We mostly drove today, but not until after a quick trip into the black hills and a visit to a national monument: Mount Rushmore.
From there we travelled through a little of Wyoming and into Montana to Bozeman just north of Yellowstone for the night. Tomorrow will be filled with adventures through another wonderful national park.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Corn Palace.
A drive through the plains.
76 signs for Wall Drug.
Some hiking in the Badlands.
Dinner in Wall at the Cactus Cafe after discovering Wall Drug was closed.
Arrive in Rapid City in preparation for Mount Rushmore tomorrow morning.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
We visited a wopping 5 states today: Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Missouri was the same as yesterday, Kansas was disappointing, Iowa is inhabited entirely of corn, Omaha is surprisingly fun, and Sioux Falls, SD has caribou coffee and interesting Japanese food as well as falls which should be obvious from the name.
Today was long. Tomorrow should be a little more scenic once we arrive at the Badlands after we visit the world's only Corn Palace. Erin and I agree, though, that the world probably only needs one corn palace.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I'm on my way, and with Erin aboard. We hit the road this morning and headed a little west and a little north before deciding to detour just a bit and change our course to make a stop at Lambert's, home of the throwed rolls. We then made our way further north to St. Louis where we officially started our trip west with a walk under the arch.
Tomorrow should take us through 6 states! We're planning an originally unplanned stop in Minnesota since Erin hasn't been before.
I recently looked back at my first entry to this blog and smiled at the way things can come full circle. Here I am, writing once again on the brink of another travel adventure. So many little tasks creep up before these adventures that I know I will likely forget something, though I hope I don't. Also, I've had so many things to prepare I don't feel as though I've spent nearly enough time thinking about the road trip that will take me to my new home (the location overall, Ben, not the actual building where I will be living, which we'll refer to as my new room in Jena's condo, though I'm sure it will be home in no time). I purchased my first AAA membership at Ben's recommendation and received a handy card and phone number in the case of any Road Side Emergencies. I've also been told that the Steins have sent a TripTik my way that I can't wait to peruse.
Our itinerary of cities and destinations:
St. Louis, MO
Kansas City, KS
Omaha, NE
A little piece of Iowa
the Badlands
Rapid City, SD (Mount Rushmore)
Billings, MT
Yellowstone in Wyoming
Missoula, MT
Glacier National Park
Parts of Washington, perhaps through Spokane
Portland, OR
Erin and I were originally going to go through Salt Lake City, UT but we heard great things about Missoula and Glacier and so changed our minds and decided to head north. Not too much longer and we'll be on the road.
Unfortunately, the worst part about a new adventure is saying goodbye, even though I know so many good things await. I think I'm just ready to be on the other side of these goodbyes. They aren't going to be easy.
To end on a lighter note, for anyone who knows the current me and wants to laugh, please read this previous post from the very beginning of my blogging days before I went to Italy:
Blackstone Merlot and Bongo Java Coffee
I'm beginning my own local food project. But I do emphasize beginning. As I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle I am both motivated and discouraged. I want to support local farmers, and I want to lessen my "carbon footprint" as I so often hear these days, but I don't live on or near a farm! I don't even have a yard. In fact, I don't really even have a stable kitchen as I'm moving in a little over a month.
However, I cannot deny the value in small steps. I may not be able to sustain myself or commit to only eating local food, but I can stop by the farmers market for fresh (and better) tomatoes and squash and spring onions. I can buy local honey, which also supposedly helps with seasonal allergies. And I can return to my old favorite - The Produce Place on Murphy Road. Ever since I moved to the other side of town, I rarely get over that way, but they sell all or mostly local produce as well as local milk (which is delicious).
In the chapter I just finished in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Barbara Kingsolver discusses canning tomatoes. I'd love to go that extra mile, but this is where I run into the no space, no time, no way issue. So, I'll settle for doing the best I can with what I've got. I"ll settle for little steps moving in the right direction, and I'll get there eventually.
