Bubble Bath, FSOT, Coop, and Henna- LUSH in Fort Fun!

If you're from Fort Wayne, Indiana, I have some really good news for you if you don't know already... You have a LUSH store! What the heck is LUSH you ask? http://www.lush.com/ Only some of the most fabulous and fun bath and shower products available. There isn't even one in Indianapolis... nice one, Fort Wayne.

I spent the morning at Ivy Tech Community College at their proctoring center taking the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT). After the test, my Uncle Tim (who lives in town), his roommate and her boyfriend, and I went out to lunch at a place called Casa Mare. I recommend this place for Italian lover passing through. Everything we had was great. I highly recommend the fried eggplant appetizer. I ordered the Manicotti, and though it didn't look quite as impressive as all the other dishes, the flavors were there and the ricotta stuffing was nice.

After lunch, my Uncle Tim and I went to a grocery store called Three Rivers Natural Grocery, Deli, and Cafe to look for couscous. I LOVE this store! They have rices, grains, and three different types of couscous all in containers so you can spoon out the amount you need. They had big tubs of organic soaps, lovely spices, and a large selection of organic groceries. Unlike many other grocery places popping up with a similar concept, the prices are very reasonable. If I lived here, I would frequent this one... A+++

It's always a good time getting together with my Uncle Tim. If you end up reading this post, thanks for the great afternoon! He dropped me off at my car after our visit to the coop, and I hit the road back to my grandmother's house. Before I hit route 30, I noticed a mall to my left... Glenbrook. I decided to make a quick stop to see if there were any decent sales at my favorite "mall" stores. I put mall in quotations because as most Americans know, there is a very specific grouping of stores that you are almost guaranteed to find in any mid-sized mall. This is mostly true for women's stores, but there are a few for men too. Examples include Express, the Limited, the Gap, Banana Republic, and Victoria's Secret. These stores exist in malls with almost any level anchor store, until the mall dies and goes to flea market heaven (I personally have been known to enjoy the occasional foray into the wonderful world of truly random commerce).

You can sometimes tell without entering a mall what other small stores will be present based on the anchor stores. A J.C. Penney will be surrounded by different boutiques than Saks Fifth Avenue. That may seem obvious, but it's not something we always actively consider and it does save time if you are just passing through and unfamiliar with the area. I will not pass a random mall and go in looking for a BCBG boutique in a mall with anchors like Macy's and Sears. A Macy's, and a Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus? Possible. A Nordstrom and a Saks? Likely.

To get back to the point, though Glenbrook is a nice mid-level mall, I wouldn't have gone in seeking a LUSH store. I originally decided to stop to check for Gap, Banana Republic, and VS. VS had no sales, Gap only had the two colors I already own in the jean cut I love (the newly designed straight fit is the best thing every since jeans almost never fit me... I love them!), and I found a few items at Banana Republic. Then I decided to take a quick look around Macy's before heading out. I walk through a mostly typical Macy's makeup section and then I see it... straight in front of me... LUSH and it is so very lush: Giant chunks of colorful, yummy smelling soaps, solid shampoos, and bath bubble cakes.

Here's a tip for you airplane travelers who try to avoid checking luggage... LUSH shampoo bars are awesome, last forever, and they're solid so you can take them in any bag. They have face products like this too, though I can't speak for them because I'm pretty loyal to my Philosophy cleanser- the only one I've ever found that doesn't over dry my face. The LUSH bubble bath cakes are awesome! They foam up like crazy and you get several uses by breaking off small pieces of the bar.

So, as you can tell, I was excited. I really love fun and interesting products, and whenever I find something that really works, I tell everyone I know. I know this isn't really a product blog, but cool findings are part of the trip.

One last thing... I decided to try LUSH's henna. I haven't colored my hair in years, but henna is natural and fun... and MESSY! I cut my finger pretty badly trying to break it up. Then I got green goo all over the place. I'll post before, during, and after photos next blog. Cheers for now.

