Our trip to Fresno would not be complete without waking up and having a hearty breakfast from our college hot spot Jus Joes. Sam, Josh and I were joined at Jus Joe’s by Victoria (my old roommate), Nicole, Alyssa, and Donald (Alyssa’s boyfriend). After saying our final goodbyes it was in the car and off for a short tour around our old stomping grounds Fresno State. Driving through campus brought back many memories for both Sam and I. We recalled fighting for a parking spot in what all the Aggies deemed the “ag lot”, going to the Farm Market for some delicious ice cream, and many sorority activities in O’Neill Park. The trip down memory lane didn’t last long because it was back on the road we needed to go to make the 6 hour drive to fabulous Las Vegas! The drive to Vegas was filled with many stories, Ace of Base sing-alongs (poor Josh), and many miles of nothing but the Mojave Desert. The anticipation of what the next few days held for us really started to hit its high point when came down the hill on Highway 15 and saw all the bright lights of Las Vegas shinning in all their glory, and next stop Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino.
We were met at Imperial Palace by my long time high school friend Breanna, who was ready to celebrate our upcoming adventure just as much as we were. We began our first evening in Vegas with none other than a good ol’ shot, and we didn’t stop after one. After a bit of catching up with Breanna we took our celebrating onto the streets of Las Vegas Blvd.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Day 1 - January 30th 2012
Day one began nothing short of emotional, today was the day Sam said good bye (for the first time) to her family, boyfriend, and pets. Seeing all the emotions between Sam and her family really made things hard for me. It made me think about my family, especially my Mom. My mom and I are not currently in the best place with our relationship and this has been something I have been trying to handle the best way I can since telling my family about the adventure I was going to embark on. Watching Sam and her mother embrace and cry while saying good bye only made me hope that when I see my Mom in a couple weeks our relationship will somehow be back to the way that it always was and I can leave for the trip knowing my Mom is okay with the decision I have made and will be there for me every step of the way.
After all good byes were said it was into Blueberry (my car) we went and onto Fresno. We arrived in Fresno just in time for our reservations to meet our friends for dinner at Bj’s. Dinner was a great time for us to catch up on all the events going on in everyone’s lives and share what was on the agenda for our trip. When we were explaining what our trip was going to entail all of ours friends were a little shocked, but not too surprised giving it was Sam and I. Everyone seemed to be more taken aback by the fact that we were going to be on the road for so long and doing mostly camping along the way. After all our tummies were full from delicious food and of course Pazooki (amazing warm cookie covered with vanilla ice cream) it was time to say our good byes. Both Sam and I have been living a few hours from all of our friends in Fresno, but it was hard to leave knowing that for the next six months I couldn’t just jump in the car and drive over to Fresno on a Friday night to spend time with the girls. The good byes weren’t easy but we left with blessings from all of our friends and that was just what we needed to begin our journey. We love all of you that came to dinner to wish us farewell and we’ll be seeing you soon!
After all good byes were said it was into Blueberry (my car) we went and onto Fresno. We arrived in Fresno just in time for our reservations to meet our friends for dinner at Bj’s. Dinner was a great time for us to catch up on all the events going on in everyone’s lives and share what was on the agenda for our trip. When we were explaining what our trip was going to entail all of ours friends were a little shocked, but not too surprised giving it was Sam and I. Everyone seemed to be more taken aback by the fact that we were going to be on the road for so long and doing mostly camping along the way. After all our tummies were full from delicious food and of course Pazooki (amazing warm cookie covered with vanilla ice cream) it was time to say our good byes. Both Sam and I have been living a few hours from all of our friends in Fresno, but it was hard to leave knowing that for the next six months I couldn’t just jump in the car and drive over to Fresno on a Friday night to spend time with the girls. The good byes weren’t easy but we left with blessings from all of our friends and that was just what we needed to begin our journey. We love all of you that came to dinner to wish us farewell and we’ll be seeing you soon!
