Helloooo southwest!

Welllll since all we did today was drive, here's some of that:

Look how far we have come!















We also got caught today in a very scary thunderstorm in the middle of nowhere west Texas. Lacy of course thought it was awesome while I, the one driving, thought we had just driven into the underworld. Oh well, we made it out alive. I think.

So here is where we are now:

... at a very cheap but very do-able hotel in Albuquerque. The theme for the evening is "You get what you pay for!"

Tomorrow we shall drive to see one of the seven wonders! We are so excited and we will take way more pictures than you people have patience to look at. Keep readin! Miss you! Here's another final view of the obligatory 'Open Road,' just for giggles :)

Love Shub and Face :)

Home.

Spending time with another family for the last four days has really made me miss mine. Don't get me wrong, this is certainly the trip of a lifetime, but it's being away from everyone I love that's hard.

Thinking about this today, I remembered a fight I got in with my parents a few years back. I was a freshman in college and had come home on a Sunday, like normal, to do my laundry, because I was always too good for the dorm washers and dryers. When I walked into my room that afternoon, there were two new windows in one wall of my room. Now, no matter where I look, I can see the outside. I was furious. How dare they not ask? I already had two windows! Why two more?!

I gave them the cold shoulder and harumphed my way back to school that evening, not even thanking mom for letting me do laundry at home. When I got back to school, there was an email waiting for me: an apology from my dad for not telling me and explanations why he added a few windows. In the email was also a small anecdote of my father's childhood and why home is home. Here's an excerpt:

"All of which reminds me of when I went off to college. Three weeks later my parents called and said they were selling our house and moving to Florida. When I went to visit them at Christmas, I didn't have a room any more at all. I stayed in the den. But it was fine, and it felt like home because Mom and Dad were there. Mom was worried that I wouldn't feel at home, because she had always worked so hard to be a good homemaker for us. She never did anything else at all. Two weeks ago, when I went to stay with them in their retirement apartment, Mom again said, as she had so many years ago, that she hoped I felt at home there. I just told her that wherever she and Dad were felt like home to me."

He then warned me that of course, home at some point might be on the water, but it would still be wherever he and mom are. We laugh about that day now, but I save this email for days I get a little homesick, just to think back. I love home more than anything in the world and I know it will always be there, wherever there is, and however many windows it might have (or portholes). Don't forget to tell the people you love that you love them! I love you family!

The message concluded in this: "Anyway, be thankful that you have windows. My room in high school was a coal bin in the basement. But that's another story."

OkOk enough sobbinh! We drive all day tomorrow! New Mexico here we come!

Texas or Africa?

Tuesday night we decided it would be in our best interest to stay in Tejas one more day and leave for Albuquerque on Thursday instead. So today Gina took us and the kids to a place called Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. When you pay the admission fee for the preserve, they give you a bag of food to feed the animals. This being WILDLIFE, we had no idea what we were in for. We fed every kind of deer imaginable, along with zebras, and ostrich, and even giraffe! Again, please check the FB for the full score of photos. For now, here's just a snippet of some fun times today! AGHGKK!


Tomorrow we will finally, regretfully leave Texas and head for New Mexico. We will be staying one night there before we find our way to the Grand Canyon. We still have lots of driving left so keep us in your thoughts and prayers! Miss everyone tons!

Shub and Face :)

God Blessed Texas!

So we woke up late on Sunday morning, spent a few hours lounging on Lauren's couch that eats you, LaceFace made some top hats (toad-in-the-hole, or fried egg in toast), and we left around 12:30. About 8 hours later we found ourselves in Aledo, TX, right outside of Fort Worth. It is BEAUTIFUL around here.

We are staying at Lacy's family friends' place, Gina and Carl. They are so sweet for letting us stay here! Monday, even though it poured rain most of the day, we went to the Fort Worth Zoo and the Botanic Gardens. Check the FB for some pics but here's a highlight:


Monday night we met one of Lacy's friends, Montana, for some beers in downtown Fort Worth. It began to monsoon while we were drinking, so we decided to stay just a tad longer than we had anticipated. We left in the middle of the monsoon but made it home safely.