Foreign Service Officer Test

Tomorrow I go take the foreign service officer test. I looked over some things though I'm not sure it will help- either I know it or I don't. I'll be glad to get it done, and if I have to retake it, I will. It really helps that the exam is free as long as I show up. I also hear that most people don't pass it first try (though I have a few smart friends who did, so it is possible).

So after the exam, which is in Fort Wayne, IN, I think I'll head back to my grandmother's for a few more days before hitting up Chicago on Wednesday. I'll post again in a few days, or before if anything interesting happens, or to tell you about my trip.

Mobile Phone Posts- Immediate vs Long

This is the first real post I'm doing with my cellphone. I hope I get faster at this, or this blog will become much more difficult. I suppose it's a choice between shorter, more frequent posts, and longer, better thought out posts. I suppose there is no need for one form to replace the other. This tool will simply allow me to update more frequently.

I do have a few things from today... First, my Volkswagen headlight problem. The other day my light went out and I spent two hours in the local Firestone getting it fixed. When I returned to Plymouth, my grandmother noticed that it was out again. Today I was heading to the Firestone in South Bend when I noticed it was working again. I arrived at the store and the light seemed to be out again but when the guy came out to check, it worked. I drove around to get it to turn off again which of course didn't happen. I'm hoping it was just some crazy fluke, because it will suck horribly if that happens all the way to California.

Second thing... I discovered it is really tough to find postcards from small towns in middle America when you actually look for them. On the other hand, I did talk to some super nice people at the Chamber of Commerce and the Tourism office for Marshall County here in Plymouth, IN. In the end, I found some great ones at the Marshall County Historical Museum. My favorite is of an Amish buggy. Though I found it amusing when I bought it, I didn't get until this very second that Oats Mobile might be a play on Oldsmobile. Clever one I am... but it does make me like the postcard just a bit more.

Lately I've been mourning the loss of the art form that is written correspondence. Though I don't intend to write anything particularly profound or poetic, I am going to look for some amusing postcards to send. If you send me your address, I'll try and send you one. I'm writing this now when I currently have no readers, but if anyone happens to stumble on this, I'll try very hard to follow through. I promise that I'm not an evil junk mailer in disguise. I just think it will be a fun experiment.

Final item of the day... my new Sketcher shape-ups. I decided to try them. Though I have no idea of what the result will be fitness-wise, they are the most comfortable things ever, and they are most definitely helping my posture. I'll let you know how the fitness part goes. For now, big thumbs-up!


***note- I wrote this post last night from my new phone application. This app is very basic and won't allow me to edit. If there are mistakes, I apologize ahead of time and will make every effort to fix them when I reach a real computer. :-)

Testing Mobile Blogger

Though it's always a great deal easier to write from a real computer, I thought for the sake of updates anywhere that I should install a cellphone application. This is a test to see how much of a pain in the butt it ends up being. I'll do a better real update later today. Cheers.

Weekend in Indianapolis

I haven't posted for a few days because I spent the weekend in Indianapolis seeing friends. I lived in the city for 3 years, and I have 3 close couple friends in the area, and my band mates live there. I'm in a punk rock band, and though we aren't active playing shows, we recorded 2 cds... one of them is currently available on I-Tunes and I'm submitting the other to be available soon.

Anyway, it was quite the amazing weekend. The particular details aren't really that exciting to anyone else but me, so I'll keep them short. I arrived at my friend's house, met her absolutely darling new baby, got Mexican food, got a little drunky (but not too much), woke up, ate at Yats (one of my absolute favorites in Indianapolis- Cajun food... GOOOO and try the Chili Cheese Etoufee with Crawfish), had dinner with my 3 dear, dear couple friends with whom I will never, ever mind being the 7th wheel, and went out and got VERY drunky. Karaoke night at a bar in New Palestine, Indiana was a BLAST. I sang "These Boots are Made for Walking" and "Give Me One Reason" by Tracy Chapman. Second one was a hit, first one was such an easy song that I don't think I had much room to impress. After that, we went back to my friend's house in New Pal, and drank nearly an entire half-gallon bottle of vodka between the 5 of us who stayed out (on top of the near bottle of wine I drank with and before dinner, and the 5 beers at Karaoke). I was HURTING the next day, and I sure did pay for not cutting myself off before 4:30 AM.