The Background and Beginning
Well it's official, we're on the road! Wow, sometimes it's hard to believe we actually picked up and left, then again, sometimes it doesn't surprise me. After ten years of itching to get out and explore, see things up close, and have an adventure, it finally just took one last shove to push me over that edge that held me back. I've always tended to be someone who has that "list" of things they want to do, see, and experience, a bucket list of sorts, that I contemplate about for years and then suddenly one day I just tell myself 'stop saying you're going to go do this someday, go do it!' for example, I had always been interested in scuba diving and would continuously say I wanted to get certified and, on every year I would say this would be the year. Another year would pass without obtaining the certification, then another, and another, and so on. Now mind you scuba diving is rather expensive, costing roughly $900 for class and start up gear, but finally one year I said I don't care how much it costs, I'm going to get it done and figure out paying off the credit card statement later, this was something I really wanted to do and there wasn't going to another summer passing me by without doing it anymore! So that's exactly what I did; that July I signed up, paid for the class, stayed the weekend with my friend Jeanette who lived close by to Monterey (where the final ocean dives took place,) and got certified! And of course, it was AMAZING! Since then, I've gone diving in a couple other countries where the coral reefs have been spectacular! Scuba certification is just one example of me putting things I want to experience o. The back burner and then suddenly going at it full force. This life changing trip is the same thing.
Ever since I was even in high school I've wanted to get out and see the world! My parents were never big travelers so I'm not exactly sure where I got the traveling, exploring, adventurous bug, but I've certainly been bitten!when I met my friend Chantelle who was born and raised in New Zealand until she was 16 years old, I immediately became interested in traveling to her home land. To this day it's still on my list of places to explore, yet I know one day I'll just pick up and go there! Who knows, maybe sooner than later.
In college, I always wanted to do a semester abroad with Austrailia being the country at the top of my prospects, yet I always felt some sort of unspoken obligation to what I had going on at home, which was Fresno at the time. I had my cats which would have to be cared for by someone, all the things that belonged to me, where would it all go? I guess at the time that's all it took to stop me from going forward with what I truly wanted to do. Forget the fact that I would get to meet some awesome people, do some amazing things, obtain knowledge I can't even fathom right now, and all the other potentially worth while experiences, I just didn't get out there and do it. I regret it. Even when it came down to graduating college and I stated that I wanted to go backpacking for a year, still no real steps were taken to bring myself closer to that kind of reality. Until now.
Traveling for me is something relatively new. When a former coworker and friend to this day made the suggestion of going to Egypt two years ago, I suddenly found myself totally on board. Egypt was always a place that fascinated me and I have a huge liking of their ancient culture. So I spoke up about wanting to go and that was it, I was in! Two weeks, in a country half way around the world and I was sold on international travel. I made a goal for myself to visit at least one foreign country a year and now that Egypt and Mexico (from a family trip to Cabo a few years prior) we're under my belt, I had many more to conquer! But it wasnt enough, I wanted more. On my bucket list one of my biggest goals it's to visit at least 25 different countries in my lifetime, but at a rate of one or so per year, that was going at too slow of a pace for me. Granted there are easy, quick ways to knock out a few countries in a short amount of time, but I'm the kind of person who wants to immerse myself in the culture, see the sights, talk to the locals, shop at the markets for local cuisines, take a million photographs, and what ever else comes into play. So making a short trip out of it, just wouldn't satisfy me. I went on a cruise with two of my sorority sisters from college last fall to the Western Carribean where we made stops in Cozumel, Mexico, Belize City, Belize, Roatan, Honduras, and Georgetown, Grand Cayman, but with only stopping for seven hours or less at each port, I almost don't feel comfortable checking any new countries off the map of places to see. Next time around, I'll have to spend much more time just taking in the sights.
So now that I've given a little background and insight into the inner workings of Samantha, I guess I can move on to the trip at hand. Yup, I quit my job as a county Agricultursl Biologist, yes the one that had the great benefits, but also an awful commute and a toxic work environment, I sold what I could, donated or gave away much of the rest, boxed up some items I couldn't part with, took my corgi, Daphne, to reside with my parents, the two cats are staying with my boyfriend, Joe, and his two kids, and Mindy and I are hitting the open road to see the USA and Canada up close and personal. Then, if that wasn't wasn't crazy enough, after being on the road for 21 weeks, I bought a one way ticket to Europe. First stop, Greece for my cousin, Heather, and her fiancé Vasily's wedding which will take place on the island of Kefalonia July 1st. From there, I will travel to wherever the wind blows me. The list of places to see in Europe is arduous and long. Copenhagen, Bergen, Barcelona, Paris, Rome, Dublin, Prague, Zurich, just to name a few. I'm not sure how long I will be staying, but it will at least a couple of months backpacking around and riding the Eurorail. Nothing short of an adventure.
