R O L L E R C O A S T E R

To say that I experience a roller coaster of emotions on a daily basis is the understatement of all understatements.  And in fact, that previous statement alone both pisses me off and makes me smile at the same time! It pisses me off because it's absolutely full of [...shit, what are those things called? You know, where people say them so much that they start to lose their meaning but are still usually true...] cliches! Yes! Cliches.  (I hate them, and yet I so often am one.)  And it makes me smile, too, because there is no better way to explain my emotions on a daily basis than like the highs & lows of a roller coaster. If you know me, then you know I love roller coasters. And that is what life on the road feels like to me.  A roller coaster.  So while the highs are to the mountain tops & the lows are to the depths of the sea, together they make something I love. And that's pretty great.

John Steinbeck already wrote the novel I wanted to author.

When I first started researching for my road trip, I read constantly.  I read novels, magazines, guide books, blogs, lists, maps...  One of the first books I read though, was John Steinbeck's "Travels with Charley in Search of America."  I picked it up in the travel section at the local library and found myself enjoying it so much (and wanting to highlight my favorite lines & write notes in the margins), that I ended up buying my own copy of it at Barnes & Noble.  I don't know what it is about this book.  It's not what many would consider one of Steinbeck's "great masterpieces."  It's no "Grapes of Wrath" (which I've never read) or "Of Mice and Men" (which I did read, but didn't much enjoy because sad stories make me sad.)  It's really nothing special (to most people, probably.)  But when I read it for the first time, I felt like the experiences he had written about were exactly like the ones I hoped to have on my own road trip.  The realizations he made about our country & our society were things I had often thought, but never had the eloquence to put into written word.  In short, "Travels with Charley in Search of America" is the story of Steinbeck's road trip with his dog.  But anyone who has ever taken a road trip knows that the real "story" is amazement, disgust, realization, bewilderment, loss of faith, renewed faith, loneliness, absolute joy, and so much more.  I loved Steinbeck's story so much that I read it a few times in a row.  Or sometimes I'd just go back and read my favorite parts again.  And sometimes I felt like I was reading my own words...

I was cleaning out my van the other day, and I happened upon my copy again.  So I pulled it out and that night before bed, I started reading it.

We all think our thoughts are our own.  We think, "No one has ever thought exactly what I'm thinking right now."  Until we read our exact thoughts typed out into neat sentences on the pages of a novel written 20+ years before we(I) were(was) even born.

I felt that again when I began to read.  And what an amazing (and dreadful!) feeling that is!  We all want to believe that our thoughts are unique; we'd like to think we're clever, or witty, or more observant, or just different from every one else. Special.  But the truth is, it's also kind of humbling and exhilarating when you realize that you're not as original as you once thought; that maybe someone out there does perceive the world in much of the same way as you.  (I don't claim to know anything about Steinbeck's worldview.  He died twenty years before I was even born, and I know nothing of his thoughts about our country except what he wrote in this one novel.) Nonetheless, it made me happy to reread my favorite passages from before the start of my own travels, now that I am the midst of them.

I leave you with this: a passage about Montana that very well could have been written by your's truly.  (Not because I claim to be any ounce of a shadow of the writer that Steinbeck was, but because they are most certainly the same [maybe more poetic] thoughts I had about Montana, too. And I love it.  I love that someone else feels the exact way I do about that "great splash of grandeur.")

The next passage in my journey is a love affair.  I am in love with Montana.  For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection, but with Montana it is love, and it's difficult to analyze love when you're in it. [...] It seems to me that Montana is a great splash of grandeur.  The scale is huge but not overpowering.  The land is rich with grass and color, and the mountains are the kind I would create if mountains were ever put on my agenda. [...] Again my attitude may be informed by love, but it seemed to me that the towns were places to live in rather than nervous hives.  People had time to pause in their occupations to undertake the passing art of neighborliness. [...] But I see that, as usual, love is inarticulate.  Montana has a spell on me.  It is grandeur and warmth.  If Montana had a seacoast, or if I could live away from the sea, I would instantly live there and petition for admission.  Of all the states it is my favorite and my love.  --John Steinbeck, 1962

Now if those last two sentences aren't full of words stolen from my very soul, then... well, I don't know what. Because the truth is, they are.  In fact, they don't even have to be stolen from my soul. Those are words I've said aloud in conversation with friends about Montana.

