More ruminating on my year
Only a few more to go! And today we're talking about
This is a short one because I didn't do a huge amount of traveling this year. Well, actually, I did and I didn't. I guess I did 3 different kinds of traveling this year:
1. Moving.
This year I did a LOT of moving. I moved from Kansas City to New Windsor, then from New Windsor to Westminster. I have to say, Kansas City to MD was the most interesting--we packed an entire apartment's worth of possessions into Noah's tiny Saturn, and drove the 2 days from MO to MD wedged in like sardines among books and clothes and everything that we owned. The most uneventful was the move from Gaithersburg (where we lived with my parents briefly while we found a place) to New Windsor--it went off without a hitch and I hardly remember that day at all. The saddest, of course, was New Windsor to Westminster. Despite the poorly ventilated kitchen, the lack of a washing machine not just in the apartment but in the entire town where we lived, and the fact that I was mercilessly eaten alive by bedbugs while we were there, I liked that apartment. And, of course, when we left that apartment Noah and I parted ways for the time being (in the sense of living together...we're still together, obviously), and that was the saddest thing. I just remember standing in my new house (where I currently live), with no idea how I got there, surrounded by all my possessions but feeling like I'd misplaced my partner, even though mere minutes before I had stood in front of the Heinz Bakery and watched him drive off. It was very confusing.
2. Visiting.
Still, despite the confusion, there was more traveling in the works as a result. These days my travels mainly involve my good friend Megabus and trips to New York. I recently planned a hilarious surprise visit to see Noah, the most amazing part of which being that he was actually surprised! I was so sure I or his parents were going to give it away, and each of us almost did, but the surprise went through in the end and we had a great time. Since Noah had to be at work for part of it, I spent a couple days wandering the city and just kind of going wherever I felt like going, without having to consider anyone else's plans. I challenged myself to do things I had previously been afraid to do. For instance, I rode the NY subway by myself for the first time ever! And did you know it's totally not terrifying and in fact is about 500 billion times less complicated than I made it out to be? I mean, I'm not saying I could figure out a subway route on the fly (I still have to meticulously plan out my trip on Google Maps before I go so I know exactly which trains I have to get on and for how many stops), but it's totally not impossible. You New York friends can stop rolling your eyes and saying "I told you so" now.
3. Fun vacation times!
In our one period of for-fun travel this year, Noah and I did go on a fantabulous road trip. We started out in our favorite vacation destination, Ithaca, NY. Where I believe we met up with Ginny one day, and thefieldsbeyond another day. My most vivid memory of that leg of the trip is that we ate ridiculously spicy Thai food one day and it was so delicious but then we spent the entire next day with tummy aches. After that we went to Toronto, where we stayed with Noah's relatives, who were very nice to me. I was relieved because I don't usually stay with other people's relatives, and if we hadn't gotten along it would have been really awkward. But everything went fine. We actually spent most of this leg of the trip relaxing and resting and not going out too terribly much. I think I spent most of the time reading Invitation to a Beheading because I'd never read it before and then couldn't stop reading it because I'm a sucker for Kafkaesque Russian novels, apparently. But there was also a great trip to the Kensington Market, where I bought an Indian sari dress at the urging of the lady who ran the store, and though it looked really good on me as a dress I can't remember how to put it on now, so I'm wearing it tomorrow as a wraparound skirt which looks good as well. That was the first time I'd ever been to Canada, so now I can add that to the list of countries outside of the US I've been to (though they didn't stamp my passport on the way in or on the way out, so I have no record of having been there). From there we went to Ann Arbor, MI, where Noah went to undergrad. We basically spent the entire time eating. It was amazing.
As for this year, Noah and I have another road trip planned for this summer (between summer semester and fall semester, since I'll have to take summer classes if I want to graduate anytime in the next fifty years...I have so many credits to complete!). We're calling it The Great New England Road Trip, and we're looking at places we might want to live after I graduate. More updates to follow.