Packing up my possessions, storing a few others, saying goodbye to my family, boyfriend and his kids, friends and my pets has been really hard and emotional, yet I feel like if I don't get out and explore the world and follow what my heart desires, then I'll grow older and older filled with regret of never getting myself out there. There's no time like the present; I'm not married, I don't have children of my own, I saved a bit of money which originally had been intended as a down payment on a house, and I got rid of my car. Ok, well more like I accidentally got rid of my car by totaling it on the freeway driving home one day about six weeks before we were to leave for our road trip, so I collected the insurance mo ey and put it towards an adventure! I budgeted the best I could for the months ahead and as long as the trip isn't engulfed in unexpected expenses, I should be able to fund my travels for nine months or so. Plus, I could always pick up small jobs along the way. I recently went to bartending school, another feat that had been on my to do list for awhile, and I figure it's an almost universal trade; people all over the world like to drink, and I have boobs, so that can work well for getting tips. :)
So here we go, the adventure of a lifetime!
Ever since I was even in high school I've wanted to get out and see the world! My parents were never big travelers so I'm not exactly sure where I got the traveling, exploring, adventurous bug, but I've certainly been bitten!when I met my friend Chantelle who was born and raised in New Zealand until she was 16 years old, I immediately became interested in traveling to her home land. To this day it's still on my list of places to explore, yet I know one day I'll just pick up and go there! Who knows, maybe sooner than later.
In college, I always wanted to do a semester abroad with Austrailia being the country at the top of my prospects, yet I always felt some sort of unspoken obligation to what I had going on at home, which was Fresno at the time. I had my cats which would have to be cared for by someone, all the things that belonged to me, where would it all go? I guess at the time that's all it took to stop me from going forward with what I truly wanted to do. Forget the fact that I would get to meet some awesome people, do some amazing things, obtain knowledge I can't even fathom right now, and all the other potentially worth while experiences, I just didn't get out there and do it. I regret it. Even when it came down to graduating college and I stated that I wanted to go backpacking for a year, still no real steps were taken to bring myself closer to that kind of reality. Until now.
Traveling for me is something relatively new. When a former coworker and friend to this day made the suggestion of going to Egypt two years ago, I suddenly found myself totally on board. Egypt was always a place that fascinated me and I have a huge liking of their ancient culture. So I spoke up about wanting to go and that was it, I was in! Two weeks, in a country half way around the world and I was sold on international travel. I made a goal for myself to visit at least one foreign country a year and now that Egypt and Mexico (from a family trip to Cabo a few years prior) we're under my belt, I had many more to conquer! But it wasnt enough, I wanted more. On my bucket list one of my biggest goals it's to visit at least 25 different countries in my lifetime, but at a rate of one or so per year, that was going at too slow of a pace for me. Granted there are easy, quick ways to knock out a few countries in a short amount of time, but I'm the kind of person who wants to immerse myself in the culture, see the sights, talk to the locals, shop at the markets for local cuisines, take a million photographs, and what ever else comes into play. So making a short trip out of it, just wouldn't satisfy me. I went on a cruise with two of my sorority sisters from college last fall to the Western Carribean where we made stops in Cozumel, Mexico, Belize City, Belize, Roatan, Honduras, and Georgetown, Grand Cayman, but with only stopping for seven hours or less at each port, I almost don't feel comfortable checking any new countries off the map of places to see. Next time around, I'll have to spend much more time just taking in the sights.
So now that I've given a little background and insight into the inner workings of Samantha, I guess I can move on to the trip at hand. Yup, I quit my job as a county Agricultursl Biologist, yes the one that had the great benefits, but also an awful commute and a toxic work environment, I sold what I could, donated or gave away much of the rest, boxed up some items I couldn't part with, took my corgi, Daphne, to reside with my parents, the two cats are staying with my boyfriend, Joe, and his two kids, and Mindy and I are hitting the open road to see the USA and Canada up close and personal. Then, if that wasn't wasn't crazy enough, after being on the road for 21 weeks, I bought a one way ticket to Europe. First stop, Greece for my cousin, Heather, and her fiancé Vasily's wedding which will take place on the island of Kefalonia July 1st. From there, I will travel to wherever the wind blows me. The list of places to see in Europe is arduous and long. Copenhagen, Bergen, Barcelona, Paris, Rome, Dublin, Prague, Zurich, just to name a few. I'm not sure how long I will be staying, but it will at least a couple of months backpacking around and riding the Eurorail. Nothing short of an adventure.
