August archive

bellingham and PSO

August 28, 2009

I'm sure you all know how stubborn I am. And how I always have to be right. But, I wasn't. Bellingham isn't rainy and terrible. All of you (literally, everyone who I told I was moving here) who said "Oh, its just beautiful. You're going to loooove it!" Well, you were right. It IS beautiful. I DO love it! I haven't had too much time to explore downtown and surrounding areas, but thus far, what I've seen is gorgeous and I'm really thrilled to be living in such a cool place! For those that have never been to the NW, I think it most easily compares to Asheville. It's like living in Asheville if it were next to Canada instead of Tennessee. Its cool, there is water and there are mountains - what more could you ask for, right? Let's see if I'm still saying that in the middle of winter, when its 40 degrees colder and is only light outside from 8-4:30. But for now, it is glorious.

My PSO (pre-service orientation) was good and bad. it didn't need to be anywhere close to 3 days long, but I learned a lot about what it means to be a VISTA (Volunteers In Service to America) as opposed to the other types of Americorps programs. I'll soon (hopefully today, if I can get by behind out of the house) be learning about what it means to be a VISTA at my school. I'm super excited about what kinds of work I'll be doing (Thank you, Foust!) - mostly grant writing and soliciting funds, connecting the school with the outside community in a sustainable partnership, recruiting and coordinating volunteers, and maybe some other special projects (I'm really interested in getting computers and reading programs into all the classrooms... we'll see if that could actually happen) depending on time and expectations. But this is so right up my alley - It'll be really really challenging, particularly because I'm generally so results-oriented and the likelihood of seeing anything come of my efforts is really small. At least while I'm there. BUT: I do get to leave a legacy for the next VISTA at that school. I'm going to try and leave a notebook with contacts and spreadsheets, etc. with all the work I've done so they don't have to start from scratch, and they'll have a better idea of what has been going on with the school. I'm a first year VISTA at this school so I get no help. But, that is OK with me.

Today, I've got to go to the bank and set up an account so that I can get paid!

WE'RE HERE!!!!!

August 20, 2009

hello Bellingham! Home sweet home. We arrived to the home base late last night, to find Ben and Jamie with a few of their friends, planning their next hiking trip (sometime next week...). The house is absolutely gorgeous. In a neighborhood with lots of other gorgeous houses (the taxes! Oh, the taxes on this place!) from what I could tell at 10:30 at night. Of course, mom and I woke up startlingly early, and have been searching on the interwebs for a mattress for me to sleep on. I'll post pictures of the room, before and after. And, now that its light out, I'm going to be taking mad pictures of the house. AHHH.

I'm excited to start exploring.... we've got lots to do today!!!

Oregon is HOT!

August 18, 2009

Eugene, Oregon is super hot. I, along with mom, had the false impression that because Oregon is in the Pacific Northwest, it would be cool. We left great weather in Berkely thinking - "hey, we're going even more north. itll be cool." but alas, we were proven wrong. I shouldn't be complaining, because soon I'll be wishing I had sunshine and hot weather. We plan on getting to Bellingham tomorrow night - then I'll be home! But not HOME, home.

I don't really know why, but I'm super tired today - and I think the shift from pleasant/cool weather to hot really bummed me out. I'm not sure why. Maybe also it was leaving the little taste of Chapel Hill on the west coast that Hunter reminded me of... booo.

Oh well, there is mad stuff to be excited about... a new room, new roommates, new pets to play with, new city, new job, new furniture...yea! Tomorrow will be super busy and super exciting.

San Francisco

August 17, 2009

We're so close! In the home stretch! We're currently in Berkely, CA at the public library getting our fix of the interwebs. We've been staying with a friend of mine from Carolina, Hunter. He's generously putting us up in his roommate's empty room. Its cold here! We have switched to jeans and jackets - such a quick turn-around. On Saturday morning we were hot, and by Saturday night I was freezing.

Yesterday we walked around "the city" which is what Berkelyites call San Francisco, since its a BART ride away. Awesome. I love San Francisco! I think I really like the lower architecture - not so high that you feel like a pea walking around - it somehow makes the city feel more intimate. It also makes real estate a whole hell of a lot more expensive, but, alas, the price you pay. Yesterday we saw sea lions and took a cable car - two classic san franciscan things to do. And today we're going to walk around campus and then drive across the golden gate bridge (even though its 5 bucks). The golden gate bridge is the only thing i really really wanted to see. So, we've gotta do it!