Disclaimer:  If you want an epic story, don't read this book.  I recommended it to my little sister, and she found it boring and hard to read.  I loved it because I was about to embark on my own journey, and I loved what Steinbeck had to say about his. :)

S U N R I S E

I waited for the sun to rise. All night it seemed. Because that's the way it works; the sunrise brings the morning. And I waited for it all night long. Because I was scared. And I was cold. And because I know that the sunrise promises warmth and calmness. Because even if the sunrise doesn't bring a warm day, it brings the sun. And even if the sun hides it's face behind the clouds, the rising of the sun brings a new day. And a new day brings clarity. And then I can remember, when my mind is clear, that there's nothing to be afraid of.  And I will feel calm. And I will be warm again.

Glittering Eyes

"And above all,

watch with glittering eyes

the whole world around you

because the greatest secrets

are always hidden

in the most unlikely places.

Those who don't believe in magic

will never find it."

--Roald Dahl

Scared shitless & having the time of my life.

Scared shitless & having the time of my life.

Maybe that should be the title of the book I write when this adventure has come to an end.  Or maybe not.  Or maybe it won't end.  Or maybe I won't write a book.  Either way, that's the truth: I'm scared shitless and having the time of my life.

I'm not always scared shitless.  And I'm not always having the time of my life.  This past month or so has been a good mixture of both learning to face fears I never knew I had, and experiencing things that most people only dream about.

The truth is, sometimes I wonder what the hell I was thinking when I decided to go on this journey. Other times, I can't believe how lucky I am to be where I am.  Have I mentioned that I'm fickle?  I think you all knew that.  Nobody has ever said "actually..." as many times in their whole lifetime as I've said it in my 26 years.  So I like to change my mind.  Often. Constantly.  However, no matter how many times I find myself wondering, "What was I thinking!?" ...When it's cold, and I'm alone, and I'm sleeping in my van in some random parking lot (yes, this happens more often than you'd think), my mind has been made up about one thing, for certain:  This is exactly where I'm supposed to be.  This is exactly what I'm supposed to be doing. This is my LIFE.  

Yes, I realize that was more that one thing.  Because just as often as I wonder what the hell I was thinking, I wonder how I got so lucky.  When I'm collecting gorgeous rocks from Glacier National Park (shoot, that's not illegal, right?), dancing with the wedding party at a local bar in Woodstock with my best friend, enjoying mimosas on the porch of a B&B on Martha's Vineyard with my soulmate, or happening upon hidden treasures in the most unexpected places, I can't help but think to myself, "How is this real life!? How did I get so lucky!?"  I don't have the answers (which is probably why I keep asking the same questions), but I do know one thing:  Although I'm often scared shitless, I'm also having the time of my life.

Bus Stuff.

Did you know that the Indian Trails buses out of the UP (Upper Peninsula) have wifi? AND outlets in front of every seat? Neither did I!  I was very pleasantly surprised.  In fact, the Indian Trails buses were the nicest ones I rode during my two-day trip to Montana.  And all that leg room! I wish I would have known how cramped & crowded my last two buses were going to be so I would have appreciated my space more while I had it.

I learned a lot about bus travel along the way.  And I learned a lot about myself, too.  Or maybe I just learned about how other people view me.  Either way,  I seemed to learn quite a bit...

