A change.

I have been in Seattle for 2 months and I LOVE IT. I couldn't be happier right now. One thing has gone wrong though....I broke my camera. I really need to get it fixed.

I have decided to change my blog as well. It will have to do with my embarrassing stories. If you know me well enough you know that I could write a book with my embarrassing stories. Something happens to my weekly and I am going to begin writing about it. Until my schoolwork stops holding me hostage I will not be able to create is juuusstt yet. It is coming though. Stay tuned.

Last Stop.

Hands down my favorite place. Saved the best for last. We booked a really nice hotel for only 50 bucks! Thanks priceline.com!! We walked around the city all night. Portland is known for their food trucks. They have gourmet food trucks all over the city, all specializing in something different. There are waffle trucks, gyro trucks, crepe trucks. We had delicious Vietnamese food. It was the best. We had a hard time finding a good place to go out and grab a drink. It was a monday night so most bars were empty. We ended up finding a good small pub right by our hotel which had really good live music and some hilarious people dancing. In the morning we went to the famous Voodoo Donuts. It was good, but not the BEST. I would rather have a nice warm apple cider donut then a really fancy cold iced donut. But some people love it. We were only there for about 12 hours but it was one of my favorite places. It is only 3 hours from Seattle and I fully intend to take a few weekend trips back.

Up The Coast.

We drove from LA to San Fran on the Pacific Coast Highway. It was my favorite of the drives. Windows down, music blasting, ocean on my left, and mountains on my right. We stopped at Malibu Seafood and I got an amazing fried shrimp sandwich. I had gone there when I was 15 and I vividly remembered eating delicious seafood there so I wanted to go again. I also sat in the sun and attempted to soak up the last of the sun-rays I would have in a LONG time. Mary could not eat anything at this fish market, I felt bad but I HAD to get my sandwich. So after I ate it we were on our way. We eventually were away from the ocean and near farms and vineyards. California was very scenic.

We also saw the Kraft macaroni and cheese colored convertible in Malibu. Who chooses that color? Really? It is terrible.

At the end of the drive we crossed over the famous Golden Gate bridge and arrived at a really cozy house right outside of San Fran where a delicious dinner was waiting for us. And a really cute bunny too named BunBun. Unfortunately I did not get a picture of her.

California Girls.

Ahh yes. 3 relaxing days in LA. Mary and I skipped the Grand Canyon to relax from all of the driving. We spent probably an entire day in bed, with my cousins four miniature dogs jumping all over us. We tried going to the beach but it was gloomy and cold. Mary somehow still got sunburned. I naturally took a nap. It was our day to "veg" out. We watched loads of TV and at night we actually got to meet up with the boys we went to Europe with last summer. It was so nice to see them. Boy, how I missed their English accents.

The next day I took Mary to see my favorite parts of LA. We went to the Santa Monica Pier. Then had lunch at a restaurant called Lemonade, which has the BEST lemonade I have ever had. I had Blueberry Mint Lemonade. THE BEST. Their food is also delicious. They are set up in a cafeteria way where you go down the line and tell the people behind the counter what to put on your plate. All of the ingredients are really fresh and everything they served was unique. We also went to the Venice Canals which is where my dream home stands. I love it there. If you ever go to LA, please take 10 minutes and walk through the canals.

We also went to The Getty Center which is a huge art museum on the top of a hill. It overlooks all of LA. They were having a free concert at 6pm. We got stuck in traffic for about an hour. We also realized while in this traffic LA drivers are the worst. We waited patiently in the traffic and got cut numerous times by douche bags in their Mercedes. We got to see the sunset over LA and hear a band called The Antlers. The lights from the city and at the Getty Center were beautiful. It was our last night in LA and I was so happy to spend it there.

Flagstaff,AZ.

Wow. The roads through Arizona were nuts. Our little Versa was cruisin' through. The rocks were beautiful though. We jumped out of our car a few times to take pictures of the landscape. After our 3rd long drive in a row we were SO HAPPY to be in a hostel in a city we could easily walk around. We got into our room and jumped on the bottom bunks of the bunk beds, called our best friend who was about to depart for China and then went out and explored.

We ended up in a spanish restaurant/bar where I had a delicious bowl of chicken fajita soup and friend plantains and listened to a little live music. Then I looked into my drink and there were 4 flies in it!! I was so mad. We decided to leave on that note and started to wander around. We realized we were on historic Route 66 so we took a touristy picture. We tried going to a few bars but on a monday night nothing was really going on. I decided to go the old lady route and hit the hay.

The next morning we were supposed to go to the Grand Canyon. I still feel guilty about skipping it but after all that driving I just wanted to get to LA and lay on the beach. So that is exactly what we did. We went out for breakfast in Flagstaff and then hit the road. Sorry Grand Canyon, I'll catch ya next time.

The Beautiful Countryside.

