AmeriTrip: Pididdle, Mind Snacks, and Slug Bugs

Spending hours upon hours in a car can be super taxing. Legs cramp. Ears bleed from countless replays of the same 7 songs on the radio. Eyes blur at the sight of countless white lines. Finding ways to stay entertained can be a challenge. Luckily, Cathy and I found multiple things to help make the drives a bit more bearable.

1. Pididdle: A game played at night in which players pick out cars that have a head light out. Once a vehicle with an odd number of headlights is sighted, players yell "PIDIDDLE!" and are awarded points depending on the type of vehicle that was spotted. If a car in front has a tail light out, players can yell "ELDDIDIP!" and are awarded double points depending on the vehicle. This game induces lots of yelling matches.

2. Mind Snacks: The iPad is an amazing device that provides plenty of entertainment for hours upon hours. Mind Snacks is an app that helps people learn languages that are not native to themselves. There are tons of games that can be played to help learn vocabulary and basic grammar structure. Spelling games and word matching provides a great way to learn another language.

3. Slug Bug: Volkswagen has been making Beetles for a long, long time. These domed cars rule the road and allow participants the opportunity to slug each other when they see one of these vehicles. Each slug is accompanied by the color of the vehicle. If a false slug is called, a penalty of two return slugs is given back. Bruises and yelps are to be expected.

All three of these games were used to help pass our time on the road for the last bit of our road trip. The last week of our trip took us to Brick, New Jersey, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia.

Brick, New Jersey

After we left Cory's house, we headed south to Brick, which is near the shoreline and was an area that was hit pretty hard by Super Storm Sandy back in October. The area is still rebounding from this devastating storm and lots of rebuilding is still going on. We stayed with Cathy's Aunt Lori, but arrived to a locked house and barking dogs. We ended up being locked out for an hour and a half as the spare key that he aunt guided us to was actually for her shed, not the house. After batting away countless bugs and squashing other wildlife, her aunt came home from work. We ended up going down along the coast to a restaurant that was having a re-opening celebration. It was there that I meant Aunt Lulu and played half of a round of mini-golf.

The next day (Sunday), we headed to Lulu's house for a riveting game of cornhole (or bags for those non-Midwesterners) and an amazing lunch of hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, chips and pretzels, among other dishes. It was a lot of fun and a relaxing way to spend the day. Monday morning we attempted to go to the beach, but due to traffic constraints, we were unable to make it. So Cathy and I hit the road and made our way to Charlotte, North Carolina!

Charlotte, North Carolina

The eleven hour trip to North Carolina was a bit tedious at times, but overall flew by pretty quickly. We hit some stupid construction traffic about 20 minutes from our friend Cori's house. Mind you, this was after having been in the car for like 10 hours! We were going crazy! But we successfully made it to Cori's house, got settled in, watched Tangled, and then passed out.

On Tuesday, we started off our day by meeting our friend JaRon, another AmeriCorps alum who did the program last year, at Bojangles. Ever since Cathy and I met Cori, she has told us that we had to try Bojangles. This desire was fulfilled and it didn't disappoint! We then headed downtown and stopped by a ginormous children's library called the Imaginon and it was a super awesome place! The three story building offered a little bit for everyone and it was fun to just walk around and take it all in. Needless to say, Cathy was going crazy imagining what it would be like to serve/work here! We then walked around downtown, which was a really nice, quaint area.

Following our tour, we headed out to a butterfly garden and bird sanctuary in the middle of a residential neighborhood. It was neat to see some natural nature in the middle of the city and experience a bit of Charlotte history. After our tour was over, we headed back to Cori's house to relax and watch a few movies. That night, JaRon came over and we had a cookout in her backyard. We finally met the famous Haleigh, Cori's 2 year old niece. She was adorable, but refused to look or acknowledge my presence for the entire night. Guess I can't please everyone!

It was great to see Cori and JaRon again and catch up to see what they are up to. Cori is heading out to Seattle this week to start another AmeriCorps program with her boyfriend Max, while JaRon is going to be attending grad school for special education. I'm looking forward to seeing how the next year treats them! Best of luck guys with everything!

Atlanta, Georgia

The last stop of our trip brought us to Atlanta, Georgia and our friend Phestada's house. We got in, unpacked the car for the last time, and just sat around and played games on my iPad and caught up. It was great to see her after 3 weeks away. Familiar faces are always a great thing! The next day (Thursday), we headed downtown to meet up with her friend Jennifer, who just recently moved into Atlanta. We went downtown to Centennial Park and watched a fun little fountain show, then headed to the CNN Center and looked around a bit. It was a pretty chill, relaxed day that ended with my first ever trip to IKEA! I want everything in that store! I now understand why it's so addicting for people! The rest of the day was spent prepping ourselves for the long drive back to Boynton the next day with some movies and plenty of laughs!

