="http://i48.tinypic.com/5k0l0o.gif" /></a>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497297705261856720.post-30692220262343142272009-12-30T20:57:00.003-05:002012-01-02T09:25:43.461-05:00They've all gone to look for America...<span style="font-size: small;">The above lyric is from a Simon & Garfunkel song, "America" and I think it pretty much sums up my trip. I've been home in Wareham for almost two weeks now and figured that after all the traveling I did, I needed to wrap it up blog-wise.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The trip home was <i>LOOOOOOOONG</i>. It was boring. It was tedious at times. It was frustrating (especially when it came to tractor trailers, and their drivers). But after over 3,000 miles I made it back safe and sound. But let me tell you, if I had it my way I wouldn't have powerdrove home and took highways the whole time. But Christmas was approaching and I had to get back. And good thing I really pushed myself to get back Friday night, because we got HIT with a massive snowstorm Saturday night - almost two feet! Crazy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">So now that I've been home for a while and had time to reflect on my trip, here's what I have to say. First off, I've got to say how much I absolutely loved this trip and I am so happy that I finally got the balls to do it. It really was a trip of a lifetime and I am nothing but grateful that I was able to do it at this point in my life. I don't think that there was one bad day on the trip. The United States is a great country. There's so much to see and I feel like there's so much more left out there for me to explore later on. I found so many great things in places I didn't expect (i.e. Smokey Mountains - never had plans to go there originally and then ended up spending three nights...)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Of course being by myself had it's advantages and it's disadvantages. There were definitely some places that I was at, or things that I did, that would have been nice to have another person with me. But overall, I am so glad that I did this trip by myself. I've always been independent. I've never had problems with going out to eat by myself, or taking myself to the movies. Hell, what do I do every night when I'm home? Shut myself in my room and watch movies. I've even done a few mini-road trips alone and I would say that moving to Key West was a pretty bold move, as well. Being by myself on this trip really was great. I was forced to talk to people and I met a lot of interesting folks along the way, a few I hope to stay in contact with. Also by being solo, I made my own decisions. I decided what was for dinner. I decided when to stop for the night and what hotel to stay in. I decided when to be spontaneous and do things like that helicopter trip (in St. Louis). You get the drift. It was awesome. And I would like to think that if I thought I was independent before I left, I'm even <i>more</i> independent now. So look out world! Haha.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Another thing I learned on this trip was that life is too short. If you want to do something, better just buck up and do it. Why wait? What's the point? I understand that I went to college and I have a degree. But I still have no idea what I want to do with my life. I do, however, know what I want to do in the near future. Years from now...no idea. I thought that by going on this trip, I would find some place that I really loved and want to move to. Yes, I definitely found some places that I would ponder moving away to (Nashville, San Francisco, Smokey Mountains) but ultimately, right now, I think I still want to be around Massachusetts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I want to take this time to thank the people that made my trip that much more enjoyable. First, to the friends and family that let me crash at their places: Cency and gang at Washington & Jefferson, Cat and Alex in Orlando, Jack and Mark and Gina in Key West, Eric and Linda in Naples, my aunt Josette in Nebraska and my aunt Louise in Oregon. Many thanks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">And to all the people I met along the way: the Strickland family while hiking the Smokey Mountains, the bartender at Longhorns in Pigeon Forge, the Buffalo Wild Wings and trivia gang in Madison, TN, the Evangelical couple I met at Ozone Falls, the Australian gent in Nashville and Memphis, Barbara at the Natural Bridge in Alabama, the tour guide at the Atlanta Braves, the Key West gang (Hi Brian and Jan!), my waitress at the Angus Steakhouse in Panama City Beach, Kathy and gang at Lafittes Blacksmith Bar, the two hilarious guys from the piano bar in Lafittes (New Orleans), the guy from AAA in Arkansas, the group at Schlafly Brewery in St. Louis, the mullet lady and Mexicans at the bar in St. Louis, the helicopter driver in St. Louis, Josette's friends from the 'hood in Alliance, the Canadian couple at Pyramid Brewery in Seattle, the volunteers at the Cape Disappointment lighthouse in Washington, Chris at Ukiah Brewery and anyone else I might have forgotten. That was what this trip was all about, and I'll never forget it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Now I'm home. Christmas came and went. I went to the Wave a few times. I've hung out with some friends. But really, I don't feel that comfortable being back. Every time I get in my car, I just want to drive. I've definitely found something I love to do! Not being back at the yacht club feels weird, but really I'm all set with that place. I was angry at first when shit hit the fan while I was away, but now I'm just learning not to be bitter and move on. Whatever, I'm the one who left. So, now what? Exactly. That's what I find myself asking every day. For starters, my desktop crashed while I was gone. I lost all my pictures, music, resume, everything. I'm trying not to dwell on it especially since it's probably karma for not backing things up and downloading things illegally. I guess I should probably work on finding a job, but theres really nothing around. And my credit card bill is insanely large. But I knew that would happen going into this. I have enough money to pay my bills for January so when I get back from Stevie P's wedding in Arizona (I'll be going for a couple days) and if I still don't have a job by then, well then the worrying will start.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Right now, I'm taking things day by day. I knew certain things would happen when I decided to do this trip. I knew my credit card bill would be high. I knew I wouldn't have any money. I knew I would have trouble finding a job on the Cape in January. So now I'm just dealing with the consequences while still reveling in the fact that <u>I just traveled 13,000 miles across the USA and back in two months by myself!!</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Tomorrow is the last day of 2009. Last year as I rang in the new year sitting at the Cranebrook Restaurant during a New Years snowstorm just absolutely miserable, I made up my mind that this was the year that I took charge and changed things. Yes, I had some pretty bad months (especially working at the Crane - I hated it so much) but this trip cancels all that stupid crap out. My goal for 2010 is to continue doing what I started. Plain and simple.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY98BT6QoGiKJ_mzESo5aaZUtn8cCDsQ2p4o0s7114xcS5Roqi1jNQOSWdBcVqEuWzMzAvs_Cva68hOoH6Ob16yhEgzNfQuDp6bQIjrsynfgNZn4UWPGtHKqxMZQRmRmBlDq0lEd7I-Xhw/s1600-h/IMG_5413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY98BT6QoGiKJ_mzESo5aaZUtn8cCDsQ2p4o0s7114xcS5Roqi1jNQOSWdBcVqEuWzMzAvs_Cva68hOoH6Ob16yhEgzNfQuDp6bQIjrsynfgNZn4UWPGtHKqxMZQRmRmBlDq0lEd7I-Xhw/s320/IMG_5413.JPG" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;">Road trip 2009. Best decision of my life. Here's hoping that I'm able to do part two of the trip somewhere in the near future!</span>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497297705261856720.post-23235981883382303082009-12-17T00:27:00.007-05:002009-12-17T00:31:37.762-05:00The road is long...with many a winding turns...<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">My epic adventure is slowly winding down. I'm somewhere in Iowa right now and with a little luck, I'll be sitting at a bar stool at The Wave Friday night...but that's only if I really push myself driving tomorrow. The last week of my trip have been great and here's why...</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">After Seattle, I slowly made my way to Port Orford, Oregon to spend a couple days with my aunt Louise and uncle Coy. The ride there was terrific. Why? Because I was driving one of my "dream roads". Route 101 has been pretty high up there for me ever since I started researching this trip a couple years ago. The number one road is Route 66, obviously. But that will be a completely different trip. So, Route 101. Awesome. Gorgeous. Beautiful. Fun. The Washington coast wasn't much to look at in the beginning. There were lots of stumps and tree debris from what used to be forests. Kinda sad looking, but we gotta have paper! Once I got to the Long Beach area...all hell broke loose! Not really, but it was fun. You're actually able to drive right on the beach and I did that for well over 20 miles. I was zigging and zagging out of the ocean, which probably wasn't the best idea, but whatever. It was crazy!</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Also in Washington, I stumbled upon a couple lighthouses near the weirdly named Cape Disappointment. I really don't know why such a place would be named that, but it was NOT a disappointment.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I spent the night in Seaside, Oregon which was a cute, quaint tourist town that I'm sure is rockin' in the summertime. I think I was one of three people staying in the hotel that night. The town was dead except for locals and a few tourists on the beach during sunset, which was gorgeous.</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">The next day before I got to Port Orford, I did some more scenic driving along the coast of Oregon. I've really seen nothing like it before. And if I had to recommend one drive that everyone must do before they die, Route 101 would be it. The Oregon coast is just miles and miles of beaches. The rock formations that the coast is made up of is really neat too. Sometimes it reminded me of the Caribbean. I also think the Pacific Ocean is much clearer then the Atlantic. I don't know, maybe it's because I haven't seen the Atlantic in so long...but anyways, needless to say....great drive.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The next three nights were spent in Port Orford, Oregon. They were definitely days of relaxation. Louise showed me the "sights" around town and there really wasn't much to see. But it was still nice. I hadn't seen my uncle Coy in a few years, and the dogs were basically still puppies when they came up to Wareham years ago. It was a nice area of the country, but I would probably not survive there. Especially since I'm not a seafood fan! Haha.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was originally going to drive straight to Reno, Nevada for a day and then spend some time in the Salt Lake City area but basically last minute, I decided to spend a couple nights in San Francisco. So the trip down route 101 continued! Passing through all the giant redwood trees was different, but after a while the thrill kind of wore off and I just wanted to get to San Fran! But California is a big state so I had to spend the night in Ukiah, California. Fun fact: Ukiah is haiku spelled backwards. I really liked that area of the state. Very free-spirited and hippie-ish. Probably because of all the marijuana...And the breweries I went to were awesome! Since I could feel the end of the trip approaching, I decided to bypass the Napa/Sonoma valley. I'm not that big a fan of wine and I think that trip would best be done with a group of people so...next time!</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">San Francisco was everything I thought it would be and more! Originally, I wasn't too excited to be there. It was raining, the parking situation downtown was bad and I think I was just in a bad mood. But despite the rain, I managed to have an AWESOME time! I did a tour of AT&T ballpark, where the Giants play. Cool park, but I did the tour with a group of cub scouts. Shoot me! I sure did a lot of walking. The first day I walked from the park to 21st Amendment Brewery (tasty!) and all the way up Market Street. I was trying to get to the Castro but I never made it. Instead.....I randomly bought a ticket to see one of my favorite Broadway show <i>Wicked</i>. I was in the second row and it was amazing! I can't help but act like a fangirl over that show...</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Since I never got down to the waterfront the first full day I was there, I decided to book an extra night at the hotel. Great decision because it turned out to be a really nice day and one of the most memorable on the trip. The rain stopped and the sun tried to come out so I took a walk down to the Golden Gate Bridge and snapped some great pictures - especially with the fog rolling in. From there I walked down to the Fisherman's Wharf and spent some time there. I experienced my first In 'N Out burger! The waterfront in San Francisco is great. The view is spectacular, when the weather is cooperating. I tried to get out to Alcatraz, but I literally "missed the boat". Soooo...instead I took a boat tour around the harbor, right before sunset. One of the best things I did on this trip. I also rode one of the trolley cars up to the Castro. The Castro is the gay section of San Fran and I really like the vibe in that area. I went to the famous Castro Theatre and saw "<i>The Wizard of Oz</i>" on the big screen. Honestly, there is no other place in the world that I would have rather seen that movie then the Castro. Everyone was clapping and laughing, especially at the innuendos. I really think the Cowardly Lion was the first gay icon in America. Haha.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">All in all, I LOVED San Francisco. It's become a habit of mine on this trip to see if I can imagine myself living in the area that I'm in. And I really think I could fit in here. Not to say I'm going to up and move across the country, but it's one of those places (along with Tennessee) that will always be in the back of my mind now.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">On Monday, I started the looooooooooooong trek back to Wareham. Driving through Nevada, Utah, Wyoming and Nebraska has proved to be the most boring thing ever. Nothing to look at, lots of hills and lots of TRUCKS. Ugh, my hatred for truck (and their drivers) has only gotten worse since I started home. My road rage is coming out! I love being able to do over 75 on these highways, but trucks like to do their own thing. JUST STAY IN THE RIGHT LANE AND DON'T TRY TO PASS ANYONE!!! Oh, the frustration. I did stop off in Salt Lake City yesterday for a couple hours. I wanted to see the big Temple, so that's what I did.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Right now I'm in Council Bluffs, Iowa. At this point I would LOVE to be home by Friday but we'll see what happens. Tomorrow will be a BIG powerdriving day. Usually I stop for a hotel between 5 and 6 PM, but tomorrow I'm really going to push it (if I'm not too tired). I've had the best time on the trip and I know I wasn't looking forward to going home, but right now I have the destination in my head and I just want to get there!