Our most beautiful drive was through Colorado into Arizona. The difference between the two states was amazing to see. We took Route 285 south through Colorado which brings you literally right in between in rockies and by what are called the Collegiate peaks. My second picture is one of the collegiate points. They are some of the highest peaks in Colorado. We had our cameras our for almost the entire 8 hour drive. We then took a pit stop at the 4 Corners where you can be in 4 states at once (Utah, New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona). Sitting on the concrete border corners were HOT. I sat there for 2 seconds just to take the picture because it was boiling compared to those mountain ranges in Colorado. Arizona was amazing as well the red rocks and desert land was a beautiful place to watch the sunset. Although people drive like lunatics there! Everyone goes about 90 miles an hour and they pass you if you are not.

Denver.

I loved Denver. We arrived at 3:30 am because of the thunderstorm but we spent the whole next day walking around and exploring the city. We ate at a really good Thai place called Swing Thai which had a 3-5pm happy hour where Pad Thai was $5 with any beverage purchase. I tried my first glass of Thai iced tea with coconut milk. It was BANGIN'. What I really enjoyed about Denver was not just the beautiful views of the Colorado Rockies surrounding the city but the eclectic mix of outdoorsy and artsy people. In the streets were pianos with murals on them where anyone who could play could sit down and play a tune when they felt like it. There were all sorts of people playing the pianos. It kind of made me think how music brings people together and creates community among those who may not have been friends or acquaintances before.

Anthem.

Corn and Omaha.

Well I must say, never have I seen so much corn in my life. 3 states full of corn! Iowa, Nebraska and Illinois were full of corn. Flat land, corn and a bunch of giant windmills. I now know why UNebraska's mascot is the Husker. We drove for probably 12 hours at least through corn. We stopped at the Worlds Largest Truckstop and it wasn't all that it was cracked up to be according to the dozens of signs leading up to it on Route 80.

We stopped in Omaha, Nebraska for dinner where the restaurant we wanted to go to was closed. Our car was also making a weird noise so we brought it to a shop to get checked out. Luckily it turned out to be nothing serious. But Omaha was GHOST town. It was 5pm and no one was walking around! Shouldn't people be leaving work at that time? We felt even more awkward walking around with our huge backpacks. Since the restaurant we had planned to eat at was closed we ended up eating at a local pub where we felt like total NY snobs. We asked for a Hard Cider and the guy looked at us as if we were crazy and said they did not carry it. Then I looked at the menu and saw it listed and asked for "Woodchuck" and he said "Oh, you want that cider stuff?" HELLO! YES! Then when we showed him our identification and he saw where we were from he gave us a weird look. Kind of the "NY? NJ? what are you doing in Omaha?" look. Then the hilarious food order came. Mary is a vegetarian and is allergic to gluten so she cannot eat much on a pub menu in Nebraska. She decides to order a Mandarin Chicken salad with no chicken. This same clueless waiter looks at her and says "NO CHICKEN?" as if it was unheard of to not eat meat. I ordered a chicken quesadilla to keep things less complicated.

We finally left Omaha and I saw dark clouds ahead. I started to freak out. I was showing my true east coast naiveness at that moment(I believed that every thunderstorm in the midwest meant tornado). I made Mary phone someone immediately to see if there were Tornado warnings. Luckily there were no tornado warnings but we had to pull over for thirty minutes because of the heavy rain and terrifying lightning. We even considered getting a hotel room the storm was so terrible. Eventually the storm blew away and we got back on the road. 6 hours later...we arrived safe and sound in Denver.

So like me.

So I was really excited to blog across country with the pictures I took but of course my camera cord is lost somewhere in the car. This is typical behavior of mine. I am currently in Los Angeles. Mary and I made it across the country with barely any troubles. We have traveled through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado, Arizona and Cali. If has been a beautiful journey to see the differences in every state. I will post pictures and stories once we have arrived in Seattle.

Midwest stop.

I have departed for Seattle. I am currently in Chesterton, Indiana. Nothing too exciting has happened to Mary and I yet. I ate an entire box of Cheez-Its which was pretty impressive. The box now has its own seat in the car. Tomorrow we leave for Denver, Colorado which will be a 17 hour drive. Our longest haul of them all.

KE$HA

I acquired free tickets to see Ke$ha. I went last night and the show was one of the best concerts I have seen in awhile. Ke$ha has been my guilty pleasure since she came out with "Tik Tok." People would ask me if I really do like her and I am proud to say YES. Her songs are relateable to any 20-something girl today and are ridiculously catchy. I love her grunge, glitter, rocker look. Everyone in her show is covered in glitter and is styled in the same look. Since I last saw her on SNL she has fully stepped up her showmanship. Claps to Ke$ha.

Farewell Northeast America.

Oh hey. I have gone on a one month no-writing hiatus. Probably because I have been running around for the past month working, driving to and from NJ and getting ready for my big move: SEATTLE. In 4 days I will depart with my best friend to take the drive to our new apartment and life in Seattle. If I had not explained previously how much I hate living in upstate NY I think you can understand now considering I am moving to the farthest city within America from where I am currently living. I am so excited to move. Although I wish I could pay someone to pack for me. I think this is the perfect time to do it.

