Sunday, August 31, 2008
Hiking Again
Trista and I went hiking for a few hours yesterday and had a great time. Hiking in Virginia is totally different than hiking in Utah. Where we were, there was a lot less up and down, but a lot more trees and tree roots and rocks to maneuver over. We went on Billy Goat Trail which goes right along the Potomac. It was really beautiful. I love water and I loved being by the river. It was really great to me to be able to get out of the city. I was itching to get away from so many people and cars and I didn't realize how much I missed the privacy and sounds of nature as opposed to the urban life. I do love it here in Virginia so far, but I was so grateful for the chance to get away. Here's a few of the pictures I took.
The Fridge
I am blessed to live in a place that has two refrigerators. I love only having to share the fridge with one person. It makes it so easy and I don't even have to label my food. Ah- the convenience. Unfortunately, the fridge which I am so lucky to use had some serious issues when I moved in. We couldn't put anything on the door of the fridge because it was cracked and kind of falling apart and there was no bar across the shelves to keep things on the shelf. It really irritated me, so I decided to do something about it. My solution? Duct tape and a moving box. I had a great time and was proud of my self for doing this. Yes, it looks a little bit...lame, but I can safely put jars and condiments on my door with no fear that they will fall over and it was less than $5 to fix it. Thank you duct tape!!
The DC Experience
It's been a while since I had a good chance to sit down and blog, but tonight is the night to catch up! This is what I did last week. Emily came and spent almost a week with me and we spent a lot of time doing the tourist type things that I won't get to do quite as much of when school starts. It was fun to take time and actually do this before I fall into the hum-drum and stress of school. I took SO many pictures, but put together the slide show below that includes pictures from most of the places that we went. Our journeys included the Air Force Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, The Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, WWII Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Korean War Memorial, The Natural Science Museum (Smithsonian), The National Zoo (Smithsonian), and an Orioles, Red Sox baseball game up in Baltimore. We had such a good time, but we were so exhausted every night by the time that we got home. Like I said, it was a blast to see so much of the city. There is still tons for me to do- so many museums and monuments and such, but for two days I was a tourist instead of a resident so we packed in as much as we could.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
More in Virginia
I have done SO many things this week and haven't had the chance to post yet so, look for some good pictures and things coming this week. Also, I am so very close to having my room set up and ever so slowly our apartment is becoming a little home, so very soon I will post my current abode. I thought I would post about a few things I have learned this week- a few adventures that I have had. First, wrong turns can be so disastrous out here. I honestly don't think that I ever left my home to go anywhere without getting lost. The other day my friend Emily and I were trying to go to Arlington National Cemetery and I missed a turn in this large roundabout and driving straight into DC right by all the monuments and such. I was so glad that Emily was with me because she could navigate while I drove. I do not know how I would have found my way out without her!
I also learned not to take simple things for granted. It's really odd the things that you think are so normal, but in a new place they are so not normal. For example, I have been trying to find some small pots to plant my house plants in and I had the hardest time finding any! I finally found a few at Ross and I will go to Home Depot and hopefully will find some there tomorrow, but I never realized how hard it was. In Colorado Springs I could find them anywhere including the grocery store. I also had to make a copy of our lease the other day and it took me over an hour to find somewhere where I could make a copy. It's weird the small things that can become so difficult.
I seriously miss the mountains. Yes, they are beautiful and while I love the trees, I like mountains more, but even more than that, I have no sense of direction. I try to use the sun, but then I do stupid things like forget that the sun actually sets in the west, not the east and I drive 30 minutes in the wrong direction before realizing it. Yeah, that ended up being a nice long drive before I made it home.
So there ya go! My life is full of all those new discoveries and adventures that come from being in a totally new part of the country. I will have more to post later this week when I get all my pictures ready for posting- so more to come.