Our three road trip ended with another long drive (about 9 hours) back down to Boynton. We made it back to Las Ventanas, got our keys, and unloaded my car for the LAST time! It was great to be back in Florida and not on the road anymore. Now it's time to get ready for the second round of AmeriCorps! Coming up will be a post detailing how things have been going so far!

AmeriTrip: Fires, Hiking, and the City

Driving for long stretches of time can be tiring. The white lines blur together. Brake lights blind you. Car horns pierce your ear drums. Being able to settle down in one place for an extended period of time is always welcomed. Luckily, this past week was spent in the lovely state of Pennsylvania and allowed Cathy and I a chance to rest, re-cooperate, and re-connect with friends and family (well for Cathy at least).

We rolled into PA Thursday night (July 25), saw Cathy's friend Annie, had some scrumptious tacos and ice cream, and then headed over to her sister's, our home base for the week. Throughout the course of the week we saw (and I met) people and saw some pretty cool sites. Highlights of the trip include:

- Meeting some of Cathy's childhood and college friends (all of which were super awesome!) The main reason for us going back to PA was to see Cathy's friend Lizzy, who is currently pregnant. Unfortunately, she did not have the baby while we were in PA, but it was great to meet her and learn more about Cathy's childhood. We also hung out with her friends Annie, Cory, Dave, her sister and her husband Steve, along with a few of their friends. New friendships were formed and I'm excited to see them all again in the near future.

- Hiking through the woods with Lizzy (while imitating mating calls of various animals) and hoping that Lizzy didn't pop while on the trail

- Experiencing the greatness that is a Pennsylvania diner

- Driving through the battlefields at Gettysburg National Park and seeing one of the sites that I've wanted to see for a long time

- Getting my fill of card and board games for the next couple of months. Scrabble, Phase 10, Bananagrams, Peg Leg, Monopoly Deal, and Skip-Bo were all played multiple times. I felt like I was 10 again and playing games with my family. This was a perfect way to wrap up every night.

- Received a personal tour of De Sales University, the school that Cathy went to for four years. It was definitely a lot smaller than UNI, as their student population is only about 2,000 students - TOTAL! However, for a small school, the campus is very spread out which provided for lots of walking and green grass.

We had a great trip back to Cathy's home state. It was really neat to see where she grew up, went to school, and worked with. We were treated to an amazing week by some pretty cool people!

After recharging with our week in PA, we headed across the border into New Jersey to spend a few days with Cory, one of her best friends from college. We enjoyed a couple of late nights by the pool (aka me "accidentally" falling into an above ground pool - that takes talent!), engaged in the awesomeness that is fire (and Cathy didn't burn anyone this time!), and I learned quite a bit about college Cathy. Yesterday, we spent a few hours in The Big Apple. It's been about 3 years since I've been back, so it was cool to walk around and see the sights of the city. Today, we're heading down the road a bit to see Cathy' aunt before heading onto the last two stops of our trip, Charlotte and Atlanta!

AmeriTrip: Washingtimoria

Washington D.C. will forever hold a special place in my life. Not only is it our nation's capital, it was also my birthplace and home for the first 5 years of my life. Any time that I get an opportunity to visit not only the city but the people that I still know there, it's a special moment and time.With our road trip taking us right through the nation's capital, I wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to stop and visit!

After leaving Columbia, SC on Tuesday, Cathy and I headed back on the road for the 7 hour journey to DC. The drive itself really wasn't as bad as anticipated and we didn't really hit traffic until we got to DC. Granted the traffic we did encounter was fairly tame compared to what it could've been. We were able to successfully find our hostel, got checked in, and then jumped on the metro to start our exploration of this grand city.

We took the metro down to the National Mall and walked around for about 3 1/2 hours, taking in as much of the city as we could. The Washington Monument is currently under construction due to the effects of the earthquake that hit Virginia in 2011, so we weren't able to go up into that. However, I personally think that the scaffolding adds a bit to the monument, especially when it's lit up at night. Abraham Lincoln was visited and his famous speeches were reread. The Korean War, Marin Luther King, Jr., Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Thomas Jefferson Memorials were also visited and checked off our list. We ended the night by taking in the White House while listening to some teenagers discuss the making of the movie "White House Down" and how amazed they were that the White House was still in tact.

The next day, we boarded the metro bright and early and continued our assault. The Vietnam War Memorial, National Holocaust Memorial Museum, Natural History Museum, and Air and Space Museum were all visited, absorbed, and appreciated by noon. We then headed back to our hostel to go and meet up with my former babysitter, Rosa, and her family for lunch. It was so great to see her, Maria, Jose, Stewart and the new family additions (Jose's wife Sylvia and their baby girl Isabelle). I haven't seen them since I was in high school, so the catch-up time was definitely appreciated and welcomed. Rosa made empanadas, which were delicious as always! Following lunch, Cathy and I headed back to see Arlington National Cemetery, Ford's Theater, and the Iwo Jima Memorial. By the time we got back to our hostel, we were both beat and passed out immediately!

