Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach. It reminds me a little of Coney Island but cleaner, it has an east coast feel to it. I never would have considered it a vacation destination, but the people showed up in droves yesterday for some long desired beach time after an endless winter. Block after block of hotels, souvenir shops, and bars, Virginia Beach offers all you could ever want from a crowded beach vacation. It may not sound like it, but I am REALLY enjoying my time here. So much so, I am going to stay another night. But that may have a lot to do with my travel companion... Virginia Beach is the end of the road for him.


This morning I jogged along the beach. It felt good to get out and stretch my legs after two days in the car. With the ocean air in my lungs, and the waves crashing in the distance, I couldn't help but smile to myself thinking back on the adventures I have had already and the adventures that lie ahead. 


Tomorrow morning I tackle the last 12 hours of the drive to Orlando alone. It will mark the end of 'random weekend road trip' and become what it really is, I am moving. I've come so far and it is time to press on. But tonight, I will delight in the one last night of Virginia Beach and it's charisma... 

Out on the open road

Day two of travel. We are somewher in the middle of nowhere, west virginia. Yesterday before my tires met highway, I had breakfast with my family one last time. As they went around the table saying the things they WEREN'T going to miss about me, I knew in all reality they were all torn up. But the open road was calling me...
I've taken plenty of road trips in the past, but never took the time to appreciate the beauty that is out there. States that I had written off as 'not worth it' have some amazing things. Who knew west virginia had such beautiful mountains. Or that a farmhouse in ohio can have so much charm. Last night I sat in the middle of a field of wild flowers at dusk and it took my breathe away. I am so happy that I did this. These have been the best two days I've ever spent in a car.
As we looked at the map this morning to plan our route to virginia beach, we realized all the historic places we would be passing today. I am excited to see where I will find myself at dusk tonight...

Less than a week

I leave in less than a week. Five days and I shove all my stuff into the Vibe and hit the road. I say shove because the pile of "to pack in the car" has grown to a questionable size. The problem is, I still have a ton to pack. My schedule for the next five days is more jam packed than my car will be on the 29th. Trying to make my rounds and seeing everyone one last time before I move away. I have a long way to go before I am really ready to 'shove' off.


I've sold my dressers, my brother has claimed my bed, and my sister claimed my room. I should be freaking out, should be stressing out. There are no options at this point, leaving is happening. Yet, I am calm, cool, and collected. Actually, I am happier than I have been in a long time. Not that I anticipated to regret my decision, but with five days left, I'm glad to know that I am still on board. 


Well, while everyone is at work today, I'm going to an amusement park, how can I not be super amped!?!

Ready for a new adventure

My love of travel really took off during my trip to Hawaii last year. Before that, I liked vacations and had even talked about moving out of state, but that week was what really pushed me over the edge. I loved the adventure, the experience, the atmosphere. We hiked to a waterfall, climbed up it, and jumped off. We surfed, kayaked, and even danced the night away... I realized that there was a whole world out there that I wasn't a part of yet. As soon as I got back from the trip, I started applying to jobs in Hawaii. (Not realistic, but I had the right idea.)

In 2010 I took 9 separate trips, each time enjoying the variety and uniqueness of the cities. I can drone on and on about each one and what a blast they were, giving a play by play (but most of my friends have already sat through that anyways). With each trip, my resolve to move became stronger. 

Why now? April 5th marked my 26th birthday. I know I know, 26 is not old, but I am the one who had a hard time with 22. When I was a teenager, I thought that I would have accomplished so much more by 25. But really, I'm just ready for a new adventure. And as the saying goes.... I'm not getting any younger!

Do I pack the giant pink stuffed lizard?

My Pontiac Vibe, named 'Jazz' because when it grows up it is going to be a Pontiac Solstice just like the transformer. When I bought the Vibe, the sales lady boasted about the '9 square feet of storage space'. Like any first time car owner, I bragged endlessly about the amazing features, including an actual outlet, cute yet sporty look, and 9 square feet of storage space.


When my sister got married, I was challenged to fit all of her wedding presents into the Vibe in one trip. The prize, my choice of one of the wedding gifts. I tackled the challenge with ease and had room to spare (which is an impressive feat as anyone who was there can confirm). 


However, fitting all of one's worldly possessions into '9 square feet of storage space' is a completely different conquest then storing a toaster and new towels. I've begun the process of weeding out the non-essentials. There are plenty of things that I know for sure have to come and things for sure that I know can just be pitched. Then, I get to the in-between things. Things I like, but I don't really need. Things that I haven't really gotten my money's worth yet, but things that aren't necessary. What do I do with these 'things'? Over the next week and a half, I will be making some very hard decisions... I just have to remember that at the end of the day, it is just stuff and '9 square feet' can only get me so far. But one decision that was easy... The giant pink stuffed lizard IS coming with me!

Time is of the essence

It's great to finally have a timeline in place. To know that everything must be done by a very specific date. For over a year I have been kind of, sort of looking for jobs to make the big move. But until you just say, 'this is happening', it is too ambiguous to really wrap your head around.

Of course, I am excited beyond belief and cannot wait to leave the windy city behind for some fun in the sun. But Chicago does have some gems that will be missed. I will always remember the time that my dad took us to the Lock-In at the Museum of Science and Industry. We slept on the moon and hit up the roving ice cream cart at least twice that night. And I can't forgot how we created "family fun and fond memories" at Six Flags with some of my best friends. Or, how to this day I still have not completed my tour of the teas even though I have been feverishly trying for over 3 years.

With only 3 weeks left in Illinois, I have many places to go and people to see. It's not like I will never be back, but this may be the last time for a long time that I will be able to do it as an Illinois resident. Otherwise, I will be just visiting. My last Cubs game will be on Tuesday, after that I will stick out like a sore thumb in a sea of Marlins. Also, in the next couple weeks I will go stand on the Sears Tower "Ledge", have a long island, ride all the roller coasters, watch my friends get married, and visit my grandma. Hey, when time is of the essence, you have to prioritize!

The Doctor will see you now...

Insurance is a beast. There is no other way to explain it.  The insurance company gladly shows up every payday and gets in line right after uncle Sam to take their cut. As someone who usually just ends up doing the routine check-ups and gets the occasional cold, you really have to sit back and wonder, is it even worth it?!?

Of course the answer is YES because anyone who has known me for more than a day would know that the second I cancelled it I would get in a car accident rushing home from the doctor after being diagnosed with two types of cancer to find my house had burnt down. Naturally, none of this would be fatal, because then I would get out of paying the bill. But I digress.

I bring up insurance because my benefits get cancelled on my last day of work, May 24th. I mean, I knew that was the case, but I got official word from HR today. When I really thought about it, it's a tough pill to swallow. It doesn't matter that I faithfully paid my premium on time for 3 year, I'm cut off! The solution... see every doctor possible in the next 3 weeks. I don't care what he is the doctor of, if there is an MD after his name, he is welcome to take the insurance company's money on my behalf. I have 2 doctors appointments scheduled for this week alone (no joke!), and I'm not even sick! 

So it's not really a solution, but at least I will feel like I got my money's worth. I was planning on hitting up the doctor one more time anyways before I left just to make sure an arm wouldn't randomly fall off unexplained, just check that everything is still attached and working properly. But now... I want a second opinion!