</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The next update will be from my desktop in my room! One thing I am looking forward to is: not having to use wireless!</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Like always, if you like what you read (or didn't), leave me a comment!</span><br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497297705261856720.post-88166491315770364102009-12-06T01:37:00.011-05:002009-12-06T01:43:03.270-05:00So raise the bar high...<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span><span style="font-size: small;"> need to stop updating so infrequently. I actually wanted to write last night since I was sitting in a hotel room playing around on Wikipedia all night, but couldn't find the motivation. Can't say I really have the motivation tonight either, so hopefully it won't be too long. But we all know that it will...once I start going, I can't stop!</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nebraska turned out to be a pretty good time. Of course, I didn't stay there the whole time, but still it was nice to be with my aunt, Josette, and to meet her friends and neighbors in the 'hood. We had a couple nice dinners together, including Thanksgiving and I even got invited out for "a night on the town" with the girls after we saw <i>The Blind Side</i> Thursday. Good times.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I did a side trip to the Badlands in South Dakota the Friday after Thanksgiving. After being out late drinking and then getting up early, part of me wanted to cancel the trip and stay in bed but thankfully I went. The Badlands were seriously one of the most AWESOME things I've ever seen in my entire life. And I'm proud to say that I've seen some pretty cool places in my lifetime, but this just might be at the top. Driving there during a Nebraska sunrise was also the icing on the cake. When I first caught sight of the Badlands, I had to pull the car over and just gape at the sights before me. I actually got chills. The pictures don't do it justice. It's just something you have to see for yourself. I also saw buffalo and cute prairie dogs too. But don't touch the prarie dogs. They have some sort of plague...</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Also while in the Badlands, I stopped off in Wall for the famous Wall Drug Store. It's basically the South of the Border of the north. There are signs leading up to it and once you get there, it's one big tacky tourist trap. And you all should know how much I love things that are tacky. They had taxidermied animals dressed up in cowboy clothes. I was literally laughing out loud on the sidewalk by myself looking at these creatures with their hooves placed on their hips. I'm actually laughing right now as I write this just thinking about it. Haha.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Saturday was spent in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. My aunt wanted to show me a couple historical landmarks that she thought I would like, and I did. But first we stopped off at Stephanie's feed lot that she works at. It was quite interesting to see the process in which the cows are fed and taken care of before being sent off to the slaughter house. The Scotts Bluff Monument was cool. I had never heard of it before, but it was a big deal during the Oregon Trail. So yes, I walked on some of the original Oregon Trail and nobody died of cholera and I managed to keep all my oxen (Oregon Trail game reference...) And Chimney Rock was neat too, though you aren't allowed to go near it - just admire it from afar. I really do love American history stuff, so I really enjoyed seeing the sights.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The next two nights my aunt and I spent in Deadwood, South Dakota. She had previously won a free stay at the Deadwood Gulch, a hotel/casino. On the way there we stopped at the Crazy Horse Memorial. It is massive! And nowhere close to being finished, even though its been worked since 1948. It's not federally funded and they rely a lot on donations. It will probably never be done in my lifetime. But it's cool to imagine what it will look like when it's finished. You can fit Mt. Rushmore just into Crazy Horse's head. </span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">And speaking of Mt. Rushmore, that's where we went next. This was one thing that was on the top of my "must see" list. But I wouldn't recommend going to it <i>after</i> you've been to Crazy Horse. It just looks so small. But the difference with Mt. Rushmore is that it's a finished monument and it has so much history behind it. I really enjoyed reading about how it was built and about the presidents carved into the mountain. Did you know that Thomas Jefferson was originally supposed to be carved to the right of George Washington it didn't work out so they had to switch it up? Bet you didn't know that, smartypants.</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Deadwood was cool. It's a little town that it all about gambling. It's also rich in history when it comes to the "Wild West". If anyone ever watched the HBO series with the same name, then you'll know that this is the town where Wild Bill Hickok was killed. All that cowboy history I found to be really interesting. While my aunt gambled, I walked around town and explored. It definitely has an old West feel, and there are a couple cool bars that give you a old timey feel. I think it would be a fun place to visit in the summer since some things weren't open and they have western shoot-outs on the streets. We had dinner at a restaurant owned by Kevin Costner and there were lots of memorabilia from his movies. Also, the Celebrity Hotel is worth checking out because they also have memorabilia from random movies and TV shows. Cool stop on my US tour, that's for sure. Deadwood definitely sparked an interest in me and I totally want to watch the show when I get back home...</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">On Wednesday I left Nebraska after a fabulous time. I probably could have stayed longer if I didn't have to be home for Christmas. I really miss Gaby the cat. She was little friend while I was there and I have the hair all over my car to remind me! I will totally be going back to Nebraska again, that's for sure. My next stop is Port Orford, Oregon. I haven't made it there yet as I've been slowly making my way. I was planning on going to Yellowstone, but after doing research I realized that there are way too many road closures to risk it. I didn't want to waste an entire day looking for the one entrance that was open, so I'll have to do it another day. Plus it had recently snowed and some of the roads were not in top condition.</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Believe it or not, one of my favorite rides so far was in Wyoming. What a gorgeous state. There isn't much to see, tourist-wise, but man, nature sure has been kind. I love snow. I even love driving in it. So I was in my element as I went up and down mountains all day. I also have become a pro at taking pictures while driving. But I don't recommend that anyone does it! It's kind of dangerous. Oh well. While in Cody, Wyoming I stopped off at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. It's basically five museums in one, and it was really neat - especially the Buffalo Bill one. Since I had just been to Deadwood, I was really interested in this Buffalo Bill character. He was one cool dude. And after Wyoming, I spent the night in Montana, where it was typically the same kind of scenery.</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Yesterday was what a refer to as a "bad day". I totally woke up on the wrong side of the bed and then something from back home really started to tick me off. Not even Carole King and Bette Midler could cheer me up. It was also a LONG day of powerdriving on a highway, which is kind of boring. So I was pissed off and just wanted to get to my next destination. But once I got through Idaho (where it snowed for a while) and got through the boring part of Washington, I started to feel a little bit better. However, today I woke up quite tired. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night. Weird dreams. But today I went to Seattle, so all is well in the world!</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Seattle, Washington. What a fun city! I really wish I had more time to explore but my next destination is calling. I did a tour of the Seattle Mariners ballpark - Safeco Field. It was cool, but not my favorite park that I've been to. Though the roof is definitely different. Since I've been cooped up in my car for the past couple days, I decided to walk around the city. My first stop was Pike Place to watch the workers at the Fish Market throw fish. That was fun. Thankfully I don't like shopping or I would have found myself stuck there all day. It kind of reminded me of Faniuel Hall back in Boston. Then I found the Real World house! That was pretty exciting to me. The Real World used to be one of my favorite shows back before Las Vegas completely ruined it. And Seattle was so great especially all the Irene and Stephen drama. The slap heard 'round the world! Also, while on the subject of TV shows...I saw lots of ferry boats and couldn't help by think of "Grey's Anatomy"....I went to the Needle but it was going to be an hours wait just to get to the top, so scratch that plan. Seattle is now at the top of my list - along with Tennessee - for places I need to go back to PRONTO. </span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Also, before signing off...I really have to say how much I appreciate being back near the ocean. The smell is almost intoxicating to me after being away for a couple weeks. Yes, I've seen some lakes and rivers, but really the ocean is where it's at. And the sunset was too beautiful for words. </span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">I know this was long, and kind of boring. I'm multi-tasking right now...watching "The Holiday" on TBS. I can't help it. It's Kate Winslet. She does no wrong in my book. Anywhoooooo.....tomorrow I'm going to travel the historic Route 101 all the way to Port Orford, Oregon. It should be a nice ride. And I'm really looking forward to seeing my aunt and uncle and relax for a couple days.</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497297705261856720.post-622933123562638772009-11-26T19:50:00.001-05:002009-11-26T19:51:32.615-05:00Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans...<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I seriously just experienced the shortest holiday dinner/get-together ever. I'm here in Nebraska at my aunt Josette's house, and they don't quite do things the way I'm used to at home. But it was different and now instead of trying to entertain my family for the next couple of hours, I can chill out and relax and <i>finally</i> write a blog entry...<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">When I last wrote, I was hanging out in Panama City, Florida en route to New Orleans. The weather was already significantly chillier since I left Naples which got me wondering if I was doing this trip backwards. Aren't you supposed to HEAD towards warm weather? But no, this is a Courtney trip. So I do things a little different. The ride to New Orleans was interesting. I had to keep calling my mom to tell her about because my parents would really like the drive through all the white sand beachs of the Gulf Shore, especially the Destin Beach area. I get so mad at them because they continue to go to the same spots year and year and never try anything different. I'm going to make sure that they drive up the panhandle this year though. It's such an easy drive. I also visiting a little bayou in Alabama which was neat, and the towns in Mississippi that I drove through were also nice. But you could still tell that Katrina had been there...there were lots of abandoned buildings and empty lots.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">When I arrived in New Orleans, I was so excited! When I came to the city with my CMAA group in 2005, it was probably one of the best trips I've ever been on. To be able to go back to some of those places that made my trip so special were high priorities on my list. I stayed at the Parc St. Charles hotel, which was only 4 blocks to the French Quarter - so I felt safe walking by myself. Of course upon arrival, the hotel didn't have my reservation and I had to wait a good 20 minutes while they figured everything out. But no biggie, no worries mon. I was in New Orleans so all was good!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">The first thing I did - after freaking out about how much I loved my room - was go and get my grub on! I didn't eat lunch so I could enjoy a nice Cajun meal that night. I found myself at a place called Oceania where I engulfed a dish of red beans and rice with andouille sausage. I wandered Bourbon Street for a bit, reliving some of the memories I had from '05 - especially when I saw the sign for the bar Razzoo. But my main destination was the best kept secret in all of New Orleans - Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar. You have to walk by all the garbage on Bourbon Street and go up a few blocks before you arrive. And even once you get there, you have to do a doubletake to make sure that this place is an actual bar. It's almost lighted completely by candles, the drinks are a little bit cheaper and the piano in the back has stools so you can just belly up to it and sing along with the piano player all night. And that is exactly what I did. I met a great group of people here on business and I stayed at the main bar and chatted with them for a while before the piano player started. Then I found myself hanging out with these two guys from Texas and let me tell you, we just had an absolute blast that night! So much fun that I barely even remember leaving the bar that night and buying a hot dog from a street vendor! Best bar ever. I already want to go back.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">The next day after quickly deciding that it would be wise to not booze it up that night, I decided to literally walk all over the New Orleans Riverwalk and all of the French Quarter. I went up and down the streets all day - in my flip flops, I might add. I took some great pictures, enjoyed watching a band perform on the streets complete with locals dancing and just generally wishing that I had more time there. By the time I got back to the hotel to rest up before going out to dinner, I realized that my feet hurt WAY too much to even walk back down to the hotel lobby, so I ordered take out and stayed in all night. I wish I had been able to go back out to Lafitte's, but I know I made the right decision.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">Originally after leaving New Orleans, I was just going to head straight up to Little Rock, Arkansas but while shopping at the Tabasco store near Jackson Square, I became aware that the Tabasco factory was only a couple hours away in a little place called Avery Island, Louisiana. So you can only guess where I went next! The ride was nice and the tour was free, so who would pass that up? Also got some free samples. Don't knock jalapeno ice cream until you tried it! Or jalapeno soda, for that matter. Also on Avery Island was this neat place called Jungle Gardens where you could ride through some nice cypress, bamboo and oak trees and also around a bayou - so I figured I would do that as well. I didn't quite make it to Little Rock that night but the sidetrip was definitely worth it.