Tomorrow morning we leave for Eugene, OR. it's just a stop-over, nothing exciting. And then Wednesday morning, we'll leave for seattle. Hopefully we can get there by mid-afternoon to be able to go rent a van, pick up my boxes from Amtrak, and then maybe go to ikea! We plan on being in Bellingham on Wednesday night.

Sorry about the lack of pictures - Zeke and I have been experiencing technical difficulties. Namely, I've got pictures that are too big, and I can't resize them on the website because they won't upload. And I don't have software that will let me resize them. LAME. So, I have to use mom's computer, which is usually being used by her. I've been able to upload a lot of them to facebook, so if you have an account there, check out the album. I'll make it public. Sorry!!!!

The new windy city

August 15, 2009

I've never been to Chicago but Nevada and southern California are damn windy. We spent the night in Barstow cali and barely slept because we might have gotten blown away for all the wind. Loud, strong wind. That and 40 ending are the only things I know about Barstow and I think I can safely say, all both mom and I care about knowing.

Maybe we just couldn't give it a chance because we'd just driven several hours from one of the least aptly named places in America. The Grand Canyon is sooooo much more than "grand" could ever encompass. It is breath-taking. Neither of us have ever seen anything quite as... Huge?

So Cali means we made it to the west coast and pacific time. Now we just have to go north, which we are in the process of moving up the middle of the state, surrounded by grape vines and apricot trees.

funny things

August 13, 2009

Some particularly amusing things mom and I have been noticing.

1. Mustangs are everywhere. If you've played the game Colin taught me - Truck, then you know what I'm talking about. I'm constantly saying "STANG." Tennessee and New Mexico were particularly over-run. Go there if you want to win the game.

2. Campsites are difficult to navigate, so they always give you a map. They aren't really difficult, but they give you a map anyway.

3. The mountains of Utah are hard to drive through.

4. Turning around can actually be kind of fun. If you do it as much as mom and I do. Which is an absurd amount.

5. Google maps gets us lost more than we would if we just looked at a normal map. BUT, we like knowing where we are and being the little blue dot following the blue/purple path. It feels re-assuring to be following the little purple path.

6. Telling people you're on your way to Bellingham, WA gets you into some interesting conversations.

Thats all for now. We're currently in Kanab, Utah. Which is pronounced - Kah-nah-ab. We asked! We just drove 5 and half hours to get here from Arches National Park. Arches is beautiful. SOOO beautiful. We took tons of pictures and will be uploading them momentarily, if the photo uploader thing works again.

So far we've driven about 2,000 miles. It doesn't feel like it at all sometimes, and then some other times it feels like we've driven 5 million miles. And we still have a whole bunch of miles left to go. Im not sure how many. We're not even sure where we're going to stay tomorrow night - We couldn't make reservations for a place near the grand canyon, so we might go to vegas. or outside of vegas. Dont know yet - we'll see where the wind takes us. It will be an interesting journey, thats for sure.

Anne - if you're reading this, I'm in a hotel watching "An Officer and A Gentleman" and I still don't really get it...

Cheeseburger. In Paradise.

August 13, 2009

Heaven on earth wasn't in the onion slice, but in the delicious meat that was cooked at the Bobcat Bite. Soon after we last left you, we finished walking around downtown, in search of a frito pie. We were hot, and tired, and ready to eat! The frito pie sounded just right... and then it was closed. CLOSED!!!!! AT 4pm!!!! Jay-sus. It was a tragedy of the highest degree, only to be solved by... eating something else. Our next attempt was at a place called "The Burrito Spot." Mmmh. Burritos sound good. Nope, also closed! It was only then that mom suggested we go to the Bobcat Bite, a tiny little hole-in-the-wall we read about in the Santa Fe booklet thingy. It totally lived up to every expectation we could have had. Deeeeelicious. cooked perfectly. MMMMMHHHHH. good.

The Land of Enchantment

August 11, 2009

We're currently sitting in the Santa Fe Public Library, enjoying their air conditioning and free wi-fi and the feeling that we don't have to purchase anything to be sitting here using our computers.

