Bek's lab

"Sometimes it's best to get your walls knocked down, lose your most cherished constructs, and be fully swept away." --How to Live at the Beach, by Sandy Gingras

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Location: Kailua, HI, United States

I'm a stay-at-home momma to 2 little ones, military spouse, and distributor for Young Living, cooking up new DIY recipes for house and home.

Friday, July 11, 2008

On the Road Again

My hubby and I are once again in transit. We were out of our townhouse on June 30. Since then, we spent several days with his family, a long 4th of July weekend with my family in Atlanta, and hit the road, heading west, on Monday, July 7th. Since our arrival in Atlanta, we have taken 218 pictures and mini video clips...well, we aren't really sure how many we've taken, but that is how many are in my album for this trip thus far. We won't be to our final destination, Oahu, Hawaii, for another week! Let me tell you, this is one for the books.
We will get our car faster if we ship it from the west coast. Also, if we drive, we get paid per diem and mileage. So, we decided to take the opportunity to get a relatively free vacation. We started out, like I said, in Atlanta, spending the 4th with my parents and grandmother in the cutest, most quintessential all-American small mountain town. Then, headed north to Tennessee for a couple of days, then west. We drove from Memphis to the Grand Canyon in 2 days, stopping for less than 12 hours in Amarillo, but detouring to see the 4 Corners. Tomorrow, we'll continue on to Vegas for the weekend, then to Southern California for the rest of the week, where we'll fly out of Friday.

Now, I have tons of pics and stories to share about this trip, but it really got me thinking tonight about all the great things I've seem. I grew up with a travelling family. We had a pop-up camper, and camped all over, the northeast in particular. But we've also moved a few times, and that too allowed me to see more of the country. Now, I'm married to a military man, and we're on move #6 in the past 3 years. As much as we did see as a child, there were some biggies close by that we didn't take the opportunity to see. I've made a concious choice that I will take advantage of opportunities, like we're doing here. I've never been overseas, either, but this country has so much to offer, and I realized, I've seen a lot!

I've done the northeast, the south, the midwest, and now, the southwest, and heading for the westcoast. Pretty much all that remains is New England and the northwest.
I've camped in the Appalachains and the Rockies, I've napped through the cornfields of Nebraska, and I've hiked the Grand Canyon.
I got engaged at Disney World, utilized an annual pass to Universal Studios, and saw Graceland, "Where Elvis Lives."
I've had a cocktail on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, on 6th Street in Austin, and on Beale Street in Memphis.
I've seen countless places where the history of our country was made: Jamestown, Williamsburg, Philadelphia, Gettysburg, Valley Forge, Savannah, Charleston, Atlanta, Washington DC, and the Alamo.
I've jetskiied in the Tennessee River, skiied in Colorado, and seen a rodeo in Cheyenne.
I've put my feet in the 4 Corners, the Great Lakes, the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the mighty Mississippi (and this time next week, will have added the Pacific to the list.)
I've done just about everything "to do" in New York City...Broadway, Off-Broadway, Empire State Bldg, Statue of Liberty, UN, Soho, Greenwich, Central Park. I've eaten hotdogs from a vender and pizza by the slice.
I've shopped on 5th Avenue and in Buckhead.
I've been to the beach in Ocean City, NJ, the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Myrtle Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Daytona Beach, Ft. Lauderdale Beach, Perdido Key in Alabama, Pensacola Beach, and Padre Island National Sea Shore in Texas.
Give me 1 more week and I will be able to add the Hoover Dam, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego, Honolulu, Waikiki, and Pearl Harbor.
Heck, I've lived in Alabama, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, and Texas.
I guess what the point of all this is, is to tell others to take advantage! Take advantage of what's close by. See things, go places. Do the "touristy" stuff in your own neck of the woods. My husband and I lived in San Antonio for 7 months and did things and saw places people who lived there their whole lives never saw. It's just there and they never think about it. My family lived in Philadelphia for 9 years and I didn't go to New York until we moved to North Carolina (although, to their defense, we were probably too young and DID do all the stuff to do in Philly.) Encourage your kids to see things. I'm only 25 and I've been to about 3/4 of the states in this country! Go, this weekend, and do something new!