ROAD TRIP

The road trip clocked in at around 2,500 miles which my dad and I separated into 4 days of driving time. We stopped in Flagstaff, AZ; Liberal, KS; and Kansas City, MO before finally arriving at our destination in Columbus, OH.

My car parked and ready to go.

Very cool place in Flagstaff, AZ where we went to dinner. It was a musical revue steakhouse, so the servers all took turns singing up on a little stage. Needless to say, I quite enjoyed this, despite the less-than-stellar meal.


This is a pretty typical view from the drive. It's hard to see, but to the left of the wind turbine (near the middle of the photo) is a tiny windmill. I found it pretty hilarious.



We drove through California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and finally...OHIO!


Check out the video!! :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1qlbPgpn7A

Stressedy-stress-stress

News Flash: PACKING SUCKS.

Especially when you have very limited space in which to pack said packing-ness. Now, I'm a pretty experienced packer. I've been through 6 full-fledged house moves, as well as 4 years worth of college back-and-forth obnoxiousness, so I know a thing or two about how to get it done. Sadly, this does not change the fact that I own a lot of stuff. Oh, stuff. Ya know, little trinkets from Gymboree Kids, letters and cards from everyone and their mothers starting at my birth, decorations for the holidays, and oodles beyond caboodles of craft supplies. If you know not what a caboodle is, you may have been robbed of a childhood (unless you're a boy, in which case, I understand.) Hello tangent.

So, today was my dreaded day of packing. Trying on several pairs of stored-under-the-bed jeans to make sure that, yes, they still fit? Only part of the fun delights of the day. It's strange. For trips-- I don't mind packing but I HATE UN-packing. It's the opposite for moving. I hate the packing, but I don't mind the UN-packing. Probably because it's fun to make the place feel like home and find places for everything, who knows. I'm glad to be ALMOST done with the packing extravaganza. Just a couple loads of laundry to do and then I move on to smashing everything into the back of my Mitsubishi (Unfortunately, I can't use the passenger seat since my dad is accompanying me on the journey. Bah!)

On another note, I've been receiving more and more comments about how I'm in for a shock come winter. So now I'm all terrified about driving in the snow and buying the right boots so I don't slip and break my neck. A woman who I work with backstage said she was a total "California Girl" when she first moved to Alaska. She poured water on her icy windshield (which I totally do here at home!) which of course instantly froze and almost cracked the glass!! I'm sure in no time I'll be making dumb "California Girl mistakes." And don't worry, I'll be sure to chronicle all of them in great detail for your enjoyment.

Relocating for loooove

I think I've always been a romantic, a sucker for cheesy Nicholas Sparks-esque novels or films and those mushy acoustic love songs sung to girls by boys who wouldn't be caught dead singing otherwise. So, you can imagine how easy it was for me to consider a relocation as a way to end a less-than-desirable long distance relationship (the distance being undesirable, not the relationship. Durr).

It probably started as a half-joke: "maybe I'll have to move out to Ohio..." but quickly it turned into a job interview, an apartment hunt, and a roommate search. And now, in just two weeks, I'll be leaving my hometown of Monterey, CA to chase after my happily-ever-after... 2,500 miles away in Columbus, OH.


It's a leap of faith, a risk, a sacrifice, an adventure... whatever you want to call it. But it's also the end of this beginning. The end of months of grueling plane rides, agonizing airport goodbyes, and constantly calculating time differences. But also the end of pajama Skype dates and surprise presents through the postal service.... Or maybe not?

Here's hoping this California girl can survive some Midwestern weather!! Follow me to keep updated on my cross country road trip, the move into my new place, my first days at my job, and all the other adventures along the way :)