Let me just say that Santa Fe is gorgeous. Its absolutely beautiful - the dirt, the trees, the buildings, the mountains, the sky - everything is so vibrant and colorful against the tan backdrop of the land. And the weather! Oh, the weather! Mom and I are in heaven... its dry and around 85 degrees today, but unless you're in the sun walking around you don't feel it. It's not like NC where you feel every damn degree in beads of sweat that accrue in not-so-conspicuous places. And last night, I had to break out the sleeping bag! I was actually cold!!! Jeeze, what a wonder.

We made it here in pretty good time yesterday - we weren't expecting to get another hour on the road because of the time change (we're now in Mountain Time, 2 hours behind the east coast) and that made a huge difference.

We got to the campground (after turning around about...eh, 3 times) and set up shop, only to re-discover that Mom's tent sucks. And when I say sucks, I mean SUCKS. I've bought tents from box-stores before and haven't had that many problems with them - I don't expect a lot, just you know, keep your shape and stick with me for as long as I need you. Thus far, I had only had problems with people and tents, not with the tents themselves. But Mom's is a different story entirely. Her tent is a POS. 2 (of the 3) poles are broken. BROKEN!!! we've only set the damn thing up 5 times!!! As of now, her tent looks like a sad blue bump. Its got broken legs and we're too cheap to fix them (duct tape is a no-go). The lesson we've learned here is NOT to buy tents from Target (brand name Greatland). Any suggestions on what to do?

The closer we get to Bellingham, the more excited I get... tomorrow we go to Arches National Park, and then the Grand Canyon, and then Vegas, then San Francisco!!! There is so much to see and do! We're throughly enjoying our time though - like I said, Santa Fe is fantastic and we still have to eat a frito-pie.

Driving

August 10, 2009

Were on the road about an hour and a half from Santa fe, new Mexico. I'm updating from moms iPhone. So far today we've driven through three states - oklahoma, Texas, and now New Mexico. We've been chasing time backwards. It's strange and incredible to relive hours that have already passed.

We drove past the largest cross in the western hemisphere. Don't worry, there are pictures.

Graceland, Graceland, Memphis Tennessee

August 9, 2009

I'm going to Graceland!

Graceland – Elvis’s home, for those of you who are unfamiliar – is a massive, insane tourist trap. But, its also kind of amazing. First of all, it is crazy, crazy, ridiculously expensive. They charge you to park. Ten fing dollars to park. So, they’ve built this huge building across the street from Graceland. One of the best things about Graceland is that they’ve actually really tried to preserve the house and grounds as they were. But this means that they’ve built at least 3 restaurants and 3 gift shops and at least 2 museums all connected in the entrance to Graceland.

Here’s how it works: You park across the street from the actual mansion (-$10). You walk to the entrance of the tour section (you can’t tour Graceland unless you’ve paid for a real tour – there’s no walking around or doing it the cheap way). Then you decide if you want to do the “Elvis Entourage Tour” which costs (you won’t believe it but I don’t lie!) $69.00, or one of the other two tour packages (one is $33 and one is $27). Luckily you get a discount for this if you are either a student or a AAA member. We got both! (hell yeah Carolina – giving me an ID that expires in 2010) You get your tour package, and then head through the gift shop out to the line to wait for a tour bus which will drive you across the street to the mansion, where you begin your audio tour (no guide except the one in your ears).

So it cost us $47.30 or something like that just to get into the damn mansion. Our tour package was the most basic (for those on a tight schedule, which we are) and just included an audio tour of the mansion and grounds. Other tours include the automobile museum and Lisa Marie’s airplanes (don’t roll your eyes too soon). Once you get in line to get on the bus, the staff hands you an audio player and a set of headphones. The audio player has a thing attached so you wear it around your neck (at least everyone looks dorky!!!) and listen to some random dude with a cool sounding voice give you the brief and sugar-coated version of Elvis’s life.

Now, one of the creepiest things about this whole idea is that while you’re walking around a dead man’s house, with all his stuff still there, with it still decorated the same and the security cameras still pointing the same way and the screens to watch still turned on, everything is silent. There are all these people moving around, but everyone is wearing these headsets, listening. In your ears, you’re hearing background music, and this narrator telling you about each room, and there are people all around you doing the same thing. I mean, we went at 10am on a Sunday and it was packed. So all these people are hearing what you’re hearing, and as a result, no one is talking. Once you take the headphones off, even just for a second, its eerily quiet. That, and the fact that its “Elvis Week” to remember his death (August 16, 1977) just makes it feel like Elvis might come back and grab you and say “What the hell are you doing here and why are you looking at all my stuff?”