I also learned not to take simple things for granted. It's really odd the things that you think are so normal, but in a new place they are so not normal. For example, I have been trying to find some small pots to plant my house plants in and I had the hardest time finding any! I finally found a few at Ross and I will go to Home Depot and hopefully will find some there tomorrow, but I never realized how hard it was. In Colorado Springs I could find them anywhere including the grocery store. I also had to make a copy of our lease the other day and it took me over an hour to find somewhere where I could make a copy. It's weird the small things that can become so difficult.
I seriously miss the mountains. Yes, they are beautiful and while I love the trees, I like mountains more, but even more than that, I have no sense of direction. I try to use the sun, but then I do stupid things like forget that the sun actually sets in the west, not the east and I drive 30 minutes in the wrong direction before realizing it. Yeah, that ended up being a nice long drive before I made it home.
So there ya go! My life is full of all those new discoveries and adventures that come from being in a totally new part of the country. I will have more to post later this week when I get all my pictures ready for posting- so more to come.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Wedding Bells Are Ringin'
But not for me! Jeremy got married this morning. It's totally amazing. It was so fun to see him married to Kelly. They looked lovely and the ceremony was beautiful. The open house last night was supposed to be outside and Kelly really wanted to be married outside, but we ran into some problems. It rained for the first time in months last night here in Colorado! Fortunately, this morning the rain abated for just long enough that the wedding happened outside. A lot of my siblings have been here and it has been great fun to see everyone.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Virginia
I spent my first week (almost) in Virginia. Ironically, I am back in Colorado right now for my brother's wedding, but I did start to get settled in in my new place. Things have gone better than I could have ever imagined so far. My roommates are awesome, I absolutely love them and my townhome is amazing! I have had all kinds of introductory experiences- I'm very slowly learning the ins and outs of my area. I learned that you can't make copies at the grocery store, drug store, Target or practically anywhere. Apparently if you want a copy of something (like your lease) you have to go to a Kinkos or something. The streets in the DC area are kind of ridiculous. I think they change names at least every mile- either that or you have to make a turn to stay on the same road. Some roads run together and are like two roads in one and some roads change names after big intersections. Why it all has to be so complicated is beyond my understanding, but hey it's still working out ok. I love driving in the area- now don't think I am too crazy, I haven't driven into the city yet, but when you put your blinker on, suddenly there is a space for you to get over. It is AMAZING! Especially since it is so easy to realize last minute that you are in the wrong lane and headed for trouble.
My favorite activity thus far has been Screen on the Green. On Monday nights in the summer there is a movie projected onto a large screen on the green of the Capitol building. It was pretty awesome to sit and watch Superman and see the capitol building lit up in the background right behind it. It still hasn't really sunk in the I am actually living there in the DC area. It is so unreal. I live less than 10 miles away from the capitol. Weird, but pretty cool. I love the drive into the city because you drive by the pentagon, the Air Force memorial, the Jefferson's memorial, the Washington Monument, etc. etc. It really is a remarkable experience.
My favorite activity thus far has been Screen on the Green. On Monday nights in the summer there is a movie projected onto a large screen on the green of the Capitol building. It was pretty awesome to sit and watch Superman and see the capitol building lit up in the background right behind it. It still hasn't really sunk in the I am actually living there in the DC area. It is so unreal. I live less than 10 miles away from the capitol. Weird, but pretty cool. I love the drive into the city because you drive by the pentagon, the Air Force memorial, the Jefferson's memorial, the Washington Monument, etc. etc. It really is a remarkable experience.
Friday, August 8, 2008
On the Road
I took about 12 days to make it from Utah to Virginia and had many adventures along the way. I thought I would document it so here's the longest blog ever! Start to finish- Utah to Virginia.
Utah- July 25th- Saying goodbye
I left Utah on July 25th. It was so weird. Stephanie and Laura, my two closest friends, helped me finish packing my car and sent me on the road. It was so weird to say goodbye to them, Steph and I have been so close our whole lives, and Laura and I have gone through college together. It was so weird that it is finally over. I stopped by BYU and then Trent and Ashlie's house and then hit the road to drive home to Colorado Springs. My car was so ridiculously full of stuff. I couldn't believe that I fit everything in!