<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">The next day, after spending the night in Ruston, Louisiana, it was only a couple hour drive to Little Rock. The only thing I really wanted to see there was the Clinton Presidential Library. Yes, I'm a fan of the Clintons and their work, so I thought it would be an interesting thing for me to see. And it was! There was also a nice restaurant in the bottom floor of the library where I had lunch. The Library itself was more like a muesum. Lots of things to read, some videos to watch and some artifacts that had to do with the Clintons or the White House. There was even a model of the Oval Office the exact way that it looked when Clinton was President. But no, I did not see Monica underneath the desk. Nor was the blue dress on display. Little Rock seemed like a nice enough town but I wanted to get trucking on to St. Louis, so I quickly drove through the center of town and was on my way!<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Well, before I write about St. Louis, I <i>guess</i> I should touch upon my first "mishap" of the trip. After leaving Little Rock, I was taking a road called Route 67 which would pretty much bring me all the way to St. Louis. I had about 50 miles to go before needing gas so I said to myself, "I will get off and get gas at the next command of my GPS" (which was only a couple miles away). Then Samantha really thought it would be funny to play a trick on me. All of sudden she started "recalculating" like she had tourette's syndrome. She was doing it so much that I had to put her on mute. Apparently the road was newer so she didn't recognize it. And therefore, the next GPS command didn't really exist. So here I am in basically the middle of nowhere - farms all around, no highway exits, no gas stations - and my fuel is running out. And so that's what it did. Right around sunset, I ran out of gas right off of the highway 67 (the new part) in a section of Arkansas that didn't believe in streetlights. Called my parents, minorly freaked out, called AAA and they said it would be over an hour. So picture this, here I am hunched over in my Jeep so no one would see that the car was occupied, trying to cover up any form of light that I was using and if anyone was to come and harass me all I really had was a hammer and a pocketknife. Now that I think of it, it was pretty hilarious. AAA finally shows up, gives me gas and all is right in the world again. Needless to say, I wanted to get the hell out of Arkansas so I pulled in for the night right over the Missouri line. Word to the wise: Never let that happen again!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">St. Louis was definitely a good time. I did a tour of Busch Stadium - the home to the St. Louis Cardinals. Once again, another AWESOME baseball tour. I got to go on the warning track, in the dugout and when no one was looking I put my foot on the field! The tour guide even broke the rules and brought us down to the locker rooms. I also, of course, went to the top of the Arch. The tram ride is definitely not for the claustrophobic but the view at the top was great! After doing the Arch and walking around the Mississippi Riverfront, I passed a helicopter ride barge and impulsively decided to take a ride. I've never been on a helicopter, always wanted to, so why not? That's what this trip is all about! And it was just me, so these private tours really make me feel like a rockstar. The helicopter ride was only a few minutes but it's something I'll always remember - gliding over St. Louis right before sunset. That night I went out and drank. First I went to Schlafly Brewing where I met some interesting locals and had a few beers (two bought for me). Then I decided that that just wasn't enough so I went to a local bar near my hotel. First of all, you could have cut through the smoke with a knife. Second, the owner/bartender had a mullet. And third, these Mexicans that didn't speak much English kept buying me Coronas. OK. It was definitely an interesting night.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">I know this is long, please bear with me. I'm almost done. I was going to do the Budweiser tour the next morning, but when I woke up much earlier then I anticipated, I decided to just buckle down and powerdrive to my aunt's house in Nebraska. It was a good 800 mile trip, over 12 hours of driving and I went through a time zone change. Saw lots of cool things on the way that I wish I had time to stop and see, but I had it in my head that I was getting there that day so I kept pressing on. I got to Alliance around 8:45 that night, had dinner and was passed out before 10:30. Man, was I tired. Josette gave me the grand tour of her town the next day, which really isn't much. But I did enjoy Carhenge, which is a tacky version of Stonehenge, but with cars. Besides that, I've really just been taking it easy and relaxing. I got the oil changed in my car yesterday and everything seems to be in tip-top shape. I'm in love with her cat Gaby. She seems to have taken to me too. I also am enjoying the company of her dogs - Gertrude and Nelly, or as I call her "The Tongue". It's nice to spend time with Josette as well. We have some things planned for the next few days. Tomorrow I'm heading up for a solo trip to the Badlands in South Dakota. Saturday we're heading to Scottsbluff. And Sunday-Tuesday we're spending in Deadwood since she won two nights at a hotel there. And it snowed here yesterday. Not a lot but I kind of liked it.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">And then Wednesday.....since I just don't know when to stop, I'm heading to Port Orford, Oregon to see my other aunt, Louise. Call me crazy, but I could do this forever.<br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497297705261856720.post-39557833271504466852009-11-17T23:26:00.002-05:002009-11-17T23:27:57.098-05:00God it's been a lovely day! Everything's been going my way. I took up croquet today and I'm on fire...<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">After the past week and a half, I've really been questioning why I left Florida three years ago. Not to say that I would move back, but never say never I suppose. A lot of people that I know, including my parents sometimes, think that I will essentially end up starting a career in Florida because that's where the jobs are. I'm not sure if that is true, but the more I thought about this week...the better the idea sounded. But don't go jumping to conclusions! This is just me talking out loud! I also have stated that I fell in love with Tennessee, so I think I have just as good a chance of moving out there as I do going back to Florida...</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Because let's face it. Wareham sucks. There is nothing there for me anymore. Time to move on.... </span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">ANYWHO.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've been back to Key West twice since I moved away in 2006 but those visits seemed somewhat empty for whatever reasons. Maybe because I was with my parents, maybe because I was staying on Stock Island and not in actual KW, maybe because I was sick for one of the visits, maybe because I embarrassed myself at a Super Bowl party with an open bar...really, who knows. But this trip.....oh, it truly felt great to be back. And of course, like I wrote in the last entry, my visit started off with a bang - Duval Street style. I ended up staying Monday through Sunday, with five of those nights being at my friend Jack's house (thanks Jack!) and one night with Mark and Gina on Stock Island. And after the first night, there was no other nights like that (Thank god.) My liver isn't up to Key West standards anymore...and I'm actually quite thankful for that. Don't get me wrong, I can still party with the best of them....just not every night!</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lots of fun was had while I was visiting. I spent many hours at Jack Flat's eating all the food I so terribly miss sometimes. I even had a couple meals at Caroline's and a frozen drink from Fogarty's. Oh, I miss the perks of working for that company...but if someone were to ask, I would work back at Jack Flat's in a heartbeat. I really do love that place. I had so much fun when I was there. We also spent some time at the Lazy Gecko where Jack introduced me to his friends Brian and Jan. (Hey guys!). I even got Jack to eat at one of my favorite restaurants, The Cafe. It's a vegan/vegetarian place and it is fabulous. Everything is fresh, flavorful and healthy! I went back to Red Fish, Blue Fish once but never ventured there again. Meh, I don't really care.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The second full day that I was there, Jack and I went to lunch at Chico's on Stock Island and ended up doing an off-island bar crawl. We went to Hogfish, Geiger Key and Hurricane Hole. It was fun! It was nice to get away from the tourists, even though technically, that's what I was this week...</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">After we did that, Jack had finagled tickets for a sunset cruise aboard Sebago but no one signed up for it. So....instead they bumped us to an even better deal! We got to sail aboard the Schooner Appledore, which offers more then just a keg of beer and is a gorgeous wooden sailboat built in the late 70's. She's even sailed around the world! The sunset wasn't the best, as it had been somewhat crummy all day, but still it was fun....even if their sangria did taste like gingerbread. Hmmm...</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Another fun thing that happened was that I FINALLY WENT PARA-SAILING!!! I've kind of wanted to do this since college and after conquering my rollercoaster fears last weekend in Orlando, I figured this would be a piece of cake. Once again, Jack hooked us up thanks to his hotel job and Thursday afternoon we were able to do some flying! I would be a liar if I didn't say that I was <i>slightly</i> nervous. OK, I was a little more then <i>slightly</i>. Especially after seeing the first people take off. It looked like it just whipped you into the sky! But in actuality, it was pretty tame. Of course, if you're afraid of heights then I wouldn't recommend doing it, but I have no problem in that department. Being 300 feet above Key West was amazing! You could see straight over to the other side of the island, see the two cruise ships that were in port and even down beyond to Stock Island. I didn't scream. I didn't swear. I didn't lose feeling in my arms. I didn't fall into the ocean. And yes, I would do it again in a heartbeat!!!!</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hmmm...what else happened in Key West...oh! There were big powerboat races going on this week. Not big as in mega-yachts, but big as in hardcore. They were crazy cigarette boats and one of them (Miss Geico) could go over 200 miles an hour! Though I didn't get to see any racing, they did have a little parade down Duval Friday night and then the street was closed for a couple hours so people could check them out. Really neat! There's always something going on Cayo Hueso!</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">After spending five fun days in Key West, I went and spent some time with family friends Mark and Gina on Stock Island, which is the next island up. When I lived in Key West, this was the first place I lived at for four months...on their couch. It was relaxing to just really not do much. They took me out sailing on their sailboat the Claybasket, made me a delicious home-cooked meal and let me show off all my pictures so far as a slideshow. </span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">As much as I kind of didn't want to leave Key West, I was getting antsy to get back in the driver's seat and be by myself for a while. I had a lot of fun and I hope that next time I visit it won't be an almost two year gap in between. My next stop was Naples where I spent two nights with family friends (and Massachusetts neighbors) Eric and Linda. It was such a lovely day out that I would have been a fool if I didn't take advantage of it so I stopped along Route 1 a couple times to snap some pictures and visit the Bahia Honda State Park where there are some amazing beaches and the old historic railroad bridge. I pondered the thought of going out to Pigeon Key, the island in the middle of the Seven Mile Bridge, but decided that I wouldn't have time. So here are some cool shots from the Bahia Honda area.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Also, along the way, I decided to play extreme tourist and shell out some money for an Everglades ride. I was driving Route 41, or the Tamiami Trail, through the "River of Grass" and the Indian Reservations so I stopped off at Gator Town. The ticket for the airboat ride also included a gator wrestling show...which was interesting and made me slightly squeamish when the guy went to tackle this prehistoric creature! People are nuts. But I did touch an alligator. So that was cool. The airboat ride was fun, but I enjoyed the Cooperstown ride we did a couple years ago...that one was much more thorough and educational.</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yesterday was a full out day of relaxation. I sat by the pool, got some color (oh my god!), went swimming and even finished my book and started a new one. Thanks Eric and Linda for letting me stay with you guys! And then today, I power drove for 10 hours straight only stopping twice and covered almost 600 miles of ground and most of that were backroads. I drove the Florida Panhandle and now I'm sitting comfy in a Days Inn in Panama City. Let me tell you something about my impression of the beginning of the panhandle. It is...interesting. It's the poor man's St. Petersburg, or Treasure Island...old washed up tourist towns. But this was REDNECK and with lots of falling apart buildings. But that is what makes the trip so much fun - seeing all the different parts of the country. Tomorrow I will head for New Orleans and I already have a hotel booked! I am SO excited to get back to Bourbon Street...even though it won't be much fun without Room 208 (HEY-O!) this time.</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Once again, this was longer then I expected. But once I get going, I can't stop writing. I really hope people are reading this. Between putting all the pictures on Facebook and writing this blog, it's really been time-consuming. I know I don't have to go through the trouble of doing all of this, but it's fun to be writing again. I just want other people to be able to experience what I'm doing. Leave a comment if you like what you read!</span><br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497297705261856720.post-75141529787938662342009-11-10T16:10:00.006-05:002009-11-10T16:14:57.284-05:00Wasting away again in Margaritaville...<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This will be another long one, I think. So brace yourself. I'm currently in Key West, Florida and that makes me really happy. I'm sitting at the bar at my former place of employment, Jack Flat's, and I feel like I never left. That could be a good thing....or a bad thing. I haven't decided yet.