So, the next day, we all met up at 12:30 for lunch at Dagwood's Sandwich Shop (the one in Broadripple) before attempting to find a place to do a wine-tasting(called a wine-flight). For my friend's 29th birthday, we were attempting to recreate one of the lovely Sunday afternoons we spent in Bloomington at the beautiful Oliver Winery without driving the hour to get there. Unfortunately, we didn't consider the fact that a corner wine bar may be different than a winery in the fact that they may not allow babies. In fact, smoking laws have made it so that certain restaurants are now 18 and up. We abandoned plans to visit the Corner Wine Bar and tried Binkey's down on College and Kessler. They no longer do wine-flights. Though we were disappointed for the sake of my friend's birthday, none of us felt very well. Perhaps wine consumption would have been a bad idea anyway. We abandoned our plans and all headed our separate ways.

After a much needed nap, I woke up feeling very poorly rested, and headed out to meet a few of my band mates for a beer sampler at Rock Bottom. My friend and bass player, Rich, brews his own beer and is a beer enthusiast. He joined their mug club and has drank enough beer there to get his name on the wall. He advised me to order one of their samplers, and though I did so, I was honest about my condition. I tasted all of them, but only drank about two of them (large shot glasses full) and passed the rest on to Rich. I don't think he minded much. If you go there, get the pretzels with the hot spinach dip. They are really good- fresh, and warm with a hint of garlic. We chatted for awhile about just a little bit of band stuff and the new stuff in our lives, with the occasional sickly moan from me as I nibbled ever so slowly on my pretzel. I discovered that my sweet little drummer boy (I call him cutesy-ish names sometimes because he's always been the baby of the family at a ripe-old age of 21, and he's a total sweetheart) works as a sushi chef. Well, that just pretty much rocks since I really love good sushi. Rich and I made plans to eat at his place of employment, Kona Jacks, at 96th street in (or near?) Carmel.

First of all, I have to recommend Kona Jacks to everyone, not just because my favorite drummer works there. It's also really a neat place with awesome fish tanks in the back... a shark, 2 turtles, and a bunch of large fish. The sushi was also really good. Kyle is very creative and came up with the daily special. You can get ordinary rolls too if you're a purist (the normal sushi place variety), but he made us this one with shrimp tempora, spicy sauce and very thin slices of steak that was FABULOUS. That little bit of rare beef was just so tender and delicious. It was my favorite of the 4 we tried, though there wasn't one I didn't like. I always think it's funny when sushi gets named after places that couldn't be less Asian... like the Monroe Roll back home at the Plum House, the local Japanese restaurant in Monroe, NY. The roll I just described with the steak was called the Hoosier Roll. That's very Indiana of them, but no worries... it didn't taste like Indiana cuisine at all (not like Indiana food is bad, but who wants sushi that tastes, for example, like a giant, fried Tenderloin? Not me).

Anyhow, to finish out my story, I said goodbye to the boys, stopped at CVS, went to Firestone to get my headlight fixed (though after my drive today, it is out AGAIN), went to Fresh Market- the coolest, priciest, yuppiest, but best grocery store ever- and returned to my friend's house to pack up and leave. Firestone was supposed to be a short trip, but took 2 hours because some truck parked in front of the garage where my car was serviced. The people at the desk informed me that it would just be a few more minutes, but I waited and waited... 45 minutes later and I started pacing around the desk. Then they told the driver to move, and I finally made it out of there. L'humdulilah (That's "Thanks be to God" in Moroccan).

I made it back in just enough time for a few more moments with my friend's precious baby (I'm really not generally one of those baby people- you know the type- but I just love this little girl) before saying goodbye to everyone and heading back to Plymouth for another week at my grandmother's house. This one should be relaxing and mostly uneventful besides the studying I hope to do, but I'll try to keep you updated anyway. For now, safi. Cheers.