Today (Tuesday) Face and I drove to downtown Dallas to see the city and do some museums. We saw the spot where Kennedy was assassinated, decided the museum was a little too expensivo for us, so instead we went to the Dallas Museum of Art. Here's a fun one: this piece of art was probably 20 ft. by 10 ft. and made entirely of thousands of personalized Spongebob checks. But in the middle it said this: "I ACCIDENTALLY SHOT MY MOTHER IN-LAW WHILE DEER HUNTING. IT WAS AN HONEST MISTAKE. I CAME OUT OF THE TENT IN THE MORNING AND THOUGHT I SAW A DEER IN AN ORANGE VEST MAKING COFFEE." I guess that's art?

Gina and Carl have two beautiful boys, Collin (5) and Kyle (2). They are pretty much keeping us busy while we're here. After downtown Dallas we came home and made homemade cookies with the boys. They also are in love with Agdar. This is the product of sugar and toy dinos right before bedtime:

Soon we leave for Albuquerque and then the Grand Canyon! LOTS of pics when we are done there :) Then San Diego. We will be staying at the Hopkins Hotel in SD which my roommate manages, so that is exciting.

Alright everyone, keep on keepin' on. And by that I mean keep reading my blog. All the time. I miss everyone. Especially mom, dad, and bro. Please come visit me soon :)

OkLoveYouBye.

Shub and Face :)

Couldn't be happier :)

A VERY successful trip so far. Things could not be going better. After a wonderful night in GA, we drove another 10 hours to Lauren in Baton Rouge. Before we go into the latest in Luzianne, and before I dedicate this post to Anne-Marie, there are few things to cover and a few pics to see! Check me out!

This is home. I said bye to Mom last Sunday, bye to Bro on the Wednesday before I left, and bye to Dad on the morning of departure. So I waved myself off and said good-bye to every object that has ever meant something to me in the house.. the tire swing, the mailbox, the fire pit, and so on.


With and Agdar and Testudo on the trip with us, things couldn't be more entertaining. It's always an adventure when the reptiles come along. Here is a nice photo of the two of them, helping us navigate.


We have also decided that we need to photograph every new state sign we encounter. So here are some previews of places we have been:



Then we hit good 'ol Luzianne. We took back roads across the border so we didn't hit a welcome sign. Oh well, plenty more photos in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

It is SOOO nice to be here with Lauren. I have missed her so much! We got in about 7 yesterday evening, went to a local place called Chimes for dinner, and then to a very sketchy bar called Slinky's. A couple games of pool later, we came back and slept the night away. Got up this morning and drove to NOLA! It was SO nice to be back. We met my old crew leader from Habitat for Humanity down in Musician's Village where he is still building houses! After lunch, he took us to the house that I helped build! We spent the good part of the week decking the roof, before moving to another roof across town. However, when we got to the house, the home-owner was there sitting on his porch with his new puppy!


His name is Michael and it was probably the most amazing feeling in the world to talk to him. He had visited the house while it was being built two years ago, but now he officially lives in it. When I thanked him for being around and chatting with us, he said "No, thank you. From the bottom of my heart. I'm home!" How amazing? Even though we were only here for a week, visiting today was all the proof I needed to know that we really made a difference. Here is David, Michael, and myself, in front of his house. Check out that roof!

From here I shall drink some coffee and enjoy a night out in BR. I hope everyone is doing well! I miss everybody so much it's crazy. Keep checking, and don't forget to check on the Ag-dizzle too. He has lots of stories to tell. I will hopefully post again once we are safe in Dallas. Check out my facebook for the full run-down of photos. Have a great rest of the weekend and talk soon!

Love Shub and Face :)

A mountain paradise

The first leg is over! A long 10 and a half hours today.. and we are now in Blairsville, GA, barely enough of a city to put on the map. Lacy's parents, however, own the most beautiful mountain paradise house you could ever imagine. At the top of a hill, you can look out from the porch and see for miles. Pictures will be posted tomorrow, as there is no wireless in the mountains. Hope everyone is doing well!