I have no strings around me. I am ready to meet new people and start a new life AWAY from the Northeast. Don't get me wrong, New York City is amazing. I have been going once a week for the past month and I have eaten some delicious food, had my share(and maybe others too) of great drinks and found some new favorite spots like The High Line(http://www.thehighline.org/). There are other great spots too which I have spent time in during the past month. Last weekend my Rutgers friends and I had our last big party in Atlantic City. I am not much of a gambler but let me tell you, I LOVE AC. It is like a mini-vegas on a beach. Both times I have gone I have literally spent 20 dollars on only my hotel and barely 10 dollars on drinks and still had a baller time. I fully encourage anyone on the east coast to take advantage of AC...but be careful gambling! Although I stayed away from the tables many of my friends lost big money!

As much fun as I have had, I still cannot wait to move out west. I will be blogging my whole way across America about all of my adventures with Mary and about our experiences in our new city!

So happy.

High School Reunion

Being in Newburgh is reuniting me with everyone from high school. This is the town that keeps getting smaller. Every time I go out of my house I see the same people out no matter what bar I go to. I even see people that I have not seen in at least 3 to 4 years and THEN I am forced to have the "what are you doing now" conversation which is sometimes interesting but sometimes the conversation you want to run away from. This is another reason why I want to get out of here. I need new faces!! I do like going to this steakhouse which has now reinvented itself as "The Beach." Although surrounded by woods, they have completely renovated their backyard area into a beach like area with actual sand, a Tiki bar and a stage for a band. It is a good change of pace but I still see the same faces. I only have 6 more weeks here...hoping something new and fun will pop up to do.

Favorite spot of the week!

When I went to NYC last week I decided I wanted to find a baller happy hour spot. I did my research. I went on Yelp and ChowHound, my 2 favorite websites which tell me where to go and where to eat. I stumbled on a place by South Street Seaport called Meades. It had small tables outside, overlooked the Brooklyn Bridge and most important of all, had cheap drinks. My friend and I ordered $4.00 well drinks and a huge delicious bowl of Guacamole and chips. The drinks were strong and were great for their price. The weather was perfect for sitting at small cafe tables along the cobblestone streets of the South Street Seaport neighborhood. We had a great day overall but that place was definitely the highlight. I even read they have $12 all you can drink Sangria and Mimosa's during their weekend brunches. I will definitely be making a trip down soon to try them!

www.meadesbar.com

Story of my life.

Last summer my dad bought me a SAAB. I was so excited. I even named it Colby. When I brought it to school, it began acting up. The battery died within the first week of use and it got hit 3 times just when it was parked! I knew there was bad luck attached to this vehicle. My dad however, a car connoisseur and mechanic in his spare time, was obsessed with it and bought 3 identical ones, all containing something wrong with them so he could transfer the parts and create one ultimate SAAB. Within a few weeks into summer, I was involved in a car accident and totaled Colby. I was given the new SAAB, created from different pieces of different SAABs. My dad is an amazing man but I was still nervous to drive this car. So this past week when I was driving it on its first long trip down to New Jersey to play some Ultimate and then see Passion Pit it began to overheat. No, it did not overheat halfway through the trip, it overheated 15 minutes into the trip. Of course something happens the second I am trying to get out of Newburgh. I had to call a tow truck to pick me up on the New York Thruway which is terrifying if you are stopped on the shoulder with 18-wheeler's flying by you. The truck towed me back to Newburgh. Luckily, my mom lent me her car but I still I arrived late for the game and had to go through all of that JUST to leave Newburgh. I swear something is making me stay here.

Sounds of Summer.

I am going to see Passion Pit in NYC tomorrow. They have grown to be one of my favorite bands this year and I am hoping it will be a huge dance party just like I have heard most of their shows are. I will be spending the day in NYC doing all of my favorite things like eating cupcakes and going to happy hour. I am not sure where the glorious happy hour will partake..lets see where I end up.

Intro yo.

It's a time of transition. I just graduated college and am trying to look forward. That's all I can do because I am stuck in Newburgh, NY;the place I USED to like to call home. Going from being completely engulfed in Rutgers University life to being stuck in suburbia with my rents is not my cup of tea. In two months I will be moving to glorious Seattle. FAR FAR away. This blog will be one of those places where I can come while I am home to write my thoughts and ideas I think about while I am at work. Oh yeah by the way. I have a terrible retail job where I sell clothes to hundreds of foreigners for 8 hours a day in an over-air conditioned building. The only thing I like about the job is that I endure some quality people watching time where I see peoples eclectic fashion styles from literally all over the world. Working in that terrible building and having to live with my parents has made me eager to get out every chance I get. This leaves me with the main focus of my blog. My travel itch. I am absolutely obsessed with traveling. Last summer I was fortunate enough to go backpacking in Europe for 5 weeks. It was the most exhilarating yet exhausting trip I have ever taken. I met amazing people and learned traveling is my passion. That picture at the top is of myself and a few friends in Vienna, Austria. I was eating weinerschnitzel and joking around with my friends about nonsense. It was probably one of the happiest moments in my life because I was experiencing the 3 things I cannot live without: travel, friends and food.