Confession: I'm still learning and researching the topic.
But... I've been reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and would recommend it to anyone looking for a book on the benefits of eating locally grown food. Barbara Kingsolver and her family commit to eating all locally grown food for an entire year. They make their own cheese from local cows' milk, they grow their own vegetables and buy from local Farmers' Markets, they locate locally produced grain to purchase to make bread, and they even raise their own chickens for both eggs and meat. The book begins in April at the beginning of the growing season. I'm not too much past June, but I'm already inspired.
I'm looking into ways to adapt the ideas she presents and the problems she reports with transporting food across nations and continents into my own food culture. I live in a small apartment far from a farm, so my choices are much more limited than Kingsolvers, but I'd love to see how feasible it is for a single girl, living in an urban neighborhood, to move toward this type of lifestyle. I'll let you know what I come up with.
P.S. The Smoothie for the week is Strawberry Peach. (I'm enundated with Strawberries right now!)
During a bit of internet perusal I recently came across a blog, Green Options. Perhaps it is more of a collection of blogs, all focused on discussing greener options for our world. They discuss food-growing methods, handmade goods, starting green businesses, fuel-efficient cars, and so much more. My favorite section is the Family and Lifestyle section which includes four distinct blogs, Crafting a Green World, Eat. Live. Better., Eco Child's Play, and Feelgood Style.
I recently discovered two contests through Green Options which I decided to post here. Threadless.com is hosting a design a green t-shirt contest that I'm dying to enter if I can only come up with a good enough idea. Today, Kelly Rand, a featured curator on Etsy, posted another contest for Upcycled Projects through Sublime Stitching.
Ever since I tasted the freshness of in season, local food, I've been on the move toward a more natural lifestyle. I began by shopping at farmers markets when possible and choosing All Natural food choices at the grocery store. The benefits, I think, far exceed the added costs of purchasing natural products. Also, there is a difference in natural and organic. I haven't yet committed to organic in the same way I have committed to natural, but it's certainly not out of the question. When possible I still aim to purchase organic as well. Organic has more to do with farming methods, while natural ingredients refers to items that are free of preservatives and other chemical additives.
My newest personal 'fad' is smoothies. I've been playing around with them for a month now, and since my roommate provided me with some handy smoothie recipe cards, I've decided to have a smoothie of the week. I'm hoping this will allow me to have plenty of ingredients on hand without having an overflowing freezer. I can focus on having only one recipe's ingredients at a time, while perfecting the proportions and experimenting with alterations before moving on. I'd also like to add this to my list of in season food options, using seasonal fruit whenever possible. This week's smoothie: Strawberry Banana Goodness.
My shop is now open!
awfullybigadventures.etsy.com
And I've already made two sales. With the shop open I don't see much in that way of hope for my kitchen table getting any cleaner, but I do see the potential for some books to be made. I recently made two out of green with slightly lighter green text pages. I'm also looking in to experimenting with the fabric from a broken umbrella to make something slightly waterproof. I just have to determine the best way to accomplish that.
My work for FOCUS, a conference for children's educators, is picking up rather quickly. This past week I worked in the office and we got the workshop descriptions I had been editing ready for and then up on the web. The final web preparation was an all day affair. complete with a lot of editing and moving things around and pdfs. Next on the list is assisting in room assignments for the actual conference and then beginning to pull the program book together. I foresee some long days ahead.
Despite the project requiring a lot of time (and much more to come), I've really enjoyed working on it and hope to find more like it in the future. I've had the opportunity to write and edit content for the website, e-mails, and other publicity; I'm hosting a facebook group for the event; I will have the opportunity to compile and work on the program book; and I'll be attending the event and just discovered I'll be in charge of taking care of the exercise groups. Each task is unique and challenging in its own way and has given me the opportunity to see how much I enjoy this type of work.
Workshop Descriptions
Also, I'm hoping to plan some sort of travel in the near future. Any ideas?