Tips for a better bus-traveling experience:
(Feel free to skip this section if you aren't planning on traveling by bus anytime soon.) ;)
--First, if you wanna get things done fast & efficiently without the whole ripping-your-hair-out, gritting-your-teeth, pissing-and-moaning because that stupid automated lady on the other end of the line keeps repeating herself and then asking you to repeat yourself because she "didn't quite get that," do yourself a favor, and just take your lazy ass down to the nearest bus station (or have Grama drive you) & do it all in person.  Seriously.  I tried to do things online, and that experience was horrible.  And then I tried calling, and that was even worse. And then my mother (have I mentioned how SMART that lady is? We should really listen to our mothers more) suggested I just go to the bus station and have them help me figure out the best route, how much it was going to cost, and what to do about my extra baggage.  And when I did, it was a breeze.  So easy! And no hair-pulling, teeth-grinding, or cussing required.  Amen, alleluia.
--I mentioned baggage.  I had to have two bags because one had all of my clothes, toiletries, books etc. in it & the other one is my breather.  (I hear they're working on a more portable therapy vest for active people with CF.  Thank God, because that thing isn't exactly easy to travel with considering it weighs about 40lbs and is anything but "light-weight.") Anyway, I had two bags plus my carry-on and with the cost of your bus ticket you get one carry-on and one piece of luggage 50lbs or less that rides underneath.  Explain your situation, and you just might get to take your carry-on AND your breather on the bus with you.  I said "medical equipment" and the (super-nice) bus driver (in fact, all of my bus drivers were VERY amicable) said "Oh, we'll just call that your carry-on." & when I explained to him that I already had a carry-on, he said "We'll call that one your 'purse' and the medical equipment your carry-on." Mind you, that thing is no carry-on sized piece of equipment; he said it like he was winking at me.  Just be honest & pleasant and people will be more likely to happily assist you.
--Sit in the emergency exit row.  Just like an airplane, you will have way more leg room.
--The buses (only God knows why) are usually uncomfortably cold.  I was wearing pants, socks, shoes, a long-sleeved shirt, a zip-up hoodie, a jacket & a scarf, and I was still cold. So unless you want to freeze, I suggest you dress warm.  And I highly recommend wearing a scarf as well.  One of the large ones that can double as a blanket like mine did numerous times throughout my ride(s).
--If you can, SLEEP.  Especially if you're traveling at night; it makes the time go much faster.
--When you travel far distances, chances are you will have a layover or two.  Take advantage of them! See the sites! Or at least walk to the coffee shop & used bookstore down the street for a bagel & "hot scotch" (hot chocolate with butterscotch; it was SO yummy!) But don't be late getting back to the station for your connection.  Give yourself at least a half-hour before boarding time.
--If you're bored, talk to people. Say hi.  Don't be dumb and give out too much information about yourself, but say hello, tell them your name, strike up a conversation.  Having bus-buddies is fun! Trust me, I made quite a few.

Here's where my self-discoveries started.  More often than not, the first question I got asked after stating that I'm 26  was, "Are you married?" Followed by, "Do you have children." To which I always replied  no, I am not & I do not.   This, apparently, is flabbergasting.  People just don't understand.  Sherry, my grandparents' friend who suffered a brain aneurism years ago & has short-term memory loss, asks the same questions repeatedly (every ten minutes & all day long!) & one of her favorites is, "Are you a married lady, Addie Behm?"  And  when I tell her I am not, and in fact don't even have a boyfriend, she always says with a huge smile on her face, without fail, "Well what's the matter with you, Addie Behm!?" This is exactly what those confused looks on my bus-buddies faces are asking, without saying the words.

I don't ever explain myself too much, because what is there to say to these people? I'm just not (married). I just don't (have kids).  Maybe this realization is less about me, and more about other people.  People today think someone like me, at my age, should be married with children. Those are both beautiful things, and maybe they'll happen for me someday when the time is right, but for now I just want to drive.

A realization that actually is about me:  I look like a super trustworthy, amazing advice-giving, super secret-keeping priest of sorts.  I must, because people feel the need to open up to me, ask me for advice, tell me their secrets, and confess their sins to me.  I learned more about JoAnne & her job as a demolition lady, her brother who wants her to come visit him in Montana but will be mad that he has to pay for their vacation to Canada, and her daughter who gave JoAnne five grandchildren (all boys) than I asked to learn, but I don't mind, of course. It's kind of flattering that people feel comfortable opening up to me.  I don't know what to tell Frank about his sister's random phone call (she usually only calls on his birthday) or how to best sympathize with him over his friend drinking again (although I have no idea why he called him his "friend." Friends don't cause one another to hide in dumpsters to avoid a beating from said "friend")   But I listen, and nod my head, and say a word or two now and then, and that's enough for people. And it's enough for me, too. :)

Michigan. Or Montana...? It starts with M.