South Bend, Indiana... Fun with Grandma

Well, this was a good day... Anyone ever been to South Bend, Indiana, home to Notre Dame? There are some pretty spots, and some not-so-nice areas. My grandmother and I decided to take a day out of the house, so we went to the Farmer's Market in Elkart, the Tippecanoe Place Restaurant in South Bend, and the Rentown Country Store in Bremen.

This visit was much improved from our last trip to South Bend a few days ago when we spent the afternoon at the Social Security office. Though I can't think of one government office that I find pleasant to visit, the Social Security office is in a new category altogether. During my wait, young-ish people loudly used language that would make sailors blush in the presence of senior citizens, miserable looking people talked about their divorces with the stranger sitting in the next chair, and the most prevalent smell was stale, unwashed cigarette smoke. We waited for 2 hours before discovering that our business was already completed, but I was glad it was taken care of and one less thing on my grandmother's mind. At least the bathrooms were clean.

Today was far superior. Despite my utter exhaustion from a lack of sleep (we had a really fun evening talking and drinking way too much wine), I felt really good. The sun came out after over a week of cloudy gloom, and I really enjoyed the Amish retail therapy.

So, let's start there... the Farmer's Market in Elkart refers to a very large, 3 story red barn. We went on a Thursday in the winter so there wasn't any produce. There was, however, a lovely assortment of Amish goods- some cheese and meat, pies, fudge, and candy. I bought a soft pretzel from one booth (I couldn't help myself!!!). It was lovely buttery goodness. I bought some cheese curds that taste awesome, but they aren't the authentic ones that squeak when you eat them. The rest of the food products I purchased were packaged, so I haven't tried them yet. The medium corn salsa looks good. I think my mom will like the multi-colored wasabi soybeans. I have an obsession with awesome new skin care stuff, so I bought some Dutch Country Honey Bees Wax Raspberry Lip Balm. It's really good stuff. My final purchase was a lotion bar (I've been into more solid products lately- like Lush's shampoo bar... it totally rocks and is so awesome to travel with) by a line called Jordan Essentials. The packaging is a bit like a Bath and Body Works rip off, but the sweet cucumber melon bar smells and feels really good on my hands. Good stuff.

Next, we went to lunch at the Tippecanoe Place Restaurant at the old Studebaker Mansion. The food was great, the prices were more than reasonable (30 dollars for 2, including tip, off the special's menu, and there is even a $5.99 section). Appetizers included Baked Brie and Escargot, but I unfortunately didn't get to try those. I had the Cajun Prime Rib sandwich which was an excellent combination of flavors and textures. There were mushrooms and onions under a layer of mild swiss cheese followed by a very generous portion of prime rib spiced and cooked cajun style all layered on top of a piece of toast. It was well cooked and a solid combination of flavors. My grandmother had the vegetable soup made with a french onion base, and a Reuben sandwich. She spoke highly of her lunch as well. There was a desert tray, and everything looked fabulous, but I was way too full.

The food was excellent, but what I loved the most about this restaurant was the building. The Studebaker Mansion is beautiful, and we were allowed to tour around after our lunch. There were three floors with labeled rooms, and though the place was set up like a restaurant, and banquet hall, you can picture what it might have looked like when people actually lived there. The interior is stunning. The library has beautiful dark wood cabinetry and there is a giant walk-in safe in Studebaker's den. The ballroom on the third floor is really lovely.

After we finished touring around, we were both tired, but Rentown is pretty close to Plymouth, and nothing excites me more than fresh cheese (perhaps as much, but those who know me know how much I truly love cheese). Rentown is very hidden, and perhaps impossible for a non-local to find. A truly random grocery store, I haven't seen an assortment of items like that since I lived in Morocco. They have canned Amish goods, Amish candy, and lots of cheese (including Amish Butter Cheese!!! Yummm) along side packaged egg rolls and fried rice, packaged ham, bags of freeze-dried marshmallows (the lucky charms variety), fresh pies, TGIFriday's giant bags of chips, and some other regular but random grocery items. I love this kind of store, and I bought Apple Butter, Butter Cheese and some candy.