Colorado (still July 25th)
I took my time driving through Colorado and stopped more than once on my way. My favorite rest stop is called Grizzly Creek (or something like that) and is in Glenwood Canyon. It is situated right on the Colorado River, so I walked along the river. There was a smaller stream that comes into the river right there and a little mini-cove where the water was really slow. A whole bunch of people were swimming. I would have loved to jump in, but I was in jeans and getting into a swimsuit was an impossibility (due to the package of the car) so I just rolled up my jeans and waded in the water. I spent twenty or thirty minutes which was a perfect break. A little bit further on, not too far from Vail (I think) there was a "scenic overlook". I never stop at these, but always look and wonder, so I decided to pull over. It was an overlook of a valley with a river, really beautiful. I especially appreciated it after driving across the rest of the country (it turns out that there aren't really scenic overlooks east of Colorado).
Colorado continued
I stayed in Colorado for a few days and got to visit the family. We had a great time visiting, playing games, and having fires in the backyard.
Leaving Colorado (July 28th)
I just stopped at random places all across the country. The night before I left Colorado I didn't get much sleep (thanks to Ben, Kim, Rick, and Mandy) so I was really exhausted. I stopped at this tiny museum in Sterling, CO. I wouldn't fork out the bucks to walk around for 15 minutes, but I walked around the outside. It was pretty cool, they have an old town set up and they have tractors and things out front. It was pretty fun.
Utah- July 25th- Saying goodbye
I left Utah on July 25th. It was so weird. Stephanie and Laura, my two closest friends, helped me finish packing my car and sent me on the road. It was so weird to say goodbye to them, Steph and I have been so close our whole lives, and Laura and I have gone through college together. It was so weird that it is finally over. I stopped by BYU and then Trent and Ashlie's house and then hit the road to drive home to Colorado Springs. My car was so ridiculously full of stuff. I couldn't believe that I fit everything in!
Colorado (still July 25th)
I took my time driving through Colorado and stopped more than once on my way. My favorite rest stop is called Grizzly Creek (or something like that) and is in Glenwood Canyon. It is situated right on the Colorado River, so I walked along the river. There was a smaller stream that comes into the river right there and a little mini-cove where the water was really slow. A whole bunch of people were swimming. I would have loved to jump in, but I was in jeans and getting into a swimsuit was an impossibility (due to the package of the car) so I just rolled up my jeans and waded in the water. I spent twenty or thirty minutes which was a perfect break. A little bit further on, not too far from Vail (I think) there was a "scenic overlook". I never stop at these, but always look and wonder, so I decided to pull over. It was an overlook of a valley with a river, really beautiful. I especially appreciated it after driving across the rest of the country (it turns out that there aren't really scenic overlooks east of Colorado).
Colorado continued
I stayed in Colorado for a few days and got to visit the family. We had a great time visiting, playing games, and having fires in the backyard.
Leaving Colorado (July 28th)
I just stopped at random places all across the country. The night before I left Colorado I didn't get much sleep (thanks to Ben, Kim, Rick, and Mandy) so I was really exhausted. I stopped at this tiny museum in Sterling, CO. I wouldn't fork out the bucks to walk around for 15 minutes, but I walked around the outside. It was pretty cool, they have an old town set up and they have tractors and things out front. It was pretty fun.
Still Traveling
Sorry that the font changes sizes in this blog. For some reason blogger won't let me fix it!