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, where I last left off I was hanging out with Elvis in Graceland. I ended up spending one more night there so I could explore a couple museums the next day. And let me tell you, the Elvis music was getting a little irritating by now. They played it constantly at the hotel from about 7:30 in the morning to 8 at night. I love Elvis...but not that much. I ended up going to the Memphis Rock 'n Soul Museum which was conveniently located near Beale Street where I fine-dined on a BBQ bologna sandwich. Don't knock it until you try it! The Rock 'n Soul Museum was cool. I spent a good hour or so there walking around educating myself on some music history.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After I did that museum, I wanted to check out the Civil Rights Museum. I almost didn't go because someone told me it wasn't in a safe area of the city but I'm glad that I went because it was really educational. It was actually located in the Lorraine Motel - which is where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. There is a lady who has been protesting the museum ever since its opening and is there every day across the street. While I can agree with the reason she is protesting (she thinks is a desecration to MLK Jr. and a museum dedicated to the shooter), I think the museum has a legit reason to be there. You aren't allowed to take a camera in so here are a couple shots of the outside of the hotel.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The next day, after I checked out of Graceland, I stopped off at the Stax Muesum of Soul in Memphis. Stax is a famous record company that jumpstarted a lot of artists such as Isaac Hayes, Booker T & the MGs and Carla Thomas. But it was another museum that I wasn't allowed to bring my camera in. I really enjoyed it but after going to the Rock 'N Soul Museum the previous day, some of the things were repetitive. But still, can't beat music history!</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">My original plan was to go straight to Florida from Memphis but my friend Cat (who worked at the BYC with me this summer) invited me to Orlando for the weekend. So what could have been a day trip driving became stretched out over the course of three days. I'm glad I did that though because I drove through some great sections of Mississippi and Alabama. All I really stopped at in Mississippi was Elvis Presley's birthplace in Tupelo. Cool sidetrip, but not worth the entry money if you've already did Graceland. It was neat to see where Elvis was born and to see what he came from.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">I had never been to Mississippi or Alabama so it was nice to cross off two more states on my "list". But holy crap, some places I passed by....total hicktowns, big farms with rundown houses but shiny barns, trailers and trailers. And don't get me started on the Wal-Mart I went into! I really wonder where people get their overalls because I don't think I've ever seen them in a store....is there a secret overall store that I don't know of? Haha. </span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Alabama was a cool ride. I was originally going to do route 278 and then take a southern route into Birmingham but after some advice from Barbara at Natural Bridge, I stayed on 278 all the way into Georgia. Good suggestion! It was great. Natural Bridge was a tourist stop that I saw signs for and kinda just yanked my car into that direction. It was another nice day out so the idea of taking some nature photos seemed like a good idea. The Natural Bridge is the longest natural bridge this side of the Rockies and it was a welcome stop to stretch my legs and hike a bit.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Also in Alabama I saw a cool covered bridge. I felt like Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood were going to walk through at any moment! But then I remembered that the movie took place in Madison County not Alabama. I also stopped into this place called Ave Maria Grotto. It was part of a Catholic Church and it was all these statues and things that a monk made back in the 50s. Even if you're not religious (like myself), it can be a neat experience. And I didn't burst into flames when I walked through the doors! </span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">After Alabama, I ventured into Georgia to do a tour of the Braves stadium - Turner Field. It was awesome because I was the only person on the tour. And since it was the last tour of the day, the security guard came with us to lock up afterwards so I felt like I had my own personal bodyguard. And if you know me, you know I love baseball. So not only was it great to visit another ballpark, but it was even better that I got to have my own private tour where I could ask all the questions I wanted to!</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">I attempted to find the World of Coca-Cola in downtown Atlanta but Samantha, my trusty GPS, did not know that it moved two years ago! Me and Samantha have not completely eye-to-eye on this trip but she really bit the bullet on this one! After paying for parking, walking around aimlessly, getting directions from a cop and still not finding it, I gave up and continued on my journey. I didn't really want to be caught in rush hour traffic anyways. I spent the night in Macon, Georgia which only reminded me of the macon and bacon salad at Caroline's in Key West.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">The next part of my trip brought me to Orlando, Florida where I spent the weekend with Cat and Alex at her mom's house. This was the best part of my trip so far. And I'm not just saying that to be nice. It really was. Getting to go to Universal, Magic Kingdom, MGM and my personal favorite - Epcot for free was great and getting to go to the front of the lines was a sweet deal too. It pays to work for a theme park! It definitely comes with a lot of perks. We didn't have good luck at Universal though. The E.T. ride broke down on us when we were already buckled in, the Poseidon ride was misleading, the Spiderman ride traumatized me because it started acting funny and I thought we were going to die, and <i>someone</i> wouldn't let us do the Jaws ride. But still fun! At Magic Kingdom I convinced myself that I could do Thunder Mountain. Having done Splash Mountain back in high school and NOT liking it one bit, I don't know what drove me to think I could do Thunder Mountain. After working myself up into a ball of nerves and being completely numb after the ride, I think I will file Thunder Mountain in my "never again" folder! Epcot was great because I got to drink beer in the countries of the world. And MGM was great because I rode a rollercoaster for the first time EVER! The Aerosmith Rock 'N Rollercoaster was actually a lot of fun. I don't know what I was so afraid of for all these years. But I definitely screamed like a banshee. Actually, I didn't even know I could scream that loud....but I did. And then we rode it again! At the age of 26, I am officially no longer a rollercoaster virgin. Orlando was also really nice because I got to spend time with Cat and Alex and....CONNIE! I love Connie the cat. It had been almost 3 weeks since I was with people that I actually knew and the extra company for a couple days was very welcoming. Maybe I'll stop back through before my trip is over with...</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">And now that brings us to Key West....my home away from home. I'm staying with my friend Jack for a few nights and reliving all my old memories of this place. Last night we did the ole Duval Crawl and right now the only crawling I want to be doing is back into bed....oh man, welcome back! I've been sitting at Jack Flats for a good four hours now. Not really sure what the plans are for this week. I think we're doing a sunset cruise tomorrow night and I hope parasailing is somewhere in the mix. What I do know I'll be doing is a lot of drinking. That is one thing you can always count on in Key West! </span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Once again, if you made it this far...I tip my hat to you! I'll try to write again and sooner, if possible. This trip is going by fast. I can't believe it's already been three weeks. I feel like I could do this forever. But I know my mom wouldn't be too happy if I became a professional vagabond!</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div></div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497297705261856720.post-88125879670535833202009-11-01T22:27:00.002-05:002009-11-04T18:27:09.667-05:00They've got catfish on the table. They've got gospel in the air...<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Wow. This is the first chance I've had to write in over a week - either because of really bad internet connection or just being plain busy! So brace yourself because it's going to be a long one. But hopefully you'll make it to the end. At least stay for the pictures!<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">When I last wrote, I was leaving Louisville, Kentucky and heading towards the Smoky Mountains. I took a detour and did a little 2 hour walking tour of the Mammoth Caves in Kentucky. Really cool! We were walking over 300 feet below the earth and it was quite a climb. It wasn't your typical tour. There was definitely a lot of shimmying, bending and climbing. But it was very educational and I got some good exercise! And it was really cool to be inside a cave that had been in use for over 4,000 years back when it was just Native Americans.<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I didn't do any backroad traveling to Tennessee as I felt like I was in a time crunch to get to my next destination before sundown. I ended up spending three nights in Pigeon Forge - which is about 30 minutes south of Knoxville, 15 minutes from the Great Smoky Mountains and home of Dollywood! And I never even planned on going here AT ALL during my trip. That's what I love about what I'm doing. I'm completely down for randomness and love that I'm going to places I've never even thought about! By the time I found a relatively cheap hotel (Country Hearth Inn & Suites! It was great!) in Pigeon Forge, all I really had time for was dinner. I'm glad I went to at Longhorn because it was the bartender who told me that I should hike the Chimney Tops trail.....which is what I did the next day.<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now first off, let me just say that the Smoky Mountains were absolutely gorgeous at this time of year. All the foliage was still in full effect and regardless of what trail I decided to do, I would have had an amazing experience. However, I chose the hardest most strenuous day trip hiking trail. And anyone who knows me, knows that I am not in the best shape and have a bad ankle. Oh well! It was going to be a once in a lifetime hike and I wanted to do it. Plus, it was only 4 miles roundtrip so how hard could it be? I'm glad it was nice out because the trail was pretty active and I was able to hike with a family from Alabama also doing the trail. If it wasn't for them, my hike wouldn't have been half as enjoyable. So thank you Strickland family! This trail was intense. At least it was for me. It was very steep. And once you got to the top, you literally had to scale rocks. At one point I was just using upper body strength and if my hand had slipped, I would have been a goner because it was straight down! I LOVED IT! And I was pretty proud of myself too. The ultimate reward was getting to the top of the Chimney Tops and the view. WOW!<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">After the hike, I was exhausted as I should have been. But I decided to stay another night in Pigeon Forge in hopes that I could do another trail the next day. I rewarded myself with a HUGE meal at Corky's BBQ. I must have looked like I had never eaten before! Unfortunately the next day it rained and while I didn't get to any hiking, I did still manage to go to the top of Klingman's Dome and attempt to see the view. But they don't call it the Smoky Mountains for nothing! Not a great view because of the rain but still a fun little drive. And that second picture is of the Chimney Tops - the trail that I did the day before.<br />
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I spent the rest of the day walking around the mountain tourist town of Gatlinburg and eventually huddled up into the Smoky Mountains Brewery where I stayed for a few hours doing what I do best...drinking beer! The next day I shoved off to Nashville and naturally, it was a beautiful day out. I guess I could have stayed and hiked another trail, but honestly I was still in pain! My whole body ached! On the way to Nashville I took the scenic Route 70. And boy am I glad I decided to bypass the highway or I wouldn't have discovered two amazing waterfalls! In the town of Ozone, Tennessee I actually climbed all the way to the bottom of the Ozone Waterfall. It wasn't a simple trail either and with wet rocks, it made for one interesting decending! But look at it!<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> After a suggestion by a Evangelistic pastor I met at Ozone (I surprised when he shook my hand, I didn't burst into flames!), I took a side trip to Spencer, Tennessee to the Fall Creek Falls State Park. I really wish I had more time to explore this great area because there were more then one waterfall and it was just a great place. I probably spent a good hour and a half walking around, doing a little trail to the top of the falls (which really made my legs feel better!) I bet it's a cool place to hang out at in the summer. There was even a little swimming hole and plenty of sites for camping. I guess it just gives me reason to come back!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">Now, Nashville was everything I hoped for and more. I wound up getting a pretty "sweet" suite about 15 minutes from the city. That night I went to dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings, ended up getting myself involved in a fun trivia game and then wound up at a bar called Dougie Rays until almost 3 in the morning playing more trivia and hanging out with the locals. So random. I loved it. While in Nashville, I did all the tourist things. I took a tour of the Grand Ole Opry and stood center-stage. It was so neat to be able to stand on the same stage that is basically <i>the</i> country music mecca. Of course, I also loved learning all the history. I had never been a huge fan of country music. I've been a casual listener but I knew a lot of the old, old stuff thanks to my family. This year I guess I kinda got a little more "involved" in country music, mainly because of the yacht club. And I'm proud to say I can sing along with all the songs on the radio now! Haha. Yes, I totally just admitted that I'm a country fan now.<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I also went to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. After spending almost four hours there, I am definitely much more knowledgable in the country music genre then I had been before. The history with this genre is so rich and all the displays, videos, instruments that I saw were really amazing. I especially enjoyed the display on the Hank Williams legacy because it wasn't just about Hank Sr., it was about every member of his family right down to his grandchildren who are up and coming country artists. Randomly, while I was perusing downtown Nashville I saw that there was a NHL hockey game going on so I bought a $10 ticket for the Nashville Predators game. I was literally in the last row but the view was cool and you can't beat watching hockey live. Plus, they won.