Thursday, we departed from DC with Pennsylvania as our final destination! Along the way, we made a few pit stops - one in Baltimore, MD and the other in Philadelphia, PA. These stops were filled with scenic overlooks, historic sites, and one hilarious encounter at a souvenir shop...

One of the things that I collect whenever I travel is shot glasses. I have over 40 shot glasses from all over the world. Of course, this trip is no different. While in Philadelphia, we stopped at a souvenir shop so I could purchase my Philadelphia addition. While checking out, the following conversation occurred:

Worker (who happens to be Chinese): Are you Asian?
Me: Ummm...no
Worker: Are you sure? You eyes look Asian - maybe Chinese?
Me: Nope - pretty sure that I'm German and not any bit Asian
Worker: Hmmm...me think you Chinese once
Me: Well I'm not quite sure how to take that, but I'm definitely a descendant from Europe.

This conversation continued on for another 15 minutes, in which she offered Cathy and I about 10 maps of Philly, suggestions of what to see (including the lady that sewed the flag's house), where to get the best Philly Cheese Steak in town, directions on how to get to the Rocky Steps and Statue, an attempt to get me to purchase a Rocky shirt, and other things. All I wanted was a shot glass - I ended up with a whole lot more!

Now this story is especially funny because this year I helped put together the yearbook for our AmeriCorps year. One of the things that we asked the members to send in was baby pictures. The baby picture that I submitted is below:

As you can see, I was not only a bit of a clunker as a child, but I also had some Asian similarities (I blame the hat). Phetsada, the only true Asian in our group this past year, loved this picture and assured me that people would think that this was her. At our informal graduation, that theory was proven true as almost all of our members thought this was her baby picture. Needless to say there were a few shocked faces when it turned out to actually be me! So the fact that 26 years later I'm still being asked if I'm Asian or not makes me wonder if this picture has somehow gotten out and about!

We ended up making it Easton, PA around 5:30 and went and saw one of Cathy's friends, Annie. She treated us out to tacos and ice cream. I'm excited to meet family and friends of Cathy's and see where she grew up. We'll be in PA for a week, which will also be a nice break from the constant road time. Who really knows what the course of the next week will hold for us! Stay tuned and find out!

AmeriTrip: Pepperidge Farms Remembers

Everyone has those friendships that end up lasting no matter what. You could go years without physically seeing each other, but once you are reunited, it’s like things have never changed. I have one of those types of relationships with Elizabeth. No matter where we end up in life, we’ll always be able to just pick things up from where we last left things off. I’ve been super lucky that I’ve gotten to see her multiple times over the past year few months (St. Patrick’s Day and Savannah) and can now add another visit to the list – Columbia, SC.

Elizabeth is currently in grad school at the University of South Carolina, pursuing a master’s degree in the geology field so that she can make the big bucks someday. This provided Cathy and I with the perfect opportunity to stop by and visit for a few days as we continue on our way up to PA! It was awesome as always to see her and meet some of the new people that she’s met during her time in SC.

We rolled into Columbia Sunday night and were immediately treated to a feast of hot dogs, mac ‘n cheese, and grilled peppers. Her friends JD, Matthew, Lee, and Trenton, along with her cousin Cara who was visiting for a few days also joined us in for this fun. Following our scrumptious dinner, we partook in the card game Pegleg and a game of Intense Charades, which definitely lived up to its name. All of this intense activity definitely wore us out, but not before taking a late night dip in the pool at Elizabeth’s apartment complex.

The next day (Monday), Cara, Elizabeth, Cathy, and I headed to the USC campus, where Elizabeth gave us a quick, abbreviated tour of her new home. We then headed out to the Riverbank Zoo and took in the sights and sounds that this enjoyable animal sanctuary had to offer. We saw lions and tigers and bears (oh my!), among many other animal types. It was a bit of an extension from our Disney safari, with a few added bonuses. 

Following the zoo, we headed to Maurice’s BBQ Joint for some southern style BBQ. It definitely did not disappoint! We made a quick stop at the USC football stadium before Elizabeth had to run Cara to the airport. Cathy and I headed back to Elizabeth’s apartment, where I promptly took a 4 hour nap while Cathy entertained herself with a plethora of movies.

Once Elizabeth returned from the airport, we headed out to grab some pizza and drinks with JD, Lee, and Justin (a friend of Elizabeth’s former roommate Victoria). These guys had participated in trivia at Village Idiot (the name of the restaurant) and had won! As a prize, they had $30 to spend at the establishment. As an added bonus, it was BOGO night, so two large pizzas and 5 beers later, our total cost was $5 – my kind of deal! 