ALSO, lots of stories about Agdar and Testudo. Just WAIT till you see these photos.

Tomorrow: another 10 or so hours, making it to Baton Rouge by evening, hopefully. After a day's worth of cheez-its, teddy grahams, and grapes, we are turning in! Until tomorrow!

-Shub and Face :)

One other thing...

We will also have two other friends with us on this trip: Testudo and Agdar. I'm sure you all know Testudo, and Agdar is a 3-inch tall plastic dragon dinosaur of my brother's who has his own blog and posts regularly. Check it out: www.morganandagdar.wordpress.com. Testudo will be showing his face all over the country on my blog and Agdar also on his blog. Get excited!

Shub :)

I hate packing.

The kitchen stuff is done, the movies are in a box, and the bedroom stuff will take the rest of the night. I have come to realize that I need lots of help when packing for such a large adventure like this. I am a very neat and tidy person most of the time and just haphazardly throwing things in boxes makes me crazy. Which is why it takes me so long. Everything has to be organized in specific boxes and labeled appropriately. BUT it's even harder this time because I have to divide my stuff into what I'm taking with me and what I'm not.

An evening with Lacy was comforting: she told me she packs light and has a very small duffle. Hooray for me! I can bring more stuff!

More updates:

Lauren has big plans for us in Baton Rouge and in NOLA and I can't wait. I even will hopefully get to see my crew leader David from Habitat for Humanity 2 years ago! Yay!

Lacy's family friends actually live in Fort Worth, but are married with children so will not be into showing us the 'good parts of town.' However, she has another friend in Dallas, who will take us out for real :)

Laceface also has another friend in Vegas who we just discovered will be out there the same time we will. We therefore might stop there as well.

I cannot WAIT to see the Hopkins family (San Diego)!

About my new place on the coast: My aunt and uncle (who own the condo, remember) are almost done buying a house in SLO. What this means, if it all goes through, is that they will rent out the condo, and I will be then living in the house. Eeek! So basically Sarah, don't unpack when you get there.

Hope you all are doing well! I need to stay in touch with everyone so keep me posted on your lives and everything.

Missing everyone already,

Shub :)

Here it is!

Hellloooo everyone!

I told you I would be starting a blog so we can keep up with each other! And bum bum bum... here it is! I'm super excited to be able to update everyone on this crazy next step in my life. I'm sure I've told all of you that is the scariest thing I have ever done. EVER. But, as my mom keeps telling me, I'm doing it just to prove that I can. As good a reason as any, if you ask me.

So as of now, I have not packed one item in my apartment. The minute I start packing, my move actually becomes real. So I think I'll postpone it just a bit longer.

SOOOO here's the plan:

After finally moving out on Tuesday of next week, Lacy and I depart for her house in GA on Thursday morning. There is apparently nothing to see where she lives down there, so we then leave early Friday morning for Baton Rouge. We will be staying with my friend Lauren who is at LSU for grad school, and spending some time in New Orleans as well. After a short stint in Louisiana, we make our way to Dallas, where Lacy has family friends. We will hopefully spend a few days there before we leave for the Grand Canyon. Dallas to Grand Canyon is quite far, so we will probably be stopping halfway in Albuquerque. After the Grand Canyon, we drive to San Diego to stay with my roommate from the last two years. We will hang in San Diego until Lacy flies out on August 5th. Once my beloved LaceFace leaves me, I will then finish the trip myself to my aunt and uncle's condo in San Luis Obispo, on the central coast.

Whew! Although everything is tentative and subject to change, this is going to be the adventure of a lifetime! Keep us in your thoughts and prayers, that we don't party too much on Bourbon Street or die of heat stroke in Dallas. You all have no idea how much I'm going to miss you. Please stay in touch and please continue to check my blog! Yayy!!!

Hopefully I will post again before we actually leave.

Until then,

Shub :)