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">The best part of Nashville was hands down, the honky tonk bars that populated the street of Broadway. Every bar had a band or solo artist playing at all hours of the day. And most of the ones that I saw were pretty good! Of course, the music of choice was country - especially the classics - but every now and then a band would bust out a rock song, flavored with country of course. It was a lot of fun to just jump from bar to bar sampling not only beer, but a different array of musicians. Some of these bars have launched a lot of country stars of today so who knows? Maybe I saw someone that could be on the radio in a couple years down the line!<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">And now, as I'm writing, I'm in Memphis, Tennessee. While I loved Nashville and didn't want to leave, I'm beginning to recognize that I'm on some what of a schedule now that it's November and I want to be in Nebraska for Thanksgiving. So I had to press on. I took the backroads the whole way here which to proved to be a nice drive. I loved passing through all the little hick towns and watching people double take my car with it's Red Sox Massachusetts plates. I made a little stop at the Belle Meade Plantation, which is famous around these neck or the woods and if you have any interest in horses. I did the tour and walked around the grounds for a bit before coming into Memphis. Hotel hunting wasn't fun so I eventually decided to buck up and pay a little more for quality at the Days Inn Graceland. Plus, it meant that when I went to Graceland today I could walk and didn't have to pay for parking. Memphis just strikes me as not a safe city so especially with all the crap in my car, I think I made a wise decision.<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I spent Halloween on Beale Street which was pretty crazy. I was only there from 7-11:30 and I know that when I left, the party was just getting started but a con of being by myself - I have to be responsible and not drink and drive. There were some pretty funny costumes and interesting characters on the streets. And the cool thing about Beale is that it is completely shut down from car traffic, open until 3 AM, and you drink in public like Key West and New Orleans. I had some <i>really good</i> ribs at a place called Blues Cafe and spent a good time walking around people watching and listening to some blues band. What a contrast from Nashville!<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">Of course today I engulfed myself in the religious experience that is Graceland! Elvis Presley's home! I ended up spending a good couple hours doing the self-guided tour of the mansion and looking at all the Elvis memorabilia and exhibits. Even though it was a little pricey, it was definitely worth it and I'm glad I did it. I mean, I'm in Memphis so I HAD to. Yes, we all love Elvis. The Graceland mansion was everything I thought it was going to be. When Elvis died in the 70s, the place was left just as he had it which was pretty kitschy in some rooms - wall-to-wall hideous carpeting, gaudy colored furniture - but that's what gives it character. Plus, it was interesting to learn about the Presley lives especially Elvis's time in the military.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">Today I also took in the Peabody Hotel, which is a historic hotel in downtown Memphis. It has a lot of rich history including the Peabody ducks that march to and from the hotel fountain every day at 11 AM and 5 PM. It was so cute! I love ducks. The view at the top of the hotel was really nice, as the sun was setting.<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">So that FINALLY leaves me off where I am today. Tomorrow I plan on doing some more tourist things - the Soul Museum, hopefully the Civil Rights Museum and go down to the Mississippi riverfront. And then I have to leave this great state of Tennessee. I'll be heading for Florida through Mississippi and Alabama.<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">I know this was really long, and I really do appreciate anyone who has taken the time to read my blog whether they read the whole thing or just skim it. So, thanks to my "loyal readers"! I will try to write another entry much quicker this time, I promise. Leave a comment and let me know what you think!<br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497297705261856720.post-18698393487102013252009-10-24T22:25:00.001-04:002009-10-24T22:25:37.851-04:00I was born with a shotglass in my hand...<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Where? </b><i>Ashland, Kentucky - Lawrenceburg, Kentucky - Loretto, Kentucky - Clermont, Kentucky - Louisville, Kentucky</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Tunes: </b><i>Lady GaGa, random country radio stations</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I'm kind of loving Kentucky. I had never been here before and I don't really want to leave just yet. The past two days have been pretty good. Yesterday was my day o' bourbon and today was my tourist day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I left Ashland, KY yesterday morning around 9:30. I decided to bypass going on non-highways roads this day because I wanted to make sure that I got to all the bourbon distilleries that I had planned. Plus, it was raining on and off all morning. The first place I went to was the Wild Turkey Distillery in Lawrenceburg which was about two and half hours away. Did the tour thing, had a good time. They brought us right into the actual distillery and even let us try the "moonshine" bourbon.</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was really interesting to see how bourbon is made, even though I'm not that much of fan. But they didn't give us any free samples afterwards! Next up was Maker's Mark in Loretto which was a good hour away from Wild Turkey but I made it there in record time. The tour was at 3:30 and I got there at 3:25. My GPS brought me through all these gorgeous backroads of Kentucky. I drove by all these farms with rolling hills and even crossed a couple one way bridges. Maker's Mark tour was much shorter but they gave us samples afterwards. Also, the tour took us inside the bottling room where all the bottles are hand-dipped in red wax. Really cool!</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfAcRZDC51WMK5ajPq74VD-TCPBfBIffJ6nwfqwuf8FzRA6o-tsjauzEzrERNskXDQnGwTcF545orps2wffxKWxVsigezXiKj5cClW7NXdSTGosU1xSFXfzubOLG53lUELfEtwP5bTgGu/s1600-h/IMG_3480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfAcRZDC51WMK5ajPq74VD-TCPBfBIffJ6nwfqwuf8FzRA6o-tsjauzEzrERNskXDQnGwTcF545orps2wffxKWxVsigezXiKj5cClW7NXdSTGosU1xSFXfzubOLG53lUELfEtwP5bTgGu/s320/IMG_3480.JPG" /></a></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">I raced to Jim Beam to get there before it closed but honestly, I was disappointed. There wasn't a tour, just a tasting where the guy was basically just trying to get you to buy a bottle. Oh well. I can still say I went there. Last night I booked two nights at a Days Inn in Louisville - about 8 miles from the city - and spent the rest of the night trying to catch up on all my tv shows. Man, I really hate wireless.</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Today I spent the day exploring Louisville. I slept in a little late and headed on down to the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. The tour was cool, as they were actually producing bats today. The bats they were making were World Series bats for the Yankees. Too bad the stupid Yankees haven't even MADE it to the Series yet...</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">I had lunch at the Bluegrass Brewing Company where I had a couple beers made with bourbon, Knob Creek to be exact. So good! I could have had a couple more but I had more exploring to do. I walked all over the city - up Main Street, down by the Ohio River - and really enjoyed it. It kind of reminded me of Providence. It wasn't congested, was easy to get around, right near the water, and not too many tall buildings. And the area down by the river was great!</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfkBLQqEZoK71o3Rz3NjLX5iHCrrWrucrPSogIR9SvaBZDRXPwbSoiJbB_3_-VuPsb15ROt2tBEM2VmsD8syEQwDECzufgBg5cApi_xQjWJ93DOncRZxACsd0ho2Mhtn0qEuUb3GNDxGqc/s1600-h/IMG_3560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfkBLQqEZoK71o3Rz3NjLX5iHCrrWrucrPSogIR9SvaBZDRXPwbSoiJbB_3_-VuPsb15ROt2tBEM2VmsD8syEQwDECzufgBg5cApi_xQjWJ93DOncRZxACsd0ho2Mhtn0qEuUb3GNDxGqc/s320/IMG_3560.JPG" /></a></span><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;">After walking around the city, I decided to, on a whim, punch into my GPS Churchill Downs - the home of the Kentucky Derby. Turns out it was only four miles away so guess where I went? And I HATE HATE HATE horses! I took the free tour and when the tour guide wasn't looking, I stepped onto the track. I may not like the creatures, but I could appreciate the sport and the history.</span><br />
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</div><span style="font-size: small;">All in all, a GREAT time in Kentucky. Tomorrow, like I said above, I will be stopping by Mammoth Caves and the Daniel Boone National Park on my way to Tennessee. I think I'm going to spend a couple days in the Knoxville/Pigeon Forge area. I really want to explore the Great Smokies and who knows, maybe I'll go to Dollywood! Haha. I can't believe it's almost been a week since I left! I could do this forever...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">If you're reading, let me know! Leave me a comment!</span>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497297705261856720.post-44594086162943995462009-10-22T22:31:00.003-04:002009-10-24T21:36:29.547-04:00You gotta swim...<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Where? </b><i>Lancaster, PA - Gettysburg, PA - Washington, PA - Wheeler, WV - Ashland, Kentucky</i></span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Tunes: </b><i>Jack's Mannequin, Spice Girls, Melee, James Taylor, Oldies mix, Vampire Weekend</i><b> </b></span> <br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here I am on day four of my trip. I'm currently in Ashland, Kentucky at a Days Inn. And the internet connection is horrible! I've tried to upload my pictures about five times and I'm hoping that this entry will actually get sent. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't having a good time. Especially seeing as what is going on back home, it feels good to be away. I am really excited for tomorrow. I'll be spending a couple days in Louisville, Kentucky along the Bourbon Trail. I'm hoping to get as many tours in as I can and I really want to go to the Louisville Slugger Muesum as well.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, yesterday I left Lancaster around 9 AM. I really enjoyed Amish Country and would highly recommend the trip to anyone. Maybe I'll go back some day? I was en route to Washington, PA to a friend from work, Cency's, college for the night. I had the best drive ever! I did route 30 (the historic Lincoln Highway) to route 31, all back roads through the hills and mountains of Pennsylvania. It actually took me through Gettysburg so I stopped and did the tourist thing for about an hour. What a gorgeous day! I wish I could put pictures up, but I'm having extreme difficulty with this internet connection....Going up and down the mountains was probably the highlight of the day. The views. Oh, the views. And it was so nice out too - almost 80 at one point. I got to Washington around 4:15, just in time for Cency's soccer game. Believe it or not, I have never watched a complete soccer game up until yesterday. It was fun even though they lost. I spent the night at Cency's dorm where I partook in some Wednesday college drinking. It was nice to hang out with a friend, especially since I'll be alone on the trip for so long - a familiar face is very welcoming.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I left Washington and Jefferson around 12 today after sleeping in a little late and going out for lunch. I really didn't know what I wanted to do today so I decided to go on a suggestion of Oglebay Park in Wheeling, West Virginia. It took about an hour to get there on route 40, which was also a nice ride. And I had never been to West Virginia before so hopefully this was the first of many "new" states for me. Oh yeah, Kentucky is a new state to me too. The Park was kind of cool....took some nice pictures, saw some deer hanging out on a golf course. Then I took route 2 along the Ohio River for a few hours before I got fed up and just plowed onto the highway. The Ohio River was a nice view, but I really didn't care for WV that much - from what I saw. I decided that I was going to push myself to Kentucky so I am closer to Louisville for tomorrow. I ended up spending much more money then I wanted to on this hotel, but that's what I get for not doing my research.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tomorrow will be better. I think I'm about a good 2 and a half hours from my destination, maybe less if I go to one of the distilleries first. I'm trying to find a place to stay but THIS INTERNET CONNECTION SUCKS! I don't think I can stress that enough. Haha. Hopefully I will be able to post pictures within the next few days.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The jeep is running good. Everything is still packed very nicely. Only one shampoo bottle has exploded in my backpack. Looking forward to tomorrow!</span><br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497297705261856720.post-52364877224064010942009-10-20T22:49:00.007-04:002010-04-07T13:19:57.045-04:00Or should I just keep chasin' pavements...<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The trip has started.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Day 1: </b><i>456 miles</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Day 2: </b><i>125 miles</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Where?</b> <i>Pottsville, PA - Lancaster, PA - Amish Country - Hershey, PA</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Tunes:</b> <i>Road Trip mix, Ace Enders and a Million Different People, Adele, ABBA, Oldies mix</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yesterday, at 5:30 AM, I finally set off for my trip heading towards Pennsylvania. The first place I wanted to go was the 1:30 tour of the Yuengling Brewery in Pottsville. I made it there in pretty good time despite hitting traffic all throughout the Connecticut stretch of I-95. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifBTfJxZX3mhV1nG7w5_I_T5ViG8M93dI1CVwkuGR1k7cZfZYM-vDe6zVXBR1IMXfeXmw9gF_ZM7WgHb74oCFp9QhkIFAqHK3g5r2b7iQ9L0EhRzMkDmmyAKuGeLeoLrB4_wUeOmlMGpAJ/s1600-h/IMG_3223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifBTfJxZX3mhV1nG7w5_I_T5ViG8M93dI1CVwkuGR1k7cZfZYM-vDe6zVXBR1IMXfeXmw9gF_ZM7WgHb74oCFp9QhkIFAqHK3g5r2b7iQ9L0EhRzMkDmmyAKuGeLeoLrB4_wUeOmlMGpAJ/s320/IMG_3223.JPG" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLX_P3cOghb0QAYK-5nWc9ywuVGBnUGtCtT-pLdNHc8GeNfZ50RyxO0IhZZQwWSTPX-zWtEKGVOB-XsL7aIhUVMgCGX32CERS1F23JOgtaeqifvOA8qhT4oIZ3v8Z0EdjDRrRtUnkRBuH0/s1600-h/IMG_3255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The tour at Yuengling was everything I hoped for and more! It was over 2 hours long completed with a tasting. I have toured three different breweries before - Sam Adams, Harpoon and Berkshire - and this was hands down, no competition, the best brewery tour ever. We went into every single room in the brewery including the bottling room where we got to see Yuengling Light Lager being canned, pasteurized and boxed for distribution. One of the coolest parts of the tour was getting to go in the "cave" - an area that is no longer in use and that was completely shut off up until a few years ago. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLX_P3cOghb0QAYK-5nWc9ywuVGBnUGtCtT-pLdNHc8GeNfZ50RyxO0IhZZQwWSTPX-zWtEKGVOB-XsL7aIhUVMgCGX32CERS1F23JOgtaeqifvOA8qhT4oIZ3v8Z0EdjDRrRtUnkRBuH0/s1600-h/IMG_3255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLX_P3cOghb0QAYK-5nWc9ywuVGBnUGtCtT-pLdNHc8GeNfZ50RyxO0IhZZQwWSTPX-zWtEKGVOB-XsL7aIhUVMgCGX32CERS1F23JOgtaeqifvOA8qhT4oIZ3v8Z0EdjDRrRtUnkRBuH0/s320/IMG_3255.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After the tour, I was able to taste two different kinds of Yuengling that I have never had before which was awesome. My favorite beer....yum! I would love for it to be available in Massachusetts but because it's so hard to find, that makes it even better. After the tour I took the backroads to Lancaster. I decided not to camp because it was kind of chilly out and I was feeling lazy. On the way there I passed an area of the Appalachian Trail so I had to stop. Thank god I did. Breathtaking view.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5JVIRfGCGiO9FCP8BTFyFrKVrWJPqvmF4U3xK4un1afzbMvVP6WVdqGv8EQPJOJTv8C_2NuAzInLf2yWG_erBI9LTLWv0ua3U40XaTnBrOe10NpEjstxiQE6whhHkXWVbz0dEbpXaDxI/s1600-h/IMG_3268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5JVIRfGCGiO9FCP8BTFyFrKVrWJPqvmF4U3xK4un1afzbMvVP6WVdqGv8EQPJOJTv8C_2NuAzInLf2yWG_erBI9LTLWv0ua3U40XaTnBrOe10NpEjstxiQE6whhHkXWVbz0dEbpXaDxI/s320/IMG_3268.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I ended up getting two nights in the Super 8 right on Route 30 of Lancaster. I didn't do too much last night. I drove around a bit and then had dinner at the Cracker Barrel. Meatloaf. Good stuff. This morning, after a great night's sleep, I spent the whole day in Amish Country. I really love doing the tourist thing. I should have worn my fanny pack. I also really enjoy learning about different cultures, history, just learning new things in general. And I love trying new food! There was this jam canning shop and they had so many good samples! I ended up buying some raspberry salsa and some pickled cabbage. After doing a little wine tasting at a local wine shop, I took an Amish buggy tour. It was pretty awesome because there were only 10 of us and we got to go to the tour guide's farm and he showed us everything. I'm just amazed at how ignorant some people are. You don't take pictures of the Amish! However, it was very insightful and who doesn't love to see baby cows?</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPS99pLNz2M95757pn3UA8DZHOV4uCgwYSnxm53EVHztb2rX_6zrcoWX9Eic37pZaiEcU6B5-YeUs3DRpqIpM7EdTvFVqpLBAhdpL-JmQu5qs0WdlHMnL9CxegNkXXfRsWLP5tztPCkDz/s1600-h/IMG_3319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPS99pLNz2M95757pn3UA8DZHOV4uCgwYSnxm53EVHztb2rX_6zrcoWX9Eic37pZaiEcU6B5-YeUs3DRpqIpM7EdTvFVqpLBAhdpL-JmQu5qs0WdlHMnL9CxegNkXXfRsWLP5tztPCkDz/s320/IMG_3319.JPG" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I took a side trip to Hershey, PA which is a good hour away from Intercourse but unfortunately I got there 10 minutes before everything closed. Oh well. I wasn't too impressed anyways. I bought my Christmas tree decoration and left. I could seriously spend a week here. The air is so crisp and fresh. It's hard to describe. The smell itself is great - and I'm not talking about the farms! I also really enjoyed just driving around this area. You would be going up this hill and then at the top.....amazing view of cornfields, valleys, farms, mountains. I took lots of pictures, but I really wish I had taken more.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj21oDyKGK6A96B5zD9lqJhyphenhyphenem7zL1VUKce975RdI3oaugRxw1lesjeuqVYH-3hqr_fUiopWL8GWvMaDr8e-IiKa4A_gHlHza3OcFbg1NhS80sIf_omWJy3ovrBHmBcMMmsG6MeXVzWgNcJ/s1600-h/IMG_3352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj21oDyKGK6A96B5zD9lqJhyphenhyphenem7zL1VUKce975RdI3oaugRxw1lesjeuqVYH-3hqr_fUiopWL8GWvMaDr8e-IiKa4A_gHlHza3OcFbg1NhS80sIf_omWJy3ovrBHmBcMMmsG6MeXVzWgNcJ/s320/IMG_3352.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tomorrow I leaving Lancaster and taking a scenic drive to Washington, PA where I will be spending the night at Washington & Jefferson College with a friend from the yacht club, Cency. I'm going to her soccer game and I'm really excited!!! After that, I'm not quite sure. I'll be making my way to Kentucky, I suppose.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you want to see all my pictures, check out my facebook page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2357873&id=9101449&l=e183eb34f7">USA Road Trip pictures</a></span></div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497297705261856720.post-59407171860681860292009-10-18T20:43:00.003-04:002009-10-18T20:44:54.163-04:00I'm gonna make a lot of money then I'm gonna quit this crazy scene...<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In less then 8 hours I will be embarking on the trip of a lifetime. My car is packed. I am ready.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's hard to imagine that this is finally happening. I've wanted to travel the USA for years now. I spent many hours quietly planning my "dream" trip, staying up late into the night on the internet plotting out routes and checking out points of interest. And this was all before I even allowed the idea to take actual semblance. Before then, it's what it was - a dream. So for me to be leaving tomorrow, I find it all kind of weird. I mean, I just quit my job. Which in itself is a crazy thing to do. And now I'm going to be traveling around the country by myself. And that's just plain insane! Am I right? Absolutely. This hasn't been all fun and games either. It took A LOT for me to muster up the courage to quit the yacht club. It took A LOT of careful planning with bill paying and being in debt to figure out how I was going to do this. I'd be a liar if I didn't say that the nerves in my stomach have been present all day. I'd also be a liar if I didn't admit to having a few headaches, stomachaches and even a pretty decent meltdown. But there's no backing down. It's happening. And I want to document it on this blog as much as I can.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It actually didn't take me as long to pack as I thought it would. Since I so freakin' organized, most of the stuff I've been accumulating over the past few months was in the spare bedroom. And I don't want to brag (but I'm going to anyways) but I'm kind of a big deal when it comes to packing. Doing my clothes took me 20 minutes, if that. And I had it all mapped out in my head how I wanted my car to look so I have plenty of space to play with - and sleep. What can I say? This is when my obsessive-compulsiveness pays off!</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I doubt I'll get much sleep tonight. I'm waking up at 4:30 AM and want to be on the road by 5 AM, 5:30 the latest. The first place I'm going to is the Yuengling Brewery in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. They have a tour at 1:30 so I'm giving myself a couple hours to play with in order to get stuck in traffic around Connecticut and stop for lunch and gas. I am so psyched to be visiting Yuengling. Anyone who knows me well enough knows that I love my beer and that this is my favorite EVER. Once the tour is over I'm heading down to the Hershey/Elizabethtown area and with a little bit of luck, I'll be spending my first two nights at a campground. I'm slightly nervous about camping but I want to do it on the first night just so I can see if it's going to be a feasible option for me.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am so excited to see what this great country has to offer. I am chomping at the bit to do all the touristy stuff - the national parks, the muesums, all that history stuff that I just LOVE. I am excited about seeing people that I know along the way whether it be friends or family. But most of all I'm just excited for change. I really have no idea what the future holds for me. I don't have a back-up plan. Hell, I don't even have <i>any</i> plans. Who knows? I might hate it and want to turn around. But I doubt that will happen. But as my mother would say, "Ya nevah know!"</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wish me luck! I'll update as much as I can once I'm traveling even if it's just to upload some pictures. Leave me comments so that I know people are actually reading this. See ya on the road!</span><br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497297705261856720.post-24283058876568540832009-10-15T01:46:00.005-04:002009-10-15T01:50:39.222-04:00I got a story, it's almost finished...<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm sitting here in the dark in a hotel room in Sturbridge, Massachusetts right now. I'm not tired so I figured that this would be a good time to do some writing...</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Since today is technically Thursday, I'll be leaving for my trip in 4 days. I am beyond anxious at this point, especially since now I am UNEMPLOYED! Monday was my last day at the Beverly Yacht Club, and while I have yet to hand in my collection of keys, I am so done there. It was kind of bittersweet leaving. I mean, I made the choice to leave. With so many people jobless in this country, it may seem completely out of line for someone to just give up a well-paying (but it could have always been better....) job just because he/she is going through a quarterlife crisis. And yes that is what I've given this adventure the name of. I guess it's hard to explain unless you are in my shoes, in my situation and more importantly, in my head. </span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've been at the BYC for seven years, on and off because of college and moving to Key West, but never coming off of payroll. I started there the summer of 2003 in an era which I find hard to believe actually existed - times before Joe. And looking back and really thinking about it, I hated it there. I was going through a rough time in my life - right before my junior year of college. I took the position of waitstaff at the club, mainly because I needed work hours in the Hospitality field before I could graduate college and my dad hooked me up because he had connections through working at Bardens. Also to add fuel to my fire, I had a friend living with me for the summer who basically ate away at any ounce of self-esteem I might have had at the time which clearly I didn't realize until much later that year. I would come home from work and just be absolutely miserable. I wanted to quit but since it was just a summer job, there was no point. Suck it up. Not to badmouth people or anything, but the previous club manager had no fucking idea what was going on there. Maybe he did before I got there, but during his last year, things never made sense. We had a horrible staff - minus a few, of course. The chef was mean. He actually threw cole slaw at a girl one day. And this was my first time ever working in a restaurant environment. Definitely made me question my college major....I played it cool, came in, did my job, punched in, punched out. I took what experience I thought I was gaining and went with it. Also, up until some point in July I was working a second job at Marian Heath Greeting Cards, a place I loved so much and had been with for 5 years. I was laid off. It was earth shattering, at the time. I caused a scene. Good times. </span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I somehow made it through the summer of 2003 and went back to college where I had a horrible first semester because of this aforementioned friend. And then I learned that the previous club manager got the axe. Second semester of junior year, I started to turn things around and while I made a few different life changes I somehow thought that another summer at the BYC would be a wise choice, especially with a new club manager and chef. The commodore at the time was Linda Goodwin and she actually took time to talk to me at her house where we outlined my goals, her goals and just talked about my situation in general. It was good. I felt like things could really turn around and I could be happy there. And of course once I met Joe, I knew that I definitely could be happy there. Talk about complete opposites. Here was a man with a plan. A man who actually liked things being on a schedule or a time-line, could have fun but also get down to business, listened to employee concerns and made a promise to work hand-in-hand with me so that I could truely benefit from working in the private club field. This was also the year that I became president of the Club Managers Associations of America UMASS Chapter. I thought that I finally found my niche in the world. This was what I wanted to do with my life.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I know this all sounds <i>soooooo</i> dramatic and cheesy but it's true. I loved my job. And especially once I got behind the bar, there was no stopping me. Loving my job turned into a good thing, and a bad thing, as well. I graduated college, spent another summer at the BYC and then decided to spend a winter in Key West. I w as living the dream down there and making the phone call to tell Joe that I was moving down there permanently came very easy to me. But when I quickly uprooted myself from that scene basically overnight and had no place to go but home, I knew that I could count on the yacht club being there and taking me back in. Of course now this was when things got tricky. Summers were great, especially being on salary and getting a steady paycheck. But the off-season was not so good. Picking up crappy waitressing job here and there made me beyond unhappy. And I managed to do this for three years. I don't know how. Last winter was the straw that broke the camel's back. I can't do this anymore. I can't put myself through 7 months of hell, just to have 5 months of happiness. Especially when I could barely pay my bills and I still lived at home. And it was affecting me mentally too. I had to make the change this year or I would never survive.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, this summer, after much consideration, I gave my notice to the yacht club. And it was probably one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. We had our ups and downs, but when you're thinking about leaving a place, it's hard to focus on the downs. I thought about what I was going to miss and it made things just that much harder. But I did it. With no back-up plan. I've always wanted to do a cross country road trip and now I finally have my chance.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Beverly Yacht Club was the greatest thing to ever happen to me. The friendships I have formed - whether it be with the staff or the members - have just been irreplaceable.The experience I have gained by working my way up from waitstaff with no experience to the Dining Services Manager has been so helpful. I've definitely learned a lot about myself from working here, as well - some good, some not so good. The mental pictures I have in my head of that place just make me smile. Whether it's scrambling to do a buffet for 300+ sailors in a torrential downpour, to running out of hot dogs on the last day of lunch, to finding dead mice in the basement, to struggling with that piece of crap cooler behind the bar, to laughing at drunk members or to just sitting at the staff table shooting the shit laughing our asses off. It's those things I'll never forget. I really and truely, with all my heart, will miss the BYC. It's extremely hard to leave, but I know that I'm making the right choice.