Once we finished our pizza, we headed up the road to The Publick House, where Lee, Cathy, Elizabeth, and I took part in our own game of trivia. Our team name, Pepperidge Farms Remembers, was a hit with the announcer and obviously brought us a bit of luck, as we finished in second place amongst about 15 teams! Our reward was a $20 gift certificate that Elizabeth will have the pleasure of using in the near future.

After a pleasant visit, albeit way too short, it’s time to hit the road again! Next stop is Washington D.C., where Cathy and I will take in the national monuments, museums, and pay a visit to my old babysitter, Rosa. Can’t wait to tear up the nation’s capital!

AmeriTrip: I Got The Red Badge!!

Road trips are some of the most amazing things that anyone can ever do! Being able to explore new areas with great people is always a highlight of my summer. Anytime that I can take part in one of these epic journeys, I find it really hard to say no. This summer is one of those examples.

Cathy and I are embarking on a three week trip that will take us through 7 states with the ultimate destination being Pennsylvania. We embarked on this craziness Friday with our first stop being the most magical place on this planet: Disney World!

Cathy’s friend, Chris, was once again a gracious host and not only provided us with lodging, but also free entry into the parks. So, on Saturday, Cathy and I spent 14 glorious hours soaking in as much Disney magic as we possibly could. I’m pretty sure that we were successful in this endeavor!

Our day started at the Animal Kingdom, were we dominated the DinoLand amusement rides (including back-to-back ventures on the spinny roller coaster one), conquered Everest Expedition, became giddy along with the cast of the Lion King show, took a ride through the African Safari, and got wet on the Kali Rapids in the heart of Asia.

It was at Animal Kingdom that I became a bit obsessed with the red badge. This badge is used to help determine wait time in lines for the amusement rides. When we got on the Everest Expedition ride, the patron in front of me received the honor of wearing and then presenting said badge to the person at the end of the ride. This red badge haunted me all day, as park-goers all around me showed off their prizes, much to my displeasure. More on the badge in a bit…

Once we had hooped and hollered all that we could at Animal Kingdom, we made our way over to Hollywood Studios. Here, we braved a death-defying ride on the Tower of Terror, grooved along with Aerosmith on the Rock ‘N Roller Coaster, enjoyed some classic movies on The Great Movie Ride, and racked up points with Woody and Buzz at the Toy Story Mania 4-D attraction. 2 hour wait times diminished around us as we powered through all of these attractions in about 2 ½ hours!

The last stop of the day took us over to the Magic Kingdom. A littler rain couldn’t ruin our enjoyment of this staple of Disney World. We blasted off on Space Mountain, drifted our way down Splash Mountain, chugged along the Big Thunder Mountain, and conjured up some spirits and ghosts at the Haunted Mansion. Now it was also here that my night was truly made…

As we were getting into line at Splash Mountain, the attendant at the front was holding one of the coveted red badges, just waiting to present it to a lucky ride goer. By this point, we had met up with two others, Amanda (a friend of Chris’s) and her friend Alex. The attendant handed the badge to Alex, who promptly passed it off to me! My mission and day were complete. Some people go to Disney to see Mickey, Tinkerbell, or Goofy. Me, I go to get a red badge! In my state of euphoria, I accidentally forgot to turn it in – looks like I have a keepsake forever and the new wait time at Splash Mountain just went up to about 8 days!

The night was capped off by a sparkling and breathtaking fireworks display with Cinderella’s Castle as the centerpiece. We braved the throngs of people exiting the park, had a late night dinner at Steak n’ Shake (no worries Erin – Cathy finally had her milkshake!), and then passed out back at Chris’s. The next leg of the journey takes us to Columbia, South Carolina to see Elizabeth and her roommate Victoria. Can’t wait to see what fun and excitement await us there!

Throwback Post: Winter in Paradise

*Throwback Post #19*

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Having grown up in Iowa, November through February were always dreaded. Yes, many of our favorite holidays occur during this time period. But these months also brought the following: snow, ice, and wicked winds. These combinations resulted in the below:

Having endured this winter wonderland for 20 years or so has lead me to despise snow and the cold. Trudging through six foot snow drifts just to get to class during college is one experience that I will never forget nor want to relive again. This is one of the many reasons why being down in Florida at this time of year is definitely agreeing with me. In the past week, I've been outside in short sleeves and shorts. I was able to work on my tan Saturday afternoon by the pool, get my feet sandy down at the beach, and enjoy a nice 6 mile run Sunday morning - all without needing 6 layers of clothing, hats, gloves, and long johns. Life's pretty great right now here in South Florida.

Sending warm thoughts to my friends and family in the heart of the Midwest. May the above pictures keep you warm as you fight the bitter cold of winter!