You know that feeling you get after something you've dreamed about for so long has finally come & gone?  A vacation, for example... Or a party or a holiday or even a wedding. You spent time with your friends and family, you enjoyed some good food and had a few drinks, you laughed until you cried, you took some silly photos, you made some memories that will last you a lifetime.  You had FUN, and you might even be a little bit sad that it's over, but you're ready to go back to your real life.  You know it, right? That feeling?

That's how I feel about starting my road trip. Not that I'm ready to go back to my real life, but that my road trip IS my real life-- my real dream life. And I'm ready to just get back to it!

Turns out life isn't always as easy as that, and I'm going to have to wait a little while longer for the dream to start. I'm SO close... My head's already on the pillow & my eyes are squeezed shut.  I'm just waiting for sleep to take me. Or rather, the Greyhound to take me to Montana...

Ever since the beginning of my road trip planning process, I've always said that I'll start in Michigan on Monday, September 1st, 2014.  Instead, I'll be taking a bus to Bozeman, Montana on Thursday the 4th, arriving in the afternoon on the 5th, and meeting up with my dad (who's flying in from LA) to retrieve my road trip vehicle. LONG story short, I'm getting an awesome Ford E-150 van that's been converted into a camper by a company located in Montana.

My dad, being the softie that he is (aka best dad in the world), asked if he could travel with me for the first week or so just to make sure I'm comfortable (with the vehicle, with traveling, with life on the road..?) I think he's just nervous for me & my safety and wants to see for himself that I'll be okay. :)

So instead of the 1st, my journey begins on the 5th.  And instead of starting in Michigan, I'm starting in Montana.  And instead of being alone, I'll be with my dad. (He's going to do Montana and North Dakota with me, and then I'm going to drop him off at the airport in Minneapolis, Minnesota on the 11th so he can fly home.)

There are bound to be unexpected bumps and turns along the way over the next several months, so I guess now is as good a time as any to start learning how to hold on or swerve.

a Lust for the New

...a good part of all longing to travel consists in a yearning for people one has never seen, a lust for the new-- to look into strange eyes, strange faces, to rejoice in unknown human types and manners.

Thomas Mann

Crazy, happy life.

Disclaimer: This post reads like a high schooler's journal entry. It is long, and boring, and serves no real purpose except to document my week in order for me to remember its greatness in the future.

It's Sunday!  I'm off! What a blessing. :) My work schedule has been different the past few months, so  when I saw that I got Sunday/Saturday off this week I was stoked.  So for this week I really only have  one day off  'cause I worked the night desk shift last night and I work again tomorrow morning.  But I work Monday-Friday with Saturday off, and if schedules continue in the same manner (hopefully!) then I'll have Sunday off too. A real weekend! Woohoo! :)

Anyway, I had this whole fun, eventful day planned (drive to town & pick up Lily, 8:30 service at New Hope, 10 o'clock service at Calvary, lunch, beach & then Lori's Twilight party at her place tonight...), and I even got as far as eating breakfast, showering & getting dressed for church when I finally decided I needed to just take the day off.  Actually, I decided to take a page out of Kiele's book and go to "Life Church" like she sometimes attends "Life School."  (Sash & CB occasionally let her skip school for the day and they go on their own adventures to learn about life.  Which, in my opinion, can be even better and more beneficial than real school anyway.)

So I made a new Chris Tomlin station on Pandora & with good intentions I dumped my clean laundry out on my bed to be hung up and put away.  Instead though, I pushed the clothes to one side, got back in bed, and spent the morning looking through my Fortune Lake albums on Facebook.  Very productive.

Sometimes a crazy-eventful week warrants a lazy Sunday, right?  What I wanted to do was take a nap, but that just wasn't in the cards for me. (Is it ever!?).  And although I hate allowing myself to be completely lazy (I feel like it's a waste of a day!), sometimes I really need it. Today is just one of those days (except I'm still planning on going to Lori's tonight), and if simply being tired and lazy after an amazingly fun week is all it costs me, then that seems like a fair trade to me!