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I know it hasn't really hit me yet that I don't work there anymore, especially since my last night was kind of anti-climatic. I'm sure it will when I go in for Pub Night on Friday to get my check and hand in my keys. That will also be the day I say my final farewells to Joe. It'll be hard not to sit there and nitpick the waitstaff and bartender, but to put it simply, it's not my job anymore. My only fear is that all the hard work I put into that place over the past few years will be left in the dust. I know that the staff I'm leaving are fully capable of doing things the right way, but it's hard not to worry. And I really hope the members don't give the staff shit. Because they are hardworking, and great kids and deserve recognization just as much as anybody. </span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">And wow, I just realized how long this entry is. I hope a few people made it down to the end, maybe got a better feel about why I'm doing this. Another chapter of my life is finished. Let's see where my next adventure takes me! FOUR DAYS!!!!</span><br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497297705261856720.post-27954087163500059402009-10-06T14:18:00.001-04:002009-10-06T14:19:44.248-04:00Live high. Live mighty. Live righteously.<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I can't believe it's October! Less then two weeks until I leave for my trip! </span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I really feel like if I had to leave tomorrow, I would be ready. I only have to get a few small things and do some last minute tasks but overall my mission is almost complete. Over the past couple of weeks I've gotten everything squared away with the jeep. I had to get a new O2 cylinder installed which has done wonders. My car drives so much better now and the check engine light hasn't come on in almost two weeks. (I had a problem with that for at least a year...) It also had a tune-up when I brought in for an oil change. Last week, I refinanced my car loan at a local credit union. I was approved for 5.75% but the loan officer gave it to me at 5.25% thanks to some coupon promotion that someone else didn't use. It will only be about $13 less a month but overall, I'm going to be saving over $500. It's also right in Wareham and they do online paying, which was the selling point for me. I refinanced it based on my remaining 41 payments. And the added bonus of a $50 Red Robin gift certificate was pretty nice too!<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I also switched my car insurance over to AAA. I was pretty unsatified with my now former insurance coverage. I still have the accident from March of 2008 on there and I'm a step four, which is not good, so naturally my insurance is going to be high. Somehow I managed to get it over $300 cheaper through AAA and I added rental coverage on it as well. Should have made the switch last year....I had to pay 20% as a down payment which I obviously wasn't figuring into my budget, but it will be worth it in the long run. And you never know what will happen on the trip....I'm confident in my driving, but its the other weirdos out there that you have to watch out for. Having AAA as my insurance company makes me feel secure.<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Besides doing lots of research online, printing things out, checking out campgrounds and cheap hotels, I've made another side plan. I'm going to be in Nebraska for Thanksgiving. My aunt Josette lives there and I wanted to visit during my trip and it probably would have been around that time so this will be perfect. However, if it doesn't happen, it's no big deal. You never know whats going to happen on the road - weather, car problems, etc. - but I'm going to try my hardest to get there for the holiday. I think that will be fun.<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">My last day at the yacht club is coming up. Next Monday....wow, that came up quick. I only have three shifts left - Pub Night on Friday, a wedding on Saturday and my last shift is Decommissioning on Columbus Day. Not gonna lie, it's kinda depressing showing someone else how to lock up the building and knowing that my key chain is going to get significantly lighter next week. But I know it's for the best. That's what I have to keep telling myself... Last Saturday was the annual meeting where the committee changed and a new commodore took over. When the past commodore was giving his speech, he thanked me and everyone clapped. I honestly didn't expect it so it was kinda nice to be recognized. And then of course, everyone wanted to know where I was going. I'm sure the staff is getting pretty sick of me talking about my trip...I'm actually getting pretty sick of hearing myself talk too! Seriously. I really am. But by talking to the members, I've managed to add a couple more contacts and references and hear others stories and suggestions. I'm glad to be leaving at this time....I'm not too happy with the regime change. It'll be interesting to see how things pan out once I'm gone...<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">The anxiousness is starting to set in. I can't help but feel a little bit nervous....<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">One week and six days. I'll drink to that!<br />
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497297705261856720.post-91107338693216918902009-09-22T16:20:00.006-04:002009-09-22T17:19:19.909-04:00The irrefutable, indisputable fact is it happens.<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Yes I did just quote a Sugarland song as my title. Get over </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">it.<br /><br />AHHHHH! Where do I start? The last time I wrote was two weeks ago and so much has happened since then. First off, let's start with the straight facts. My last day at the Beverly Yacht Club will be on Monday, October 12th. That is less then three weeks away and as the day gets closer, I get more and more excited. Maybe I'll feel sad when the day actually approaches, but for now...it's thrilling!!! And then there's Monday, October 19th. That's when I will finally set out to see what this great country has to of</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">fer. I was toying with the idea of skipping out on UMASS Homecoming to start earlier but honestly, I can't do it. That will be the last time I see my college friends for a couple months and it just won't work.<br /><br />Soooooooooo....once I finally got a confirmation on my final day and take-off day, I was all about completing more things on my checklist. I continued to do research, and still am doing that actually. I bought a membership to the Kampgrounds of America (KOA). It was only $24 and it gets you 10% off for every stay and you can earn points to towards future camping. Obviously camping is the way to go. Yes, I've only done it a couple times but that's what this trip is all about....learning new things, proving to myself (and others) that I can do anything if I put my mind to it, getting over certain fears. Plus, since I'm fly</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">ing solo on this trip, a campground with other people to interact with is much less-lonely then a dreary hotel room. Agree? Agreed. I also bought a National Parks pass for $80. There are so many national parks throughout the US and now I won't have to pay any entrance fees. It's</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> just another added bonus - also on top of having my FastPa</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">ss which I can use on the East Coast highways and $210 in gascards from my credit card rewards.<br /><br />Last week I really started buckling down on my "need-to-get" list. I went to Target with my mom and bought a nice air mattress with a pump, first aid kit, battery-operated lanter</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">n and some other little random things. This weekend though, I hit the jackpot. I went to annual Freetown Robinson Estates yard sales with my mom, my uncle and my mom's friends. We got there at 7:40 AM and didn't leave until 12!!! Crazy! It must have been my lucky day</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> because one of the first yard sale we went to I found the steal of the century....a *brand new*, still in the box 7x7 Coleman tent. Perfect! And it was only $25. Did I buy it? Um, hello? Yeah, I did. I also managed to come away with a nice square cooler, a couple flashlight things, a sleeping pad ($2!), travel mug and some other random things some of which had nothing to do with my road trip (3 Wareham High School yearbooks from 1990-1992, hahahaha). Today I went to Ocean State and bought a crap load of well, crap. Batteries, flashlights, tarp, rope, duct tape, dustpan and broom, bugspray and a bunch of other things that I think will be of value for this trip. And I only spent $60. Now all I really need to get is a hot plate of some sor</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">t, because I can't eat every meal out and some last minute things. So exciting! All together I spent a little over $100 for everything and my mom pitched in too, but shhh! Don't tell Smitty!<br /><br />Last night I decided to set up the tent and see how it looked. It took my dad and I about 10 minutes, including the time to read the instructions. Being complete camping novices, I would say that was pretty good. I think I'll be able to set it up by myself. Well, I'm going to have to be able to. We unrolled the air mattress too but since the pump wasn't charged, it didn't get blown up. But it does fit comf</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">ortably inside the tent. Hooray! I am just bursting at the seams with excitement! Today I also fully inspected my car looking for all the little storage compartments and figuring out how to get to my spare tire. Also put all the seats down and realized that I could easily, and comfortably, sleep in it. Thumbs up.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2oP5NETH4PPJIc8kAByb0uJ0_gQdbKCol32vLzmd3X7rmYiXw7_7egQqAmTpABia81LUW0d0SGtJb5wVdhAn_scfrXV5vWY-cve4mG8CZcJEt4mCQZBplk6XwpudBdi_WMkqZVHTzpW9T/s1600-h/IMG_3127.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2oP5NETH4PPJIc8kAByb0uJ0_gQdbKCol32vLzmd3X7rmYiXw7_7egQqAmTpABia81LUW0d0SGtJb5wVdhAn_scfrXV5vWY-cve4mG8CZcJEt4mCQZBplk6XwpudBdi_WMkqZVHTzpW9T/s320/IMG_3127.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384401512875904242" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />Call me crazy, but this is so goddamn awesome. It is going to be a dream come true. I've dreamt of this moment for years. It took a while to get my dad on board, but especially after setting up the tent and showing him how well-thought out this trip is and how organized I've been about it for the past couple years, he's doing better with the concept. My mom too, for that matter. Yes, they're my parents so they're allowed to worry...especially since I'm their only one. But it's nice to have their support and have them throw their ideas and suggestions at me.<br /><br />And now I feel I can broadcast by general outline of the trip. It's going to be pretty vague because while I have some places I want to go to, I don't know how I'll get there or what I'll encounter along the way. I don't really want a schedule. I just know that wherever I am between 5 and 7 that night, I will stop. My first place to go will be the Yuengling Brewery for a tour Monday - the 19th - afternoon at 1:30. It's in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, which is near Allentown so it's a good 6-7 hour drive. I'll be leaving around 5 AM to give myself plenty of leeway. After the tour, I will spend two nights at the Elizabethtown/Hershey KOA campground (two nights for a little under $80 including water, electric and free wi-fi) and do some exploring of Amish country - a place I've always wanted to visit. After that...the world is my oyster shell! I'll head in the general direction of Louisville, KY and then onto Tennessee where I think I'll probably spend a good week. After that I will meander south with Key West being the next destination but who knows where I'll go on the way there. I want to shoot up to Nebraska at some point too to visit my aunt Josette and also go back to New Orleans. But wherever I am about a week for Christmas, I will come home and after New Years, go do it all over again. But this time go west with Arizona being the destination for Steve and Crystal's wedding in January. That's months away though...I just have to focus on actually leaving right now.<br /><br />I know this was long, and I think now I feel comfortable enough to make this blog public. So if this is your first time stumbling upon this (and you made it all the way to the end) leave me a comment. Let me know what you think! More to come in the next couple of weeks....<br /></span></span></span>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497297705261856720.post-52953651493526827422009-09-07T23:45:00.003-04:002009-09-08T00:03:50.770-04:00Go on, grab your hat and fetch a camera.<span style="font-family:times new roman;">Holler back young'n! The summer season at the Beverly Y</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">acht Club is officially over. At 4:00 today, our lunch service stopped and by 7:00, I was outta there! We had a countdown all day which was kind of fun. At exactly 4:00 we banged pots and pans, or in my case ice scoops, and hooted and hollered....and then it was over. I can't describ</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">e how happy I am that this season is done with, if only because it means I'm closer to getting out of there and doing what I've wanted to do for years. This summer definitely wasn't as stressful as last year - a much lighter workload, but still annoying in many other ways. We had our fair share of drama this year, sometimes it was a little too much....too much gossip, too much talking behind back</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">s, just stupid stuff that complicates things at times. The staff was great, especially once we got rid of a certain person, but there's always room for improvement.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Me personally, I know my heart wasn't quite in it as m</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">uch it should have been. But that's because the thought of leaving was <span style="font-style: italic;">constantly</span> in the back of my mind. And once I talked to Joe and knew I could see the end but couldn't quite get to it yet, I've found some things (and people) to be frustrating causing me to have a "i-don't-give-a-shit-fuck-everyone" kind of attitude. I know that's not the way to do things especially since I'm a manager, but sometimes I just hate the place. I can't help it. After seve</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">n years, certain people piss you off, certain days get on your nerves....even looking at certain food items makes my skin crawl these days! I don't know, I can't explain it. But for these last few weeks, I swear, my attitude will be better. Especially since I finally get some time </span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">off! And I'm still on salary so that's pretty cool too. Last year I was taken off of salary right after Labor Day, but that was</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> one of the things I kinda worked out when I gave my notice so...yay.