Nebraska- Sight seeing (more fun than I expected)
Nebraska was a remarkably fun state for me. I bought a pass to the state parks for cheap and went to two state parks while I was there. One was The Buffalo Bill Ranch and the other wasFort Kearny. Buffalo Bill's ranch was his house and ranch that he went to in between shows and Fort Kearny is an old trading post for travelers. I especially liked the Ranch. When I reached the other side of Nebraska I stopped in Omaha and had dinner with a friend. I told him I wanted something that was authentic Nebraskan so he took me to this fast food restraunt called Runza where they serve Runza. What is a Runza you ask? I asked that too. Its almost like a homemade- uh well I don't know if homemade is the right word, but maybe restraunt made- hot pocket. It is the pocket of crust filled with...something...not really sure what. Probably I don't what to know what it is filled with, but then on top of the "classic" runza you can get other more familiar toppings. We tried the mushroom and swiss (which was both of our favorites), BBQ, BLT, and classic. Not bad, I had a lot of fun. It was so good to stop and talk to someone. Harry Potter did me good, but real human interaction is also a bonus.
Left:cannon at Ft. Kearny Right: Barn at Buffalo Bill's Bottom:Buffalo Bill's home
Iowa July 28-30- yeah for friends!
I drove into West Des Moines, Iowa on Monday night. I pretty much said hello to my friends and then crashed for the night. I was exhausted from traveling all day. The next day was great fun though! We went to the Science Center in downtown Des Moines. It was such a blast. I think we stayed for about 4 hours and we only saw maybe half of it. We had a blast! Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures at the moment. My camera's batteries died and I haven't gotten pictures from the other members of our party yet. If they are especially good, I might post them later when I get them. That night we played games (I learned to play Ticket to Ride- fun game, I'd recommend it) and then the next day we drove to a historic Dutch village- Pella, IA. Unfortunately for me, I didn't really have to stay time and take the tour, but we walked around the gardens of a mansion, sat in the park, and I picked up some delicious food at a Dutch bakery before I left town.
Left: Marc's sister Alicia and I Right: Becca
Left: Marc Right: Lucy, Marc & Becca's daughter
Missouri July30-August 4
Missouri was fun because I got to spend so much time with my sister Tania and her family. I took the kids to Burger King one afternoon and let them run their energy out, that is where I took these pictures. Most of what we did in Missouri was low key, watched movies, went shopping, a library trip- stuff like that. I had so much fun with the fam and it was really hard to leave them all, but leave I had to. By the time I left I was ready to go home, but I wasn't sure how I felt about "home" being VA, not UT. Actually, I would have preferred to just turn around and go back to my cute apartment in Provo, but I trekked onward. In Missouri I made one more stop at this random store. It's called "Nostalgiaville" and is found in some little town about 15 miles outside of Columbia. It was a really cute store with all kinds of older things to buy. They had Elvis, I love Lucy, Betty Boop, John Wayne, and other famous paraphernalia. It was really fun. I bought a John Deere magnet because I had driven through so many corn fields and see so many John Deere stores, museums, and tractors that I felt like it was fitting.
Left: Benjamin and Camilla Right: Samuel and Bottom: Nostalgiaville
Illinois- Corn- August 4
Illinois wasn't too exciting. I wanted to stop at Lincoln's cabin, but I missed the exit. I saw a sign for a "historic downtown" and museum and wanted a break so I stopped. It turned out that I stopped in Arcola, which is the town where the creator of Ragady Ann and Andy was born. There is a whole museum. I was SO excited to go, but alas. I was driving on Monday and it is closed on Monday. I was so disappointed. I took a picture of the outside of the museum, but didn't get to go inside. I wandered around some local antique shops to get a break and then pressed forward. Illinois wasn't my favorite state, but oh wait, I did get to stop at a Steak 'n Shake which was really great. I love their shakes!
