To-Do List #17 - Drive across country!

My journey has begun! Yesterday I began my cross-country road trip... I began in Raleigh, NC with my mom and drove North West through North Carolina. Along the way we saw Pilot Mountain. If I remember correctly, the mountain somehow belonged to my childhood best-friend's (Christina) Grandfather and was given to the state later. I don't know if I completely made that up or changed all the facts, but it sounds like a good story!

We made it up to Virginia in the morning and came across rain as we were driving through the Blue Ridge Mountains, but it stopped soon after. The trees were really beautiful, just starting to show there leaves - so it almost looked like autumn! I love that area, so peaceful and pretty.

Virginia was pretty uneventful and we made it up to West Virginia. West Virginia, for those who have never been is worth missing. The drive was uneventful, the weather was okay, the state is well... boring. We did stop for lunch and some shopping in Charleston.

Soon enough we made it to Ohio (after taking a quick nap to regain are driving energy) and had just about an hour or so of driving before making it to New Concord, OH. We will stay here for a few days with my Aunt Jill and her family before continuing on to meet LJ in Indiana on Wednesday! From there we will drive south so we can spend a few days in Vegas before arriving at our new home in Groveland, CA!

As long as my GPS is on, we shouldn't get lost!!


***Will add pictures later when I have a better connection!***

To-Do List #61 - Move to Yosemite National Park!

On April 20th, I will be leaving Raleigh to drive across the country. Destination: Groveland, CA, my new home. Call my a gypsy, a wanderer, a free-spirit, I suppose I am all of those. I will be working at the Evergreen Lodge directly outside Yosemite National Park. With the bears... and the mountain lions... and the bobcats... and the apparently psychotic squirrels. It should be an interesting experience!

It all started with a friend from my ship days, Alex. Alex was my trainer at NCLA's training center in Piney Point, MD. We were great friends there and even though we hadn't seen each other for about 2 years we still talked constantly. Alex informed me a few months ago that he would begin working at the Evergreen Lodge at the beginning of 2008. I instantly knew I wanted to take the opportunity to work in one of America's most beautiful areas, so I called another friend, Lana. Lana was Alex's friend as well and mine, from our time on the M/V Pride of America. I asked if she would be interested in moving out there and working for a while in Yosemite. Within a day we had it all planned, we would road trip out there and begin a new life (again!)

So, on April 20th I will begin the first half of my trip with my Mother. Mom and I will drive from our home in Raleigh, NC to her sister's home in New Concord, OH. We will stay with her a couple of days and on the 23rd of April they will drive me to Lana's home in Decatur, IN. The next day we begin our journey, stopping at every cheesy road side attraction and tourist trap, and complete with a three day stay in Fabulous Las Vegas! We will arrive in Groveland, CA on April 30th and begin our new job on May 1st.