So we checked out, went home and it was nap time. It was a really great day. Completely off topic, I'm currently watching men's figure skating and the American guy just won after a beautiful performance. Congratulations Evan Lysacek. Evgeni Plushenko was incredible but just didn't do anything that well except for his jumps (which are probably best in the world). It was exciting to watch. Signing off for now... leaving for Indianapolis tomorrow to see friends.

A Bit of a Downer Post- read at your own discretion

It's not THAT bad... I probably didn't need that heading, but I don't want any readers (if there are any) to think that this blog will just be this constant downer. People don't need that right now... hell, I don't need that right now. I just wanted to keep the back story behind this road trip going, and I wanted people to know why this past year has been difficult for me.

You all know by now that I just finished the Peace Corps, and that it was an amazing and formative experience in my life. You also know that my Grandfather just passed away. I want to tell you more about my Grandfather's life, but first, I want to talk about how this was not the first funeral I attended over the past year (I know it's 2010, so I'm talking more February to February).

I lost (with varying degrees of closeness with the individual) 5 people since last February- 4 under the age of 30. 2009 started with the loss of a dear friend of 2 Peace Corps volunteers. Her name was Fatima and she was the host sister to my friends Kowtar (April) and Malika (Mel). I met her on several occasions and she was a sweet girl with many ambitions outside of her small, and highly secluded village. In this village, there aren't many opportunities for women. Most of the girls stop going to school after elementary school, because the nearest middle school is very far away. She wanted more than to marry someone in the village. She was learning to read. She died in February of a sudden and severe "flu" (for lack of a better label) which in just days turned to pneumonia. When she made it to the hospital several hours away, it was too late. She died at the age of 19.

The next tragedy occurred in May with the death of my 19-year-old cousin. He was suffering from severe depression lasting over a year. He took his own life in his dorm room at college. I'm looking at a photograph of him right now. He was quite the interesting guy, and we didn't agree much politically. I found it quite interesting when we ended up taking that test online to see where we fell in the political spectrum, and ended up with marks right next to each other. He used to love a good fiery debate, but for some reason, he stopped wanting to engage me in political discussion just a few months before he made his final decision. I was a little hurt at the time when he didn't respond to my email, but I realize now that he probably just didn't care anymore. It was a true heartbreak for all of our extended family, and things will never quite be the same for my uncle and aunt. It is my greatest hope that they feel joy again someday.

A few months later, in August of 2009, a few weeks before his 30th birthday, my brother-in-law died in a fatal car wreck. He bought a convertible and loved zipping around in it. After dropping my sister off at Starbucks, he was running back to their house a few blocks away before heading back to pick her up again. He was hit from behind by a large truck, and was thrown from the vehicle. When he didn't return to Starbucks, my sister walked home. She saw the accident and didn't realize it was her husband until later. He died of a broken neck and a heart attack.

This was so heartbreaking for everyone who knew him, and especially for my sister who was planning on trying to start a family that next month. He was her first love, and though things weren't perfect, they were determined to continue to better their relationship. Though I couldn't make it home from Morocco for my cousin's funeral, the Peace Corps worked with me to make it possible for me to see my family for my brother-in-law's. I came home for a month, and felt the devastation of all mine and his family members. I then went back to Morocco.

Things were winding down for me in the Peace Corps. I was preparing to leave, and getting all my business together. I was leaving the next day for Rabat from the small town I called my home for 2 years, when two friends stopped at my house for the going away party I was having. I was pleased to see them, but surprised because I heard they were unable to attend. One of them was severely ill and in tons of pain. They stopped at my house not for the party, but because she couldn't travel far. I was glad to see her and talk to her for awhile. She spent the night in bed. In the morning, she left my house in a taxi and was in so much pain she had to be carried into the car. She was taken to the hospital in Ouarzazate, and I'm not sure what was said, but she didn't spend the night there. She stayed in a local hotel that many in Peace Corps Morocco frequent. In the morning, she was taken to Marrakesh. This was supposed to be on her way to Rabat, but she was taken immediately to the hospital in Marrakesh and shortly after, she fell into a coma. Though for medical privacy reasons we don't know what exactly she died of, she passed away in the hospital in Marrakesh. She was such a strong, opinionated, caring, loving and interesting girl, and it was so difficult and shocking to lose her this way. She was 23 years old.