Indiana- And more corn- August 4-5
Did you know that Indiana has a ton of corn fields? I saw hardly anything else in the whole state! I drove into West Lafeyette which is where Purdue is. My friend Katy is starting a PhD program there next fall and left Provo just two days before I did to drive out the her new place. I got to spend the evening with her which was a blast. We just sat and talked about life and our new adventures and ate "beany vegetable dip" which she kindly made for us. It was so much fun. I stayed overnight with Katy and headed out early the next morning. I stopped once more in Indiana, but I slept and then bought junk food to eat while I drove so I could stay awake. It also was raining a ton when I left. I had been really lucky to have good weather (hot and muggy, but easy to drive in) up until this point, but there was a downpour of rain in Indiana when I left. No fun. Still, I was so glad I stopped seeing Katy was so good (thanks for letting me stay Katy!).
Ohio-If only I had more time! August 5
It seemed like there were a lot of fun things to do in Ohio, but I didn't really have time to stop. I drove all the way from West Lafetette to Virginia in a day which is kind of a long drive, so I didn't want to spend too much time playing. The one thing I did stop and see in Ohio was the Motocycle Hall of Fame Museum. Random, I know, but it was interesting. I have no desire to stop again, but it was worth it for that day.
West Virginia- Still driving, too bad August 5
By the time I got to West Virginia, I was so ready to be done with my trip. Oh so ready. I took a break and stopped in Wheeling. There was a cute toy and train museum that I stopped at, but it was kind of expensive for a 20 minute stop, so I just walked around outside and looked at the train that they had out there. It was a fast stop and would have been more fun if I was closer to my final destination!
Pennsylvania- Desperation, August 5
I thought that Pennsylvania would never end! I stopped because I needed gas and I was going to eat at a good looking drive-inn or something fun and unique, but there was a whole bunch of construction on the stop that I made, so I pulled over at a McDonald's, it considerably easier to get into and out of and I just wanted it to be easy! I drove over the "mountains" in Pennsylvania which was really beautiful and quite a bit different than the Rockies...they are more like the foothills in Colorado Springs than the mountains, but hey- to each their own. I was ready to pull over and quit by the time I left Pennsylvania, I just thought I might not make it the last few hours.
Virginia- The finish line!
I finally made it into Virginia and to Trista's house. I was so exhausted, I can't even say how much. I went to Trista's house before mine because getting to her house is easier so she was going to drive in front of me into Fairfax county and show me the way. First we went to Uno's pizza and had a treat! When I found out that I got accepted to GW in January, she took me to Uno's to celebrate, so we thought that it was only fitting to celebrate my arrival in the same place. Then we headed for my place. I had to drive on the Beltway with my car packed full. That was kind of exciting because I could barely see out of my car, but I made it safely. The townhome I moved into is AMAZING! It is huge. My room was built to be a sitting room so it has a fireplace which makes me very happy. There is so much space in that room that I don't even know what I will do with it! That's ok with me though.
How I felt when I drove in .......... But still excited
It was such a long trip, but so good. It was interesting to see so much of the country and see how diverse our nation is. I never drove so far alone before and I was really excited to see and do so much. All in all I was glad to make it. I've already had some adventures here in DC, but I will save those for another post, so come back in a few days!
I can't believe I'm here and sometimes I wonder what I was thinking coming this far away, but here I am. My roommates seem to be wonderful, and we are all new to the area together, so we are all learning all kinds of new things! It should be fun, but will undoubtedly be full of many...adventures.
Nebraska- Sight seeing (more fun than I expected)
Nebraska was a remarkably fun state for me. I bought a pass to the state parks for cheap and went to two state parks while I was there. One was The Buffalo Bill Ranch and the other wasFort Kearny. Buffalo Bill's ranch was his house and ranch that he went to in between shows and Fort Kearny is an old trading post for travelers. I especially liked the Ranch. When I reached the other side of Nebraska I stopped in Omaha and had dinner with a friend. I told him I wanted something that was authentic Nebraskan so he took me to this fast food restraunt called Runza where they serve Runza. What is a Runza you ask? I asked that too. Its almost like a homemade- uh well I don't know if homemade is the right word, but maybe restraunt made- hot pocket. It is the pocket of crust filled with...something...not really sure what. Probably I don't what to know what it is filled with, but then on top of the "classic" runza you can get other more familiar toppings. We tried the mushroom and swiss (which was both of our favorites), BBQ, BLT, and classic. Not bad, I had a lot of fun. It was so good to stop and talk to someone. Harry Potter did me good, but real human interaction is also a bonus.