Packing up my possessions, storing a few others, saying goodbye to my family, boyfriend and his kids, friends and my pets has been really hard and emotional, yet I feel like if I don't get out and explore the world and follow what my heart desires, then I'll grow older and older filled with regret of never getting myself out there. There's no time like the present; I'm not married, I don't have children of my own, I saved a bit of money which originally had been intended as a down payment on a house, and I got rid of my car. Ok, well more like I accidentally got rid of my car by totaling it on the freeway driving home one day about six weeks before we were to leave for our road trip, so I collected the insurance mo ey and put it towards an adventure! I budgeted the best I could for the months ahead and as long as the trip isn't engulfed in unexpected expenses, I should be able to fund my travels for nine months or so. Plus, I could always pick up small jobs along the way. I recently went to bartending school, another feat that had been on my to do list for awhile, and I figure it's an almost universal trade; people all over the world like to drink, and I have boobs, so that can work well for getting tips. :)
So here we go, the adventure of a lifetime!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Day one is almost upon us!
As a 26 year old single woman and not quite completely happy with where my life was at I decided to make a life changing decision and go on a five month long road trip with one of my closest friends and sorority sister. The idea of a road trip across the country was something I had always discussed doing with friends growing up but never took the thought into serious consideration. Once I was in college I just did what I thought I was supposed to do, study, get summer jobs, graduate and find a good paying job and never really put much thought into taking the time while I was young and free to go explore like I had always wanted to. Well, now as I still consider myself young and free I’m taking the plunge and going on the adventure that I told myself would happen one day.
Now with day one of the trip drawing closer I am trying to get off the emotional rollercoaster I have been on for the past week, which begun when I said good bye to my job. Since my last day of work I have been feeling excited that I am going to begin this amazing new journey as well as scared for the uncertainty the future holds for me once my trip is over. With so many emotions running through me I am trying to stay focused on the excitement and trying to use that to help me prepare for the trip. With most of the minor trip preparation done about a month ago by mapping out our basic route as well as the major destinations we wanted to stop and see the major preparations are still underway. The hardest challenge has been packing up all my belongings to put in storage for an unknown amount of time and deciding what I really need to bring with me for the trip. Do I really need to bring my Miss Me jeans? What make up do I think I won’t be able to live without? How many long sleeve shirts is enough? Do I have the proper clothes for all types of weather me may encounter? Having now sorted through all of my clothes three times I am pretty sure I have just enough and not anything that I don’t really need. Along with packing all of my material items away into boxes I have also been checking other items off the “to do” list. I have had my car checked over to ensure it is as ready as it can be for the many miles of driving it will be facing and making sure we have all the needed camping and safety equipment. With many things needing to get taken care of before the trip I am confident that once the departure day arrives I will be ready as I can be.
11 more days until departure…first stop VEGAS!!!!!
Now with day one of the trip drawing closer I am trying to get off the emotional rollercoaster I have been on for the past week, which begun when I said good bye to my job. Since my last day of work I have been feeling excited that I am going to begin this amazing new journey as well as scared for the uncertainty the future holds for me once my trip is over. With so many emotions running through me I am trying to stay focused on the excitement and trying to use that to help me prepare for the trip. With most of the minor trip preparation done about a month ago by mapping out our basic route as well as the major destinations we wanted to stop and see the major preparations are still underway. The hardest challenge has been packing up all my belongings to put in storage for an unknown amount of time and deciding what I really need to bring with me for the trip. Do I really need to bring my Miss Me jeans? What make up do I think I won’t be able to live without? How many long sleeve shirts is enough? Do I have the proper clothes for all types of weather me may encounter? Having now sorted through all of my clothes three times I am pretty sure I have just enough and not anything that I don’t really need. Along with packing all of my material items away into boxes I have also been checking other items off the “to do” list. I have had my car checked over to ensure it is as ready as it can be for the many miles of driving it will be facing and making sure we have all the needed camping and safety equipment. With many things needing to get taken care of before the trip I am confident that once the departure day arrives I will be ready as I can be.
11 more days until departure…first stop VEGAS!!!!!
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