So that brings me back to losing my Grandfather this month. It's been quite a year. I can take a little solace in the fact that he lived a good, long life. He served in the military, and worked as a dentist until retirement. He and my Grandmother were married for 61 years, and raised a family of 7 children. Still, he's been an ever-present part of my life, and is greatly missed.

That's my story... the tragedy and why exactly it's been such a difficult year. I think this road trip will be healing in some ways. It will give me a chance to come to terms with some of this loss and to reconnect with myself. More to come from Plymouth, IN...

Happy Valentines Day from Plymouth, Indiana

I have to admit... I'm having a bit of difficulty writing today. It could be the memorial service for my grandfather, but I'm feeling rather sad. I ate like crazy today. I can't do that or I'll gain all kinds of weight this trip.

It was so nice to see my family yesterday. We are a big family of loud, boisterous laughs and we heard some amazing memories of my grandfather. The pictures were just amazing... my grandfather as a suave young man, on a horse, dressed up to go out with my grandmother, in China, etc. If I can, I'll post some in a few days while I'm here in Indiana. It's important not to inflate the qualities of the people we love after they die, because I feel like that doesn't pay proper tribute to the people they were. My grandfather wasn't perfect and it was difficult to see his health deteriorate over the past few years. He was absolutely a genuinely good man who loved his family, accomplished much, and lived life to its fullest.

And... my Uncle was right when he spoke during the service... his love for my Grandmother was really inspiring. He made it obvious to absolutely everyone how much he really adored her. He called her "babe" and only talked more about how amazing she is as the years went on. It drove her crazy in the end. I can just hear her saying "oh, Everett", a little embarassed after he said it a few times, but I know she knew she was appreciated.

My favorite story to illustrate their connection during their 61 year marriage was during one of his bipass surgeries. His heart stopped, and she said in a tone that can never be fully described on the internet, "Everett, don't die". The story goes that his heart started beating again just as though he was listening to her. He was a strong man, but his love for my Grandmother carried him through all times, good and bad.

So, I dedicate this Valentines Day, which I spent with my Grandmother here in Plymouth, to my wonderful Grandparents, and my Grandfather who we recently lost. I hope I one day find such a relationship... find someone who will love me the way my Grandfather loved my Grandmother. Find someone to have adventures with and to love through every phase of life, and I'm not willing to settle for anything less. Happy Valentines Day.

This weekend: Indianapolis.

Snowy Snowed In

I'm snowed in which can sometimes be fun, but not when you're home with your dad, he's headed to bed before 10, and there is nothing on TV but American Idol. I don't hate American Idol, but I find this group stuff kinda irritating. So, I thought instead of watching some mindless television, that I would tell you a little more about why I'm making this trip.

This trip is to reconnect with America on many fronts... I want to reconnect with friends, reconnect with places, and reconnect with American culture. When I arrived home from Morocco fresh off the boat (yes, I took a boat home- a cruise ship with 20 other returning Peace Corps Volunteers), I was feeling very culture shocked. I spent 2 years trying to become accustomed to the language and culture of a place completely foreign to me. The last half year, I felt well-adjusted and comfortable. Then came my time to come home and in some ways, the US felt almost as foreign to me as Morocco did when I first arrived.

There were positive aspects to this. Driving again was such a joy! Yes, they have many cars in Morocco, but as Peace Corps volunteers, we weren't allowed to drive. In November, I got stuck in traffic for about two hours on my way up to New Hampshire to see some friends. I just sat there listening to music and felt really happy. I started driving a whole lot slower and any road rage that I used to get in traffic was completely gone. A friend of mine observed how fast Americans drive. I noticed the same.

I began appreciating everything about my life here so much more. I was excited to find old clothes that I had left behind. I had forgotten about everything and felt like it was all new all over again.

