Sunday, May 24, 2009

Life on the Road - Part 1

Ten month contracts are great! I'm going to miss having the opportunity to have the summer off. But hey, at least I'll have vacation days now, so if I really really really need to go somewhere (like an Invisible Children event or a concert), I'd be able to do that. ;)

On May 31st (the latest...maybe a few days before), I'll be checking out of my apartment. I'm not sure yet when I'll be moving into my new apartment at my new institution, but it probably won't be until much later in June or even July 1 or so (I start work on July 6). What will I be doing in between? Yeah, that is a good question. LoL.

I'm definitely going to visit some friends. I've also thought about going camping - I would have to buy a tent though - you know, just drive to some National Park, set up my tent and then go hiking on a different trail every day. I like hiking. And I'll be in Washington D.C. for Invisible Children's Lobby Days June 22nd and the 23rd. Other than that, who knows.

This week has been a good preparation for life on the road. I got in my car Tuesday morning, drove five hours, hung out with friends, crashed on a friend's couch. I stayed there for a few days. Then back on the road. Saw a concert, drove until I was too tired so I got a hotel room. The next day, I "explored" the area, then stayed at another hotel. And tomorrow, I'll be heading back - I almost wrote "heading back home" but then, is it really home? I mean, I'll only be living there for a few more days, the majority of my apartment is already packed up and mentally I've definitely said goodbye already.

So here are a few things I've learned about life on the road:
- I love singing along to CDs. Roadtrips on your own are a great time to learn lyrics to new songs...LoL.
- Hotwire is awesome. If you book a hotel room the day before, you can find something really cheap in awesome locations.
- Stop at Panera Bread. Free Wi-Fi and relatively healthy food. ;) (No, I do not get paid for promoting businesses or bands...haha.)
- And if you start feeling lonely, get out your phone, call a friend and tell them funny stories from the road.

Well, I should get back to work. I got roped into doing a training session about the summer reading program for our Orientation Staff. I've been off contract for over a week and I still get sucked into doing things - argh! I know, I know, I could have just said no but you know me, "no" isn't really in my vocabulary. ;)

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