L&L Cross the Country!

Helloooooo out there! Just checking in to say WHAZZUP from NoCal! I'm sitting over here at Kate's in Alameda, jammin' out to Cat Stevens holding her laptop hostage for the moment. (Kate is an RPCV gal pal from the TZed who endearingly refers to me as 'The Daughter I Never Wanted'. Kristen, Kate's 'Prodigal Daughter', visited San Fransisco in December. C'mon now, can't a girl get a break?)

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Dear Blog-a-ma-bobbers, Greetings!

Currently in my 11th week of cruis'n across this great ol' country of ours I'm bodaciously over budget, yet bubbling over with new magnificent memories. A grand trade indeed, I declare! Not wanting to keep you from your workday, I'll ramble off some of my favorite moments of the past few days since surviving TammyNats first booboo on the open road from Boulder...

Wyoming: When do I move in?!

• Arriving at Bev's in Jackson to a plate of pasta topped with elk?! :)
• Waking up to a view outside the window that belongs outside my dream home...
• Watching Laura ski for the first time! Plowing her way down the slopes at Jackson Hole
• Cruising with Bev down the 4,100ft runs in the shadows of Grand Teton
• Walking around downtown Jackson, wishing I was wearing long-johns under my jeans?!
• Sitting side-saddle at a cowboy bar... for reals
• Driving through the elk refuge, and by driving I mean shotgun napping...
• Enjoying grilled cheese and tomato soup and movies, already wishing for another day in winter-white Wyoming

Utah: Ahh!

• Discovering Crown Burger's special sauce
• Hitting the pillows at Hilton thanks to Baba Mueller :)
• Relishing the quiet moments in Zion Nat'l Park
• Adventuring out on Greyhound, bound for a Superbowl in San Diego!!!

Arizona & Nevada...

nice napping through you! I'll be back another day, promise :)

California: A Coastal Cruise to Remember...

• Smiling as Ethan snapped my first (of this trip) Cali beach picture
• Being schooled on the art of table shuffle board in Pacific Beach (or as the locals say, PB)
• Cruising 'round SD, finding the perfect fish taco with Matt
• Reuniting with a preschool pal, keeping warm under the heat lamps at Fashion Valley Mall?! :)
• Laughing our tooshies off at a surprisingly stellar comedy show with Kelly Marie in Normal Heights
• Surviving a best-night-out with Ethan, killing wii zombies, making friends :)
• Absorbing the warm SoCal rays at La Jolla, smelling the sea lions
• Hiking the Hills and holding up the Hollywood sign with Laura
• Finding Michael Landon's star on the Walk of Fame for Mom :)
• Catching up with college gal pal, Courtney, the better half of the displaced Jones duo, to the tune of Thai Elvis in LA
• Staring wide-eyed at the indescribable views of Highway 1... (this will stay on my To-Do-In-Leiha's-Life-List forever)
• Moving into PetSmart, watching Cynthia's pup, Maggie, learn how to sit/stay/lay... ruff!
• Meeting a kickball team captain whilst crashing a party in Campbell, signing Cynthia up for her kickball career debut!
• Playing soccer on a Sunday morning under the shining NoCal sun...
• Scouring the farmer's market, shopping for veggies and such in Mountain View
• Watching Jacob blow up an air-matress with lungs of steel
• Discovering the expansiveness of Bay Area transportation with Kit and her bellybutton
• Watching as 7RPCVs converge for a Valentine dinner to remember (Jill's here!!!)
• Talking about life, family and friends in Mangio Village with Adrienne, the only other RPCV to know it as home
• Watching Ellen's 90s standup and babysitting with Rashad... fo shizzle.
• Walking the East Bay, perusing book stores, doing errands, sipping cafe coco and having wonderfully normal moments with Kate in Alameda

When I set out on this couch crawling adventure in December, my only goal/hope for this grand undertaking was to reconnect with old/new friends by spending their everyday moments together, catching up on life as it's been lived since yesterday. So far, I'm humbled by how magnificent the past 11weeks have been! Laura and I have 4-5 more weeks on this open road together and I couldn't be more excited to see what's in store for tomorrow. (FYI: We've managed to persuade another RPCV pal, Jill, to cruise the road with us through Seattle! Three cheers for displacing friends on Ze Great L&L Cross Country Couch Crawl & Car Cruise!)

To-Do:

• Finish uploading pics from cell phone before cell phone is lost/destroyed!
• Wine tasting with Laura & Jill?! and/or meet Jacob in Durbin at 5pm
• Salsa dance with Cynthia in Los Gatos
• Catch up with Laura & Jill in San Jose
• Drive over the Golden Gate Bridge and through a Redwood, en route to Oregon!
• Bound for Seattle on Friday...

PS- Kate just placed a "roasted seaweed snack" beside me on the table... Oh, California. Bon appetite!