The grocery store was amazing and frustrating at the same time. Amazing because I could find nearly everything I could ever need in one place. If I couldn't find whatever it was, I'm sure I could locate it 5 minutes down the street at the other grocery store. I could plan a dish and then buy the supplies instead of seeing what I could find and then deciding what to do. The grocery experience was also frustrating because I would get stuck in there for hours looking at products. When you can choose from 5 different bottle openers, how do you decide which one you want? I used to just know intuitively by quality and price balance, but now I find it confusing.

This kind of confusion over too much selection causes me frustration not only at the grocery store, but doing any kind of shopping. I just don't know what I like anymore. I used to go into a store and look at a line of 20 pairs of similar shoes. I would know just by whatever defined my taste which pair I wanted to purchase. I can't do that anymore. When I was in Europe during our Transatlantic Cruise (Norwegian Cruise Lines- pretty fun, one giant sales pitch), I stopped in a shoe store to look at black boots. I was overwhelmed by the 10 pairs on display, and I left with nothing. Actually, this confusion does have one benefit- I haven't been spending.

Another thing... I've always been a very social person- an extrovert. I get my energy from people usually. But I just can't seem to get myself out of the house to see people. It saps my energy. I have to explain that I'm home for a few months, waiting on college applications, haven't gotten accepted anywhere yet, I loved Morocco but I'm happy to be home. I tell the same story over and over again. I know people just want to know what I'm doing, and it's because they care about me. It makes me feel guilty and sad that I don't want to run out and see everyone, but I think every time I start explaining my life at this point, my anxiety jumps through the roof. This is such an "up-in-the-air" time for me right now. I'll feel so much better once I know where I'm going for sure and can explain to people that I'm not back living with my parents at the age of 28 indefinitely.

So, you see, I've been having a little trouble adjusting. I think this road trip is EXACTLY what I need right now. I'll have a chance to reconnect with family and friends, see my brother's place out in California, and take my mind off the ever present anxiety about my future. I've been working hard on keeping my outlook positive. I have high hopes that this journey will be the right start to this new life chapter I'm about to begin. Wish me luck. I'll let you know how it goes.

Let It Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

So It's a pretty serious winter storm out there here in the New York area, so I'm using today to prep for my trip. Laundry, packing lists, etc. I'm not always the most organized packer, but I feel like I have to be for this one to keep costs down. I don't want to buy new everything while I'm on the road. A non-complete, tentative list of things to bring:

• Clothing- workout, dress up, and lots of layers for traveling to different temperatures
• Shoes
• Toiletry Items
• Winter and Spring Jackets
• Several Books
• A Tent
• Sleeping Bag
• Plug-In cooler
• Pillow and Blanket
• Travel Guitar (I'm learning)
• Documents for foreign service exam study, and school applications (I finished mostly, but I do have one left)

I'm sure I'll think of more as the day goes on, but if anyone reads this and has anything to add, just post it.

Cheers!

Itinerary- Flexible!!!

So here's the tentative plan:

Friday February 12th: Sister's house in Columbus Ohio

Saturday February 13th: Indiana***

Saturday February 20th: Indianapolis

Saturday February 27th: Still in Indiana (taking the foreign service exam, wish me luck!)

Thursday March 4th: Chicago

Saturday March 6th: Milwaukee

Monday March 8th: HITTING THE ROAD- woo!!! Heading slowly across the country to the north.

Saturday March 13th: Seattle

Tuesday March 16th: Portland

Friday March 19th: San Francisco and Napa Valley

Tuesday March 23rd: LA to see my little brother... meet up with mom and sister.

Wednesday March 31st: Hawaii to see my Great Aunt

Sunday or Monday the 4th or 5th: Back to LA

The next day: Phoenix

Then: Undated for now, through Texas to New Orleans and either:

1. Head up through Tennessee and diagonally up back to New York or...
2. If I'm not exhausted, head all the way to the east coast, see a friend in Florida, and drive north from there stopping from time to time along the way.

Quite a trip!