All in all, a worthwhile, albeit expensive, experience. Priscilla and Lisa Marie must be making bank.

Oooo-klahoma where the wind blows sweepin down the plains!

August 9, 2009

We missed the “Welcome to Arkansas” sign because, if you’re coming from Memphis, it’s in the middle of the Mississippi River bridge, which is impossible to pull-over on. They are also doing construction the Arkansas side of the Mississippi River, which stops traffic almost as soon as you come off the bridge. This is lame.

We’ve missed updating in Memphis entirely, because we had absolutely no internets (nor did we have time to stop at a coffee shop and steal some). So here’s what we’ve been up to:

We left Chattanooga in the morning on Saturday. We stopped a couple times on the way to Nashville to buy a camera cord (I have two, and packed both in the boxes that get shipped instead of driven.), some shoes for mom, and a towel. Then, we hit Nashville. We just drove around the city, checking things out – saw the Ryman Auditorium of Opryland fame and Broadway Avenue. We also drove down Church Street. Surprisingly, Church Street actually has lots of churches on it. Unfortunatley, we didn’t stay too long… Memphis was calling us. In a twangy country voice.

We stopped outside of Memphis at the visitor’s center to decide where to camp and get some tips on handling the city. The desk guy gave us this advice, in a southern accent with a hint of a lisp: “Well, T.O Fuller State Park is much closer to Graceland, but it’s not really in the best part of town and its kinda smoggy, since, you know, its so close to downtown. But Meeman-Shelby is really nice and woodsy, but its much farther north. It’ll take you about 25 minutes to get to Graceland.” Then, he proceeded to give us the most vague directions ever. I don’t know if I’m the only one that this happens to, but if someone tells me to do something specific (Kate’s bbq restaurant) or directions on how to go somewhere, unless I write it down that very second, I cannot, absolutely cannot remember what they said. Its like my brain just shuts off and says “Oh, what you’re saying is totally unimportant even though its exactly what I just asked you or need to know to get out of here.” Stupid brain.

Something that has been plaguing mom and me – we’re both directionally challenged. So each of us trying to play navigator to the other doesn’t exactly work out perfectly… I think we average about 2-3 turn-arounds per time we try to get somewhere.

The perfect example of this is yesterday: After we got advice on where to stay from the Memphis Visitor’s Center and directions on how to get there, our attempt at directions started: We had to go north on 51, and we went south. Every time I said “I think we should go right, because that’s the way it looks on the map,” and we went right – only to find out, oh, 10 or so minutes later that we had gone the opposite way we were supposed to. That happened at least 3 times just last night on the way to the campground. Then, we went into Memphis to eat dinner, and of course, more of the same.

But, we successfully have made it through both North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas, and mom’s first night of camping (which was free because we got there after the ranger station closed, and left before it opened), driving in downtown Nashville and Memphis, walking on Beale St at night (which I imagine is something like Burbon St in New Orleans – neon, bars, music and lots of drunks.), and GRACELAND!!!!!

Graceland will have to be another post entirely – I’ll add an album in the gallery to check out.

day one, complete

August 7, 2009

We have arrived! First destination down. I guess actually, we get to count two destinations because we stopped to drop off goodies for Bonnie in Asheville. Unfortunately, we only stopped for a second and had to skeedadle to Tennessee. But, relax, because we're here and we're safe! We took a good number of pictures for your viewing pleasure, and then forgot to bring the camera cord inside and now I'm too lazy to go out and get it.

Some highlights, later to be expounded upon by photos!:

Instead of leaving before 11 as I'd hoped we would, we left at 1. WHOOPS!!! And then, to be true to our roots, we stopped and got hot dogs all the way from Allen's.

I got gas from one of those super old pumps where you can still watch the numbers turn in Black Mountain. Honestly, I didn't really know what to do and it took me a second to figure out how to make the damn thing work. Then I got nervous because I couldn't pay at the pump and how the hell do you know how much gas you're going to buy if you have to pre-pay!? I never do that! Correction, I don't think I've ever done that for a full tank. Gah, my naiveté. (Mom totally took care of the whole thing, so I shant have worried. Yep, I just typed "shant" and yep, you know what it means.

We stopped at the Tennessee state line, said goodbye to North Carolina (at which point I started thinking about the fact that a) I won't be driving BACK through this state for quite some time and b) I've got to fly home just to be here for Christmas. I'm starting a whole different life and I haven't even thought about what it might look like and feel like to be in a place that isn't this glorious state.