This is a short one because I didn't do a huge amount of traveling this year. Well, actually, I did and I didn't. I guess I did 3 different kinds of traveling this year:
1. Moving.
This year I did a LOT of moving. I moved from Kansas City to New Windsor, then from New Windsor to Westminster. I have to say, Kansas City to MD was the most interesting--we packed an entire apartment's worth of possessions into Noah's tiny Saturn, and drove the 2 days from MO to MD wedged in like sardines among books and clothes and everything that we owned. The most uneventful was the move from Gaithersburg (where we lived with my parents briefly while we found a place) to New Windsor--it went off without a hitch and I hardly remember that day at all. The saddest, of course, was New Windsor to Westminster. Despite the poorly ventilated kitchen, the lack of a washing machine not just in the apartment but in the entire town where we lived, and the fact that I was mercilessly eaten alive by bedbugs while we were there, I liked that apartment. And, of course, when we left that apartment Noah and I parted ways for the time being (in the sense of living together...we're still together, obviously), and that was the saddest thing. I just remember standing in my new house (where I currently live), with no idea how I got there, surrounded by all my possessions but feeling like I'd misplaced my partner, even though mere minutes before I had stood in front of the Heinz Bakery and watched him drive off. It was very confusing.
2. Visiting.
Still, despite the confusion, there was more traveling in the works as a result. These days my travels mainly involve my good friend Megabus and trips to New York. I recently planned a hilarious surprise visit to see Noah, the most amazing part of which being that he was actually surprised! I was so sure I or his parents were going to give it away, and each of us almost did, but the surprise went through in the end and we had a great time. Since Noah had to be at work for part of it, I spent a couple days wandering the city and just kind of going wherever I felt like going, without having to consider anyone else's plans. I challenged myself to do things I had previously been afraid to do. For instance, I rode the NY subway by myself for the first time ever! And did you know it's totally not terrifying and in fact is about 500 billion times less complicated than I made it out to be? I mean, I'm not saying I could figure out a subway route on the fly (I still have to meticulously plan out my trip on Google Maps before I go so I know exactly which trains I have to get on and for how many stops), but it's totally not impossible. You New York friends can stop rolling your eyes and saying "I told you so" now.
3. Fun vacation times!
In our one period of for-fun travel this year, Noah and I did go on a fantabulous road trip. We started out in our favorite vacation destination, Ithaca, NY. Where I believe we met up with Ginny one day, and thefieldsbeyond another day. My most vivid memory of that leg of the trip is that we ate ridiculously spicy Thai food one day and it was so delicious but then we spent the entire next day with tummy aches. After that we went to Toronto, where we stayed with Noah's relatives, who were very nice to me. I was relieved because I don't usually stay with other people's relatives, and if we hadn't gotten along it would have been really awkward. But everything went fine. We actually spent most of this leg of the trip relaxing and resting and not going out too terribly much. I think I spent most of the time reading Invitation to a Beheading because I'd never read it before and then couldn't stop reading it because I'm a sucker for Kafkaesque Russian novels, apparently. But there was also a great trip to the Kensington Market, where I bought an Indian sari dress at the urging of the lady who ran the store, and though it looked really good on me as a dress I can't remember how to put it on now, so I'm wearing it tomorrow as a wraparound skirt which looks good as well. That was the first time I'd ever been to Canada, so now I can add that to the list of countries outside of the US I've been to (though they didn't stamp my passport on the way in or on the way out, so I have no record of having been there). From there we went to Ann Arbor, MI, where Noah went to undergrad. We basically spent the entire time eating. It was amazing.
As for this year, Noah and I have another road trip planned for this summer (between summer semester and fall semester, since I'll have to take summer classes if I want to graduate anytime in the next fifty years...I have so many credits to complete!). We're calling it The Great New England Road Trip, and we're looking at places we might want to live after I graduate. More updates to follow.