Left:cannon at Ft. Kearny Right: Barn at Buffalo Bill's Bottom:Buffalo Bill's home
Iowa July 28-30- yeah for friends!
I drove into West Des Moines, Iowa on Monday night. I pretty much said hello to my friends and then crashed for the night. I was exhausted from traveling all day. The next day was great fun though! We went to the Science Center in downtown Des Moines. It was such a blast. I think we stayed for about 4 hours and we only saw maybe half of it. We had a blast! Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures at the moment. My camera's batteries died and I haven't gotten pictures from the other members of our party yet. If they are especially good, I might post them later when I get them. That night we played games (I learned to play Ticket to Ride- fun game, I'd recommend it) and then the next day we drove to a historic Dutch village- Pella, IA. Unfortunately for me, I didn't really have to stay time and take the tour, but we walked around the gardens of a mansion, sat in the park, and I picked up some delicious food at a Dutch bakery before I left town.
Left: Marc's sister Alicia and I Right: Becca
Left: Marc Right: Lucy, Marc & Becca's daughter
Missouri July30-August 4
Missouri was fun because I got to spend so much time with my sister Tania and her family. I took the kids to Burger King one afternoon and let them run their energy out, that is where I took these pictures. Most of what we did in Missouri was low key, watched movies, went shopping, a library trip- stuff like that. I had so much fun with the fam and it was really hard to leave them all, but leave I had to. By the time I left I was ready to go home, but I wasn't sure how I felt about "home" being VA, not UT. Actually, I would have preferred to just turn around and go back to my cute apartment in Provo, but I trekked onward. In Missouri I made one more stop at this random store. It's called "Nostalgiaville" and is found in some little town about 15 miles outside of Columbia. It was a really cute store with all kinds of older things to buy. They had Elvis, I love Lucy, Betty Boop, John Wayne, and other famous paraphernalia. It was really fun. I bought a John Deere magnet because I had driven through so many corn fields and see so many John Deere stores, museums, and tractors that I felt like it was fitting.
Left: Benjamin and Camilla Right: Samuel and Bottom: Nostalgiaville
Illinois- Corn- August 4
Illinois wasn't too exciting. I wanted to stop at Lincoln's cabin, but I missed the exit. I saw a sign for a "historic downtown" and museum and wanted a break so I stopped. It turned out that I stopped in Arcola, which is the town where the creator of Ragady Ann and Andy was born. There is a whole museum. I was SO excited to go, but alas. I was driving on Monday and it is closed on Monday. I was so disappointed. I took a picture of the outside of the museum, but didn't get to go inside. I wandered around some local antique shops to get a break and then pressed forward. Illinois wasn't my favorite state, but oh wait, I did get to stop at a Steak 'n Shake which was really great. I love their shakes!
Indiana- And more corn- August 4-5
Did you know that Indiana has a ton of corn fields? I saw hardly anything else in the whole state! I drove into West Lafeyette which is where Purdue is. My friend Katy is starting a PhD program there next fall and left Provo just two days before I did to drive out the her new place. I got to spend the evening with her which was a blast. We just sat and talked about life and our new adventures and ate "beany vegetable dip" which she kindly made for us. It was so much fun. I stayed overnight with Katy and headed out early the next morning. I stopped once more in Indiana, but I slept and then bought junk food to eat while I drove so I could stay awake. It also was raining a ton when I left. I had been really lucky to have good weather (hot and muggy, but easy to drive in) up until this point, but there was a downpour of rain in Indiana when I left. No fun. Still, I was so glad I stopped seeing Katy was so good (thanks for letting me stay Katy!).