But after saying goodbye, we said hello! To the volunteer state. Which I totally appreciate, seeing as how I'm going to be a volunteer for a whole year starting in 3 weeks. Anyway, we both got hungry and picky about food in Knoxville, and tried to use Urban Spoon on the iphone to pick a place to eat. What, you might ask, did we come up with? First try: Waffle House. Second try: Chick-fil-a. Third try: Cracker Barrel. After this blasphemy, we just decided to wing it, and we're lucky we did! We ended up at a restaurant called RouXbarb. Its local cuisine, cooked up just right. I had smoked duck with pepper jelly and pimento mac and cheese, and mom had flounder filet with heirloom and zebra tomatoes, corn and cole-slaw (it actually was far more decadent than it sounds). We split a "tomato stack" which was heirloom tomatoes, fried greed tomatoes, goat cheese, bacon pieces and blue cheese dressing. It was fantastic. We also met some very nice people who told us no matter what we ordered, we couldn't really go wrong. And they were too right (although not going wrong cost me a pretty penny...).

Don't worry, we took pictures to send to Urban Spoon.

Other highlights include: listening to a bawdy book by Christopher Moore, called Fool, and driving through the mountains. I forget sometimes how incredible they are (even though mom made me drive and I didn't get that good a look around) because they're right here beside me and I take that for granted.

On a small side note - I've driven from one end of the state to the other in less than 2 weeks! I'm glad I got to go to the beach with Hil because now I'm literally driving from coast to coast. WHOOOHOOOO!!!!

I feel like I probably forgot a thousand things, and have remembered far too many things that are completely useless and unnecessary, but thats probably life and will be fine in the end, right?

Dan Kelo's voice makes me cry. Seriously.

Departure Day

August 6, 2009

Finally, the day has arrived! We're headed out the door, finishing the final touches and making the journey. I'll post photos later tonight of the first day on the road.

I think Lyle Lovett said it best in his song - "Goodbye to Carolina" (except the part about coming back when someone dies... I hope that doesn't happen.)

"Head West young man while you still can, before your old and grey/ Go West and make a better life than you could if you stayed / So tell your family and tell your friends good-bye /Say you'll write them and keep them on your mind / And say you'll see them whenever someone dies

And say good-bye to Carolina"

When I was young, I knew everything

August 5, 2009

The Chapel Hill/Carrboro/Pittsboro (and sortof Durham) adventure is coming to a close, at least this chapter of it. Its bittersweet - I'm so excited to start my time with Americorps and to move away to a place where I know no one and nothing. That will be both humbling and lonely. This is what I need at this point in my life. But, I will miss the hell out of this place and these amazing people. I say "see you later" to those things and people who have made this town and state mean so much to me. I can't say goodbye because first of all, its not good, and second of all, its not forever. I'll be back, or you'll come to Bellingham to see me!!!

Thank you so much for sending me off in such style last night - for those of you who could make it, and those of you who couldn't, I can't imagine having a better group of friends. I'm unbearably lucky to have found each of you; you each have brought something different and fantastic into my life and I am so much better for it. I appreciate your love and support so much. Sorry to be so sappy last night, and hopefully the tears on your shoulders dried quickly.

Here's to the land of the longleaf pine The summer land, where the sun doth shine Where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great Here's to "Down Home" the old North State!

(I might stand on chairs in Washington, too)

HOLY MACKEREL!!!

August 2, 2009

Welcome back to blogging. Im hoping that this time around the blog will be that much more interesting - Mom and I are about to embark on a cross-country journey which will end up with me in Bellingham, Washington. I start work with Americorps on September 1, but I have training before that on August 24th.

Anyway, thanks Zeke for getting it up and running again. Formatting to come...

The current travel plans are: Pittsboro to Asheville, Asheville to Chattanooga, TN, Chattanooga to Memphis (graceland!), Memphis to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City to Santa Fe, Santa Fe to Arches National Park, Arches to the Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon to San Francisco, San Fran to Oregon somewhere, then Oregon to Seattle, and Seattle to Bellingham. I think I'll try to put sections of the map we've covered as we travel so that we can record our progress. But all that will come in the next few days/weeks.

I can't believe I'm about to move to one of the furthest spots away in the continental United States. Way to go me.