<br /><br />Now I really have to buckle down and watch my spending habits. I've mostly paid off my bills for the month of September. So now I have to make sure that my October bills are squared away and that I'll be able to cover the next few months, even if it's just paying in minimum for most things, while I'm off on my wanderlust. However, I do have two things planned that will involve some money</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">. Tomorrow I'm going up to UMASS Amherst for a couple days. My friend tranferred there and I can't w</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">ait to show her around and hang out on Club Sidewalk and act like I'm a college student again. And then next week, my friend Jack from Key West will be in Boston so we're taking in a Sox game and hanging out around the city. But that's it! No more big spendings, unless it's</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> directed towards my trip.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Feels so good to know that I have the next two and a half days off...I definitely earned it. Standing by on 6-8, cap't.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpeLxyJnbIsoebiZO7DTQltz0yCxMpPmQ2E0EhR6ri9p0MPOJhGpqu5NFhTDKMY-zDRMZjfY9VpPfktUUpnP_0a5MBgq607mONYiVAIJZsybhG473CFWqrE8hQO1PEV3lSJmtQ23sdurl/s1600-h/IMG_1465.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpeLxyJnbIsoebiZO7DTQltz0yCxMpPmQ2E0EhR6ri9p0MPOJhGpqu5NFhTDKMY-zDRMZjfY9VpPfktUUpnP_0a5MBgq607mONYiVAIJZsybhG473CFWqrE8hQO1PEV3lSJmtQ23sdurl/s320/IMG_1465.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378942259543931746" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><br /><br /></span>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497297705261856720.post-33482270081328467982009-09-01T22:57:00.002-04:002009-09-01T23:31:09.687-04:00Upside down and inside out. When I leave here I'm going alone.<span style="font-family: times new roman;">It's September 1st so you know what that means? Last full official week at the yacht club. Our technical "season" is only from Memorial Day to Labor Day and this summer <span style="font-style: italic;">flew</span> by. It might have been the whole lack of summer weather thing until the end of July. Or maybe I just subliminally wished for it to go by quickly. Whatever the case is, my summer is coming to an end QUICKLY. Tonight was my last Tuesday Ladies Racing Night ever. I say "ever" because I really hope that I can basically find the strength, though it sounds stupid, to not come back to the BYC in the spring. Even if I'm living in a ditch somewhere, I don't want to come back because I need to step out of the comfort zone that I've lived in for seven years, quit being a little bitch and move on.<br /><br />All I asked for tonight was for them to thank me, as a group. That's all. Not too hard. Maybe it's selfish because I feel "deserving" of their praise and want acknowledgment. But you know what? Yeah. It's selfish. I'm allowed to be that way every now and then. I've taken the fall for people a lot over the years, I've put up with members complaining and being pains-in-asses, so yeah, I think it's only fair. Only about a handful of the ladies knew about my plans and frankly it's so muc</span><span style="font-family: times new roman;">h easier to let everyone know as a group then telling everyone individually. </span><span style="font-family: times new roman;"> I did get the group "thanks" and most of them were shocked at my news, but are happy for me. But honestly, I've heard nothing but positivity about everything and really, that's what I need.<br /><br />Can't say that it wasn't a bittersweet feeling locking up the building tonight. </span><span style="font-family: times new roman;">Tuesday nights have always been my favorite night at the club. I've been taking care of them for at least 5 years, maybe a little longer, so they're used to me and I know what to expect week after week. Oh, I remember the good 'ole days when we didn't even offer food service to them on Tuesday. That was fun. And, this is the group of ladies that came and visited me when I lived in Key West. Oh, that was a <span style="font-style: italic;">good time</span>. Tomorrow night is my last Wednesday Night Racing, but that honestly isn't that a big of a deal to me. Never really been a fan of Wednesday or Thursday nights, to be honest. So whatever.<br /><br />OK, enough of this rambling. My laptop is awesome. Can't wait to use it on the road. This week's task is to look into a better sleeping bag and car-camping gear. I'm also going to bring my car in for an oil change and see what they suggest for me to do before taking off on the trip in October. I'm sure a tune-up is in for call....<br /><br />Until next time!<br /></span>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497297705261856720.post-32033320902128028002009-08-26T01:37:00.002-04:002009-08-26T01:59:24.673-04:00Facin' backwards might cause you to slip...<span style="font-family: times new roman;font-size:100%;" >I bought a laptop yesterday. Another thing to cross off my list. It's a Compaq, nothing too special. I think it has a little over 200 gbs, and seems pretty easy to use. I can't believe that it took me this long to "cross over" to the non-desktop side. Don't get me wrong, I'm nowhere close to retiring this computer. Minus a few freezing issues here and there it still works like the day I bought it two and half years ago. But now with this laptop, I can start putting things on it and getting it set up for travel. My parents want me to get a PC card from Verizon, but I'm not sure if I'm willing to shell out an extra $40 a month, even though it might be worth it while on the road. But I am excited with my purchase and what it means for this trip, and what it means for this blog!<br /><br />Car, camera, video camera, iPod, cellphone, laptop...I got all the big purchases out of the way, for now. I would say that's pretty damn good! Now all I really have to do is shop around for some random memberships, maybe buy a National Parks Pass - it's only $80 and gets you access to all the parks around the US. I need to get some camping supplies too. I don't know if I will camp, not sure how I feel about doing that alone. I've spent many hours researching this trip and that is the only thing I'm concerned about. I can't wait to try out a hostel and do some car-camping, but actually pitching a tent is kind of bombarding to me right now. Most solo road trippers recommend it though, even as solo woman, but we'll see. And naturally, my mother is beside herself....<br /><br />Now that I've had the talk with my boss, I've been telling people my plans. Most of them are positive about it. They say that I definitely should do this because I'll look back with regrets if I don't. Of course there are some naysayers (not many) who don't understand how I can basically quit my job without a back-up plan. "No, but what are you <span style="font-weight: bold;">going to do?!?!</span>" And I really don't have an answer for that, honestly. Maybe it's a little jealousy seeping out when they say that, but I know that's just practicallity speaking. Oh well. That's what I do. I don't have back-up plans. I didn't when I applied to college convinced that it was UMASS or bust. I sure didn't when I graduated college, I didn't when I left Key West, I didn't when I walked out of the job in Middleboro. So what would make this any different? Maybe I like the randomness. I mean, why else would I be doing what I'm doing<span style="font-style: italic;">?<br /><br /></span>Well, that's enough for tonight. More to come later...<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3497297705261856720.post-70078467237210226502009-08-24T01:17:00.008-04:002009-09-22T20:05:46.957-04:00Oh dream maker, you heart breaker...<span style="font-family: times new roman;">I had "the talk" with my boss today. All day I fretted about it. My stomach turned. At one point I felt like I was going to throw up. No, I'm not lying. It really made me sick. At 3:00 today, I talked to Joe, a man that I respect not only professionally, but also personally. He has been there to help me out when I didn't think I had any other options. I went away to live in Key West for 10 months and he never took me off payroll because he somehow knew I would be back. He gave me extra hours when any other manager would have brushed me aside and respected my opinions and suggestions. He stuck up for me and always had my back. He made me feel like I was needed, like I was seriously a part of something. He never gave up on me, and I know he never will. No matter where I am in life, I know that Joe will <span style="font-style: italic;">always </span>be the person that I can count on for a reference or a good word. And I have so much respect for him that it's not even funny. So going into today's meeting, I was nervous as all hell...as I should have been...<br />
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And surprisingly, I stood up for myself. I said EVERYTHING that I wanted to say. I looked him in the eye and my voice barely warbled. That is a success right there for me. I don't know what came over me when I was in his office, but this wave of confidence just brushed over me and I felt like I could say anything. These past three winters have been horrible. Working in Plymouth at Mamma Mia's sucked, but I got over it. Working at Kinsale Inn was great, money-wise, but not emotionally-wise. And last winter...I just can't even touch upon how horrible it was. Cranebrook was the worst place I have ever worked. And I <span style="font-style: italic;">loved </span>the people I worked with, for the most part, and the food, and even then it still fucking sucked. I wanted to quit at least 4 times, and couldn't because of the club. And not having enough money to pay my bills was a horrible feeling. It's not fair for me to have to keep a job that I can barely work 20 hours a week and expect it to still be my main job. I bought a car in 2007 when I was at Kinsale because I was making good money at that time, and somehow that backfired in my face. But I got through it. I still think about how I worked at the Courtyard in Middleboro and walked out one night. I will tell you, nothing is ever so liberating as quitting as a job, but I would never want to do it again. FTP.<br />
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Today was scary. For some reason I thought that Joe would hate me. That he would completely be "WTF?!?! Why are you doing this?!?!" But he was the complete opposite. I told him how I can't do another winter around here. It's not fair to me. Though as much as I try not to think of the BYC as a summer job, that is what it is and what it will always be. I will never be able to have a full-time position there. I'm as far as I can go before taking the general manager title. But even then, it wouldn't be my ideal job because I like being down on the floor with the members, interacting with them, joking with them, laughing with them, making fun of them and being sarcastic, pouring them a drink and talking about the weather. I really do love the members of the BYC (minus a few assholes). I love waking up and going to work. That's me. I could never sit in an office. At least that's one thing I know I will never be able to do. I went to school for Hospitality and Tourism, and maybe someday that will become a permanent fixture in my life, but right now I have no idea what I want to do with my life. And as I told Joe today, I don't think I ever will.<br />
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I basically said to Joe that I can't work at the yacht club this winter. I said that I will work there as long as he can keep me on salary. To which he replied that he would like to see me work though the middle of October. I'm okay with that if we can make it work. I do have UMASS Homecoming the 17th and I feel the need to be there, especially since this year they are ground-breaking for a new Band Building. If Joe can comfortably keep me at the BYC through then, then obviously I will oblige him. I owe it to the club. I owe it to Joe. I have way too much respect for the BYC and way too much respect for him.<br />
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So what am I to do? Seriously, I don't know. Travel, I suppose. I have so many family members and maybe some friends around the USA that I want to visit. I know for certain that I have to be in Arizona in January for Stevie P's wedding (which is going to be kick-ass and amazing). Who's to stop me from going to Oregon to visit my aunt and uncle after that? And maybe Alaska after that? I would love to travel back to Key West. I would love to visit my aunt in Nebraska. I would love to hang out in New Orleans for a little while. I would love to spend some time on Route 66. I would absolutely die to go to the Grand Ole Opry and all that music history stuff in Tennessee. And maybe Pennsylvania would be a good option for a few days. I know that I have enough money to survive comfortably for a couple months. I also am pretty satified with my credit card debt and how much I have somehow managed to pay off since the spring. And I know that my parents back me up to some point. I have to work on them a little bit, but I think now that I have FINALLY had the talk with Joe, they will be much more supportive.<br />
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Ever since I was in high school I have dreamed of doing a road trip. Originally it was supposed to be me and my cousin, Jared. That was supposed to happen sometime in college, but clearly it never did. And ever since then, I have carefully been keeping a plan and keeping score of what I've been doing in order to plan for this road trip. I've had a checklist for the past two years, and I've completed most of it. Ultimately, I'd love to visit every state that I've never been to. I've been obsessed with Route 66 since college and I'm hoping that my desire to drive on the road will lead me there this winter. I don't really know what I want to do. I don't think I'll ever know. But right now, as off August 24th, I know that I plan to travel this great country and see what's going on.<br />
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A wise man once told me, " Even if you don't have the money....TRAVEL." He told me to just do it and worry about the consequences later. And I fully believe, with all my heart, that that is the advice that I am meant to take. It's scary. but it's what I want to do. At least I know that I will never regret this decision.<br />
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A solo road trip. Here I come. Now that I know it's officially going to happen, I have a few preperations to do. I need to buy a laptop, but I'm going to do that this week. I think I can get one for under $500, maybe a little more. I need to start looking for places to stay along the way. I need to get in touch with some family members that I haven't talked to in a while. I need to find some safe campgrounds, some safe hostels that I would be willing to stay at.<br />
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This is going to be an experience. And honestly, this is why I started this blog. I want to document my every movement on this thing. I want the world to see who I am. I want people who have judged me to see that I mean business and that I'm not still the same girl I was in high school.<br />
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So, let's do it. October 17th, the "tentative" last day at the BYC. I'm scared, but I am ready!<br />
</span>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05365380751553243164noreply@blogger.com2