My last days on this island are fast approaching and naturally I'm trying to do as much as I can before I fly away.  Hence the super busy, amazingly fun week.  It went a little something like this:

Sunday:  Easter!  We always go to the 6am sunrise service at Calvary by the Sea on Easter Sunday, and this year was no exception.  However the weather didn't feel like cooperating, so instead of our usual outdoor service on the lawn overlooking the ocean, we settled for watching the waves though the big glass windows while sitting in the pews.  (I know, rough life.) There was no pretty sunrise due to the rain clouds, but rough water is just as fun to watch. :) After church we went to Auntie's and pigged out on a SCRUMPTIOUS Easter Brunch. Sooo delicious! Then me, Lily, and Kai went to the 11 o'clock service at New Hope.  I love that place. :)  Later we went back to Auntie's to dye eggs and eat some more.  Always a good time over there with family & plenty of laughter and good food! After I dropped Lily off at the dorms, I went to the beach for a little and then relaxed at home for the remainder of the night.

Monday:  On Monday, Naomi and I were both off so we took Sharnel's daughter Melissa out for a Girls Day.  We had so much fun! We had lunch at Chili's, saw Rio 2 in 3D, went to get our nails done, and then went shopping (for food! Haha). Before they dropped me off, Melissa and Naomi came inside to play with Rocco for a little bit and Melissa was trying to get him to do tricks. She is adorable and I think we all really enjoyed our day together.  :)

Tuesday:  I worked Tuesday morning and then Cyril, Naomi and I had a date night at Outback.  Those two are so special to me; I love our times together. :)  Cyril had to leave after dinner, and Naomi and I decided to go see "Heaven is For Real."  I read and LOVED the book so I was really excited to see it, and I think they did a good job.  It was different than the book (the movies always are), but it was fun to watch.

Wednesday:  On Wednesday I worked the morning shift and then Ashley and I took Baby Leilah to the beach!  Oh my goodness that little girl is the cutest, chubbiest baby you ever did see.  She is so precious and I think she enjoyed getting sandy and splashing around in the water.  I know Ash and I had fun watching and playing with her! :) On my way home I stopped at the beach by my house to watch the sunset and do some shell collecting.

Thursday:  I was off on Thursday and it was a perfect day!  I was lucky enough to spend the entire morning with my auntie & uncle-- just the three of us! I felt like a child getting a special day with them.  :) We hiked up to the Makapu'u Lighthouse & then down to the beach at Alan Davis to swim.  It was a beautiful day! Then we took Uncle home so he could rest, and Auntie & I went out for burgers at The Counter. I spent some time at the Hawaii Kai Library that afternoon, and then it was time to meet up with Kai, Hoku, Lily, Kiele & Alyssa for the Florida Georgia Line concert at the Blaisdell. They are incredible live & it was such an awesome concert! (Kiele & Hoku's first one!). We went out for a late night snack at Like Like Drive-In afterward (yum!) & then I spent the night at the Taniguchi's.

Friday:  On Friday, I met up with a bunch of my friends at Kakaako for our very own "Flashback Friday." We all brought some of our favorite foods from childhood (lunchables, fruit snacks, Pringles, goldfish, Kool Aid, pudding cups, jello, etc.) and spent the morning/afternoon eating, flying kites, blowing bubbles, cardboard sledding, shooting each other with water guns, and just having fun pretending to be kids.  It was FANTASTIC.  Then Naomi and I had to leave to head to work.

Saturday:  On Saturday I went on a breakfast date with one of my favorite people, my coworker TJ.  We had our very own Spring themed "Caricature" Breakfast.  I love that woman! I hope to be like her when I grow up.  :) Breakfast was yummy, company was great; it was the perfect way to start my day before working that afternoon.

I loved this week. I love being busy. (As long as it's because I'm doing fun things.) ;)

*Also, I did end up going to Lori's on Sunday night & it was a BLAST! I LOVE MY COWORKERS! :D

Read.

Since I began the process of road trip planning, I've fallen in love with reading (for the millionth time, probably) all over again.  My family reads.  When we were kids, my siblings and I would look forward to stopping by Barnes & Noble with dad before or after our movie at The Promenade to read a quick chapter or check out the latest Archie comic book.  I never used to read as much as my siblings in the beginning though.  I was a little behind in starting the Harry Potter series, and I didn't actually develop a love for books until I began those.  I was more of a read-Calvin&Hobbes-while-eating-cereal reader than a read-a-book-for-the-love-of-reading reader.  And then I fell in love with books & never looked back.  Now I love to read everything, and my road trip research has allowed me to enjoy this hobby even more recently.