Ohio-If only I had more time! August 5
It seemed like there were a lot of fun things to do in Ohio, but I didn't really have time to stop. I drove all the way from West Lafetette to Virginia in a day which is kind of a long drive, so I didn't want to spend too much time playing. The one thing I did stop and see in Ohio was the Motocycle Hall of Fame Museum. Random, I know, but it was interesting. I have no desire to stop again, but it was worth it for that day.
West Virginia- Still driving, too bad August 5
By the time I got to West Virginia, I was so ready to be done with my trip. Oh so ready. I took a break and stopped in Wheeling. There was a cute toy and train museum that I stopped at, but it was kind of expensive for a 20 minute stop, so I just walked around outside and looked at the train that they had out there. It was a fast stop and would have been more fun if I was closer to my final destination!
Pennsylvania- Desperation, August 5
I thought that Pennsylvania would never end! I stopped because I needed gas and I was going to eat at a good looking drive-inn or something fun and unique, but there was a whole bunch of construction on the stop that I made, so I pulled over at a McDonald's, it considerably easier to get into and out of and I just wanted it to be easy! I drove over the "mountains" in Pennsylvania which was really beautiful and quite a bit different than the Rockies...they are more like the foothills in Colorado Springs than the mountains, but hey- to each their own. I was ready to pull over and quit by the time I left Pennsylvania, I just thought I might not make it the last few hours.
Virginia- The finish line!
I finally made it into Virginia and to Trista's house. I was so exhausted, I can't even say how much. I went to Trista's house before mine because getting to her house is easier so she was going to drive in front of me into Fairfax county and show me the way. First we went to Uno's pizza and had a treat! When I found out that I got accepted to GW in January, she took me to Uno's to celebrate, so we thought that it was only fitting to celebrate my arrival in the same place. Then we headed for my place. I had to drive on the Beltway with my car packed full. That was kind of exciting because I could barely see out of my car, but I made it safely. The townhome I moved into is AMAZING! It is huge. My room was built to be a sitting room so it has a fireplace which makes me very happy. There is so much space in that room that I don't even know what I will do with it! That's ok with me though.
How I felt when I drove in .......... But still excited
It was such a long trip, but so good. It was interesting to see so much of the country and see how diverse our nation is. I never drove so far alone before and I was really excited to see and do so much. All in all I was glad to make it. I've already had some adventures here in DC, but I will save those for another post, so come back in a few days!
I can't believe I'm here and sometimes I wonder what I was thinking coming this far away, but here I am. My roommates seem to be wonderful, and we are all new to the area together, so we are all learning all kinds of new things! It should be fun, but will undoubtedly be full of many...adventures.
Another Hike
Right before I left Provo, I hiked Squaw Peak- another hike that I would highly recommend. I hiked in through Rock Canyon and then took a turn off that went up the mountain. It was quite steep most of the way up, but really beautiful and mostly covered by trees. The mountains are so beautiful I love them so much! So, there was one funny thing that happened as I hiked. I brought a camel bag that I got for free for being a volunteer for IHC. I never had used it before and I didn't have any packaging or anything, so I just filled it up and put it in the bag and didn't think twice about looking at how to use it. Well, I couldn't get any water to come up through the straw and I tried and tried to get it to work, but it just wouldn't. I resorted to opening the screw cap on the bladder (that was holding the water) and dumping it into my mouth. It was so irritating and I kept spilling all over myself. I figured that my free camel bag was a failure and was kind of sad about it. Well, a few days later I was cleaning it out and trying one last time to figure out what was wrong when all the sudden, the mouth piece popped up. It turns out that the mouthpiece of the bladder is like a mouthpiece of a water bottle and there is an open and closed. Duh Nicki!! I felt so silly that all I had to do was pop that mouthpiece up, but instead I was trying to dump water in my mouth the whole time. The picture is at the top of the mountain looking down into Rock Canyon.
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