***On a sad note, I'll be spending so much time in Indiana to attend a service for the death of my Grandfather yesterday. He was a wonderful man and lived a good life, though knowing that never really makes losing someone you love any easier. Grandpa, I love you.

Welcome and What's Up

Hello! Ahhh, some blog therapy. I'll tell you a little about myself so you can better understand why I decided to take this adventure... Single and solo chick traveling alone across the country in her little, used Volkswagen Passat. I'm really excited to get started!

So November 2009, I finished the Peace Corps in Morocco. I loved it. The adventure, the culture, the slower pace of life, getting to know a different culture- It changed my perspective on many things. For one thing, I became more patriotic. Not in a "one of the folks", USA-chanting at any given time, appropriate or not, sort of way. I gained some real insights into why it is that I am lucky to be born an American. I'll give you three to start:

1. As far as we still have to go here in the US, as women we have it a whole lot better than in many other countries. Some feminists will argue that women have taken a step backwards by making the decision to become stay-at-home moms but I think they're missing the point. As American women we have come far enough that we can CHOOSE. We can do what we want. We can pursue careers, go to college, have a baby, choose our clothes... I don't see us giving that up. When something sexist is said in public, we discuss it and fuss about it because people care. Many countries in Europe are way behind us in this. We aren't there yet, but I really appreciate the point we're at now.
2. PASSPORT! We can go nearly anywhere in the world. The residents of many countries can't even leave. When I was in Morocco, it was heartbreaking to learn that there was just really no way that my host family (the family I lived with in my town for 2 months) who provided tremendous support for me over my 2 years in their town could not come and visit me in the United States- even if I funded it! Visas and passports are very difficult to get. Once you get a passport, visa applications are a nightmare. A US passport is like a ticket to the world.
3. Stuff... While I can file "stuff" into the negative category as well because I believe it has gotten way out of hand, it's honestly pretty cool to have stuff. What do I mean? Well I'm sitting here at my parent's awesome new widescreen Mac computer. I look to my left and there is a printer/fax/scanner/copier on top of a file cabinet next to a floor to ceiling shelf stacked with books. To my right is a piano keyboard that hooks up to the computer, and a flight simulator game. Behind me is my fabulous plush, giant, red couch, and a rowing machine. That's the big stuff, but I could keep going... and this is just one room. It may not sound like a lot to all of you, but really, it is. And, as materialistic as this might come off, I like having this stuff. I am damn lucky, and I recognize that like never before.

And that's only 3... there are more, but I won't go there. I think the key is that though I kinda knew in my mind somewhere that I was lucky, I didn't really feel it strongly like I do now. Taking a step outside of my own culture for a bit also gave me a chance to reflect on aspects of our culture that I consider to be damaging like the "Bigger is better" attitude which got us in all sorts of trouble with both debt and obesity... things that I think many of us are starting to recognize and working to change. I'm excited to head across the country to see friends and family I haven't seen in awhile, to see places I've never seen before, and to revisit spots I've been and loved.

Unfortunately, I didn't just grow mentally in the Peace Corps... I also grew physically. I am officially in the "overweight" category. I HATE that(even though I don't think I look THAT bad- just some problem areas). I have a goal on this trip to lose weight while I'm traveling. To do so, I'm going to make a list of area-specific foods that I have to eat, and then I'm going to bring a cooler with yogurt, fruit and vegis(my Passat has a plug in the trunk for one of those plug-in ones- again, Yayyy stuff!). For meals, I'm going to go ahead and try Nutrisystem. My sister loves it and as a self-appointed foodie, I've snubbed it a bit. I tried the food this week, and though it's not gourmet cuisine (duh, it's in a box), it's well-portioned, edible (some stuff actually is pretty good), and should help me stick to my diet. I'll use that to keep myself in check and then I'll allow the occasional cheat day for things such as beer in Milwaukee, pizza in Chicago, and Moroccan food with some of my Peace Corps friends. Did I mention that I can cook a mean couscous?

Anyhow, I'll fill you in more as I get ready to head out... Cheers for now.