If you follow my blog, then you've probably noticed that it's been a few months since my last post.  It's not because I forgot about my blog or because I was lazy.  It's because I was feeling uninspired.  I have several entries saved as drafts (as per usual & this will probably never not be true), as I have continued to research and take notes, but I was feeling like posting on my blog was a chore instead of something I enjoyed.

I want this entire road trip process, from planning to execution to recalling epic stories after the fact, to be something I enjoy. POSITIVE.  In recent weeks, writing wasn't something I found pleasure in.  But reading was and continues to be something I find most enjoyable.  So I will continue to read, and in doing so, research.  And I will share my findings, and my thoughts & my hopes for my trip.  But I will not allow sharing to become a chore.  I do want to keep myself accountable, and I think this blog will help me do so, but I will only reach for a pen & paper (or a keyboard) when I feel compelled, inspired to do so.  Not because it is something I feel I have a responsibility to do.  :)

SSS: New Jersey

New Jersey tends to have a bad reputation because of how it's portrayed in movies and on television, and the state's infamous tolls don't really help their case either.  But as someone who always tries to see the good, I'm hoping to find some hidden charm in this "Garden State" (and I have no doubt that I will!)

After some research, things I might want to see/do/eat:
-Palisades Interstate Park (riverside hiking trails & shoreline)
-Jersey Shore
-Prudential Center aka "The Rock" in Newark
-Ironbound (Portuguese-Spanish neighborhood)
-Hoboken, Frank Sinatra's hometown (see an alternative-rock show at Maxwell's)
-Atlantic City
-Eat some salt-water taffy at Atlantic City's boardwalk (where the treat was invented in the late 1800s)
-Enjoy some blueberries (the first in the US were farmed in New Jersey)
-Asbury Park & rock bar Stone Pony
-Canoe the Delaware Water Gap on the New Jersey/Pennsylvania border
-Wetlands in south New Jersey
-Revolutionary War monuments
-The Pine Barrens region

I can't wait to drive along New Jersey's advent of highways while listening to Springsteen's "Born to Run!" :)

Visit NJ

Attitude of G R A T I T U D E

The following entry was written on 11/14/13.

I'm sitting on the bed in my room with the fan on, my favorite quilt covering my legs, Rocco sleeping under the covers with his head resting on my shin, a cup of coffee on the headboard behind me, a small dish of almonds sitting on the pillow next to me, and Alexi Murdoch playing from my Bon Iver Pandora station in the background.  & Today I'm overcome with this deep feeling of gratitude. And sadness. And excitement. And simple nostalgia.  But mostly G R A D I T U D E. I am SO overcome with gratitude.

The amount of people & things & experiences I have to be thankful for is overwhelming. I am SO blessed it makes me what to cry a river of joyful, gracious tears.  And maybe that's just what I'll have to do, because this feeling has rocked me to my core and I can't even begin to explain how lucky I feel; in every aspect of my life I feel lucky.

That's not all to say that my life is perfect. It's not. It's far from perfect actually.  Nor is this the happiest I've been, because that's not true either.  In fact, the past several months have been hard for me emotionally.  I've struggled with friendships, plans for my future, family stuff, health problems, and other very personal issues.  But I am A L I V E.  I am living and breathing and experiencing life.

...

1/19/14
Have you ever heard of The Secret? My family and I have been exploring the idea of it more often lately, and The Secret is essentially that. ^^ To have a constant attitude of gratitude.  To be thankful and grateful for everything that you already have while hoping (& ASKING) for what you want. To consciously be putting positivity out into the Universe, because positive attracts more positive. (& the same is true of negativity.) The secret to a happy life is being grateful for everything that you already have, asking for what you want, believing that you will get it, receiving it,  and then being grateful all over again.  We have the power to give ourselves a happy life.  We just have to believe that we can have what we want, ALL we want, and we will be blessed.