I'm finally in the process of opening up my Etsy journal store! I've been working on this for a few months, making books and refreshing on the different techniques I learned in my class in Italy. I spent yesterday evening sewing a few more single signature books and one Japanese style with newsprint that turned out pretty nice. I'm also in the process of making a custom wedding guest book and photo signature book for my friend Julie's wedding.
It feels great to be back in the bookbinding swing of things except that my apartment is too small and is now a complete mess! I have taped bricks on the dining room chairs and paper across the table and glue on the counter and a stack of books on my couch to keep them from getting lost amidst supplies. Paper, glue, paper knife, awl, string, ribbon, scissors, pens, exactos, rulers. They are everywhere. I've never had so much trouble finding a spot to photograph.
I'm sitting on the floor between my "dining room" and kitchen right now typing this because there's no where else to sit. I'm taking my computer with me to work so I can work on typing descriptions and editing photos. I need space!
I was working last night, closing. We have this customer we occasionally refer to as Crazy Mary who comes in and sits and talks to everyone around her and won't leave until you walk her to the door at close. I dread her coming in. I see her come through the front door, and I bolt to the back room to avoid getting stuck in a long conversation of smiles and nods and "Alright Mary, I've got to get back to work." But people seem much more eccentric when you are ignorant of their situation.
Last night we were slow and our cafe was mostly empty when Mary arrived. She talked to me briefly, mentioning multiple times how empty the place seemed then proceeded to the back where she sat down. When I told her we were closing and she had to leave, she seemed sad and lonely, and I saw, for a short moment, how she's not all that crazy, but mostly lonely. She comes to our store because she can sit there and drink a mocha and usually find someone to listen to her, if even half-heartedly.
Perhaps Crazy Mary is really just a lonely woman who finds its easier to talk to herself than no one at all.
I don't really like driving. Dependency on vehicles is also costly and nervewracking when people drive like maniacs! But in a city like Nashville, you can barely make it if you don't drive. The Public Transportation is abominable. City buses have infrequent pick-ups and, unless I'm wrong, there is only one Public Transportation option other than the bus and it's a train that comes into Nashville from one direction only. I've ridden the buses. Last year I volunteered at the Nashville Public Library and happened to live in easy walking distance from a bus stop and the Library happened to be, fortuntately, also on a bus stop. I hopped on the bus and avoided dealing with traffic myself.
Even if I could walk places, just a few places even, I'd be happier with it. Unless you live in the expensive downtown or more downtown areas you have to deal with driving and parking. I long to live in a city with better Public Transportation. I long to pull my car into my residence and leave it parked all week long, walking to work or riding a subway or train.
It's raining out which has made it especially difficult to wake up and get to work the past few days. I'm beginning to fear I've loaded up my plate perhaps a little too well. I've been working diligently on my projects for FOCUS. I've written and edited some of the info on the website (including this info on Networking) and created a flier which should be nearing completion soon. I'm also in charge of a Facebook group and the program book which will become a bigger priority a little closer to the event.
I have one final piece to turn in for graduate school applications and then they will be officially complete, which means only one thing: WAIT. Ben told me yesterday how miserable he found the waiting game, wondering each day if a letter, good or bad, might be waiting in the mailbox. I feel almost as if I'm 18 again, arriving home from school each day and rushing out to the mailbox where a letter might be waiting with my future written inside. This time is different though. Scarier.
In the meantime, I've purchased a book to refresh my Italian, I'm taking a Photoshop class that begins in a week and a half at the art school in town, and I'm working on books for my future Etsy Shop, all while maintaining both my job at Starbucks and my work with the General Board of Discipleship.
About a month ago I began a new job working as an independent contractor for the General Board of Discipleship in Downtown Nashville. I'll be working basically as an event assistant for a conference in July - FOCUS. The conference is for those in ministry with children. I'll be writing, editing, and doing some graphic design for the event. I'm excited about this opportunity and can't wait to put up some of my work as well as other new writings.