I want to road trip across the United States of America.  I want to have the time of my life exploring my country & experiencing everything this great nation has to offer.

...And you better believe I WILL.  Because I do. ;)

SSS: Connecticut

"The Constitution State"

Things to see & do:

-Long Island Sound shoreline
-Hammonasset Beach State Park
-Mystic Seaport
-Norwich's Mohegan Indian Burial Ground
-Housatonic River Valley
-Housatonic Meadows State Park
-Quiet Corner farm country
-Mystic Aquarium
-Essex Steam Train & Riverboat
-Stonington lighthouse museum
-Scoville Memorial Library-- the first free public library in the U.S.
-Long Wharf & Schubert Theaters
-Peabody Museum of Natural History
-Yale University Art Gallery & Yale Center for British Art
-Old State House in Hartford
-former homes of  Mark a Twain & Harriet Beecher Stowe
-Wadsworth Atheneum & Bushnell Performing Arts Center

BUT MOSTLY:

*EAT in New Haven.
-Louis' Lunch Wagon (old-fashioned burgers)
-the "grinder" (hot Italian sandwich)
-"apizza" (thin, brick-oven pizza, best with clams & garlicky white sauce)
[Apparently, Frank Sinatra enjoyed New Haven pizza so much that he had it delivered to NYC (two hours away) rather frequently.]
:)

SSS: Rhode Island

RHODE ISLAND
"Ocean State"
Rhode Island may be the smallest state in America, but their motto is "Hope" which makes me love it already. :) & Since Rhode Island is so small (48 miles long & 42 miles wide) I'm planning to see pretty much everything this tiny state has to offer. ;)
Block Island:
-Mohegan Bluffs (200 feet high)
-Block Island Beach Rec Area
-New Shoreham (the island's only town)
Bristol:
-Colt State Park
-Coggeshall Farm (replica of 18th century working farm)
-Roger Williams University
-Blithewold Mansion & Gardens
-Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology
-Brown University (Native American Arts & cultural items)
-Herreshoff Marine Museum & America's Cup Hall of Fame
Newport:
-Tour a mansion on Bellevue Ave
-Hammersmith Farm
-Friends Meeting House
-Touro Synagogue National Historic Site
-Fort Adams State Park
-Old Colony House, Washington Square
-Gooseberry & Easton's Beaches, Sachuest & Third Beaches
Pawtucket:
-Slater Mill Historic Site
-Blackstone River National Heritage Corridor
Providence
- "costume jewelry capital of the nation"
-Ivy League Brown University, the Museum of Art-- Rhode Island School of Design, Providence College, Rhode Island College, & Johnson and Wales University
-first Baptist Church in America
-Benefit Street's "Mile of History"
-Roger Williams Park
Warwick:
-known for its malls & outlet stores
-Warwick City Park
-Oakland Beach
Westerly:
-villages: Westerly, Watch Hill, Bradford, Avondale
-beaches between Watch Hill & Weekapaug
-The Flying Horse Carousel at Watch Hill
Woonsocket:
-Museum of Work and Culture

SSS: Massachusetts

I'm not sure why, but I am beyond excited to visit Massachusetts! I've been there before, but for some reason researching Massachusetts makes me so happy! The plan is to be there for Halloween 2014. :D

This website, Massachusetts Vacations, has SO much fantastic information including sections all about holidays in Massachusetts... And of course my favorite is  HALLOWEEN! :D

SSS: Maine

MAINE
Also known as: "The Pine Tree State" OR "Vacationland"

Trademarks (& things I don't want to miss):
-lobsters
-blueberries
-moose
-rocky shores
-lighthouses
-mosquitoes (these I wouldn't mind missing)
^^ According to The USA BOOK

Acadia National Park
Mount Katahdin
Baxter State Park
Allagash Wilderness Waterway
Sand Beach
Camden Harbor
Moosehead Lake
Portland & West End

Mostly I want to eat seafood chowder containing Maine's famous lobsters & potatoes.  And maybe some blueberry pancakes & muffins too. Also, apparently it's a Maine tradition to enjoy "popovers with strawberry jam served on the lawn at Jordan Pond teahouse." So that'll be happening too. ;)

Human Again!

I'm finally feeling like a human again! Human again, human again! ;) I swear, my biggest accomplishment last week was NOT calling in sick to work.  And oh, how I wanted to! But I made it through the week, had Saturday off, worked again Sunday, and then had Monday & Tuesday off. And now, I feel human again! :)

Seriously though, when I'm sick I feel like the walking dead.  Except all I really want to do is play dead-- stay in bed all day and attempt to sleep... Although we all know that I'm almost completely incapable of that, so instead I stay in bed all day (except for the several hours I spend driving to/from & being at work) snacking, hydrating, researching, reading, watching Netflix, doing treatments, snacking some more & then doing more research while listening to my epic Pandora stations.

So although it has been over a week since my last post, and it may seem as though I'm slacking in the "road trip researching" category of my life, fear not! It is still very much alive and thriving.  In fact, my library books are over-due because I didn't want to give them back until I soaked up all they had to offer, and I've already reached the limit for online renewals.  And instead of just dropping them in the book return (remember how I said I've been sick and things like stopping by the library come second to laying in bed feeling like a zombie) I've held onto them, probably accruing many late-fees, but certainly benefiting from their plethora of good information and road trip ideas.

...

This post has been waiting in my "drafts" for the past few days with only those three paragraphs above.  I have since returned my overdue books (they were, thankfully, only one day late), and of course I borrowed some more.  There is something so inspiring about the travel section of a local library.  I'd really like to just take the whole collection home with me and immerse myself in the romance of some other traveler's experiences.  And study every detail of the routes those before me have taken to explore their world.  Or simply learn about every little thing there is to be seen, so as not to miss a single life-changing opportunity to discover something new (or at least new to me.)  If only so much more time existed in each day; time enough to waste (or in my opinion, use wisely!) escaping into daydreams about the innumerable possibilities of my fast-approaching road trip...

SSS: New Hampshire

...

L I V E 

F R E E 

O R

D I E 

...

I can't even imagine the forest colors when I am not seeing them.  I wondered whether constant association could cause inattention, and asked a native New Hampshire woman about it.  She said the autumn never failed to amaze her; to elate.  "It is a glory," she said, "and can't be remembered, so that it always comes as a surprise."

--John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley in Search of America

Visit New Hampshire
NH Travel Guide

^^^

SSS: Vermont

This week's state for State Study Sunday is...

VERMONT!

As excited as I am to share my findings from this week's research, I regret to inform you that I will not be blessing you with my "musts" for the Green Mountain State at this time.  Just wanted to make sure y'all didn't think I'd forgotten about my plan to post every Sunday...

...I'm exhausted & still sick & frankly, transferring my notes from my pretty journal to this mini iPad is the last thing I want to do right now.  So, I'm off to bed (with visions of pancakes drowned in Vermont's maple syrup dancing in my head.)  ;)

SSS: New York

The amount of adventures I plan to enjoy in New York is innumerable.   New York City alone leaves me dizzy with possibility.  New York is one of those states that may require more than the 5.5 days that my 9-month travel plans have allotted.  Which of course makes me question, once again,  whether or not 9 months will be enough time to see & do & experience all that I want to see & do & experience.  The answer of course is that it's not.  That's what I both love & hate about this whole planning process though.  I will never be able to  experience it all!  But how wonderful is that!? Our country is so full of wonderful things waiting to be explored and appreciated.  I'm excited to discover even a small portion of all that wonderfulness.  :)

Things to do & see & experience in NEW YORK:

• Catskills (New Paltz, Kingston, Woodstock)
• Adirondack Mountains
• The Hudson River Valley
• Niagara Falls
• Clark's Gully (waterfalls)
• Finger Lakes region (Ithaca)
• Long Island

• Drive Route 73 to Lake Placid
• National Baseball Hall of Fame
• Saratoga National Historic Park
• Coney Island FUN
• Eat buffalo wings at Anchor Bar in Buffalo
• Eat New York-style pizza, cheesecake, bagels, pastrami

• NEW YORK CITY !
• [I'm considering becoming a true tourist & buying the New York Pass to help me discover all that the Big Apple has to offer.]

Although I've been to New York before, I'm certainly excited to rediscover it. :)

Official New York Guide