My hope is to turn this blog into something a bit more professional - a virtual portfolio/resume. Let me know if you have any advice or suggestions. Future posts may be personal, but also geared toward my writing and design specifically. After all, writing is the adventure that started this to begin with.
Happy Monday, and look forward to more frequent posting.
-Jessica
As far as I know the official results are not yet in. I'm not too concerned about the presidential race really. At the last election I couldn't keep my eyes off the polls, but I have since become rather apathetic or, in the least, lackadaisical. I just have a hard time putting my vote behind anyone who's spent millions of dollars promoting 1) their own moral goodness (if it were anyone else, wouldn't we just want to figure that out for ourselves?) 2) mudslinging their opponent (which should cancel out #1, but never manages to do so?) and 3) the idea that they'd spend American tax dollars wisely. I'm fairly certain those millions of dollars would have been much better spent digging America out of debt and paying for all those new government programs everyone seems to be promising the people. But I'm just saying.
I did vote; I cast my ballot. But I can't say if I agree with the process.
I had one of those this afternoon so I could wake up to write this entry. Actually I was eager to have a full day that started at 4am. Unfortunatly I did end up spending about an hour and a half watching Bones, this tv show on dvd my roommate borrowed from some of our friends. It's addicting, just like coffee.
Today was the first day of fall, the perfect day to enjoy a warm drink. Technically Autumn begins in September, but today felt like fall, like the first day you want to take that deep breath of fall air and go jumping into leaves. At 4:30 this morning it was frigid, but by the afternoon when I was struggling to stay awake to enjoy it, the temp was around 68.
Newest addictions:
Bones
Coupons
Sleep
Comfy shirts
Chuck
Studying my GRE words: "Don't be fractious and cause a fracas; try and be convivial, but don't be bombastic by only speaking in the argot of your field. It's boorish." (Try translating that! And it's not even Italian.)
Also, my beautiful niece had surgery on Tuesday. She's in recovery. The beautiful little thing is surely a trooper. Read more... Edentruthcarroll.blogspot.com
I have never understood before how certain experiences can make one re-evaluate their own existence. I never imagined I'd be working not 30 feet from where a 24-year-old pizza delivery guy was robbed, shot, and killed. I never knew how I'd feel in the aftermath of such an event. I know now.
I always laugh when I see regular customers of Starbucks at other coffee shops. We always smile at each other once we realize who each other are. I can't go to the Frothy Monkey without running into a regular, and I just discovered I can't go to Bongo Java without seeing a co-worker. Coffee is an addiction.
Speaking of which... I'm at Bongo Java, but I have to leave in about fifteen minutes to go to Starbucks. My life does not lack caffeine, which is probably why I haven't been able to sleep well lately. I get so tired and then in the morning I wake up but not fully. I toss around for a while before I can really open my eyes. It's annoying. Perhaps I should try giving up caffeine for a while. That'd be crazy.
I've been out of school now for four months, and I must admit: "I hate it." I'm actualy a little jealous of my friends and co-workers who are still in the classroom. Thus, I have excellent motivation for getting on top of graduate school applications and also, yes... the dreaded GRE. I finally buckled down and purchased a vocabulary workbook which I've already begun pounding through. I'm debating signing up for a class, but I'm not sure enough of the programs I'm looking to apply to even require the test. A few do though including one I found today that is hitting the top of my list. Currently on the list:
Oregon State
Portland State
Indiana University
...and possibly a school in Colorado which I can't find in my grad school notes at this moment.
The list is sure to fluctuate as I narrow down or expand exactly what kind of program I'm looking for. I'm still debating the MFA option, but as of right now am heavily leaning toward a program that offers an MA in creative writing of the more traditional MA in Composition and Rhetoric. The end goal, for those of you who don't know, is teaching writing at a university level. I just want to go to school forever I suppose.
