One Way Ticket: Part Eight

April 26th 8:30am

            Waiting for the Metro, always waiting for something. Might as well be the Metro, right? I’m, excited about today! Going to wait for Elisabeth for an hour before noon, if she’s still in DC we were going to try and meet again. But she doesn’t have a working phone, and I don’t have Internet access, so it makes for a fun time trying to make plans. Then, fingers crossed, I ‘m going to see Audra later!! Yay!

            I’m so very excited about seeing a familiar face. Not that this trip hasn’t been good, but I’m homesickish

            My travel plans for today end with a 15 hr bus ride tonight that end in Atlanta GA, then the Marta to as close to Elizabeth I as I can get, I have a few hours to kill once I get there so I’ll try to find a movie . Then I’,m hopefully getting to the Lavenders on Sat Night/Sun Morning if all goes accordingly.  My plane leaves out of ATL May 3rd out to Branson, then a cab to catch a grey hound to Springfield where Aunt Tara said she’d pick me up!.  

            I don’t think that I’ll make it out to Colorado. That will have to be another trip. Another time.  That makes me kind of sad, but I really enjoyed NYC. :D

            Gerald has been a really good host. His house is neat and his great danes are adorable. He fixed grilled pork chops last night. I’ve had so many sit down dinners since I left on my travels, it’s unexpected and kind of weird. But pleasant. I like to eat well.

            Being on one’s own is complex, the stress of things, everyday living, over shadows even sleep. Where am I going to be? How do I Get there? How much will it cost? What will I eat? When? Again, cost and I would while I don’t feel mentally stressed, I can fell the physical manifestations on stress. I’ve been drinking about a cup of fresh ginger tea about ever day. Or at least the days I’m close to a stove and can boil water. Which is, thankfully, most days. And I know that my lack of a steady communication with God only makes the stress seem worse.  My comfort zone has been so far stretched, I don’t even know if I’ll find it’s edge for a while.

Noon -Sitting in the lobby of the National Museum of American History.

           

            Working on finances and talking to Tricia. Had a few odd cented Metro fare passes going to try and give them away today. You can’t combine them, but you can add to them and maybe it’ll help someone get to their destination today. This is my last day here in DC and I have a couple long rides on the trains, but I have a day pass.

~

April 27th 8:26am - Charlotte, NC

            A layover, the bus needs servicing and I would concentrate on writing, but Charmed is on... tempting... mediocre acting or writing?

My day yesterday after Elisabeth didn’t show (I discovered that she had left either that morning or the day before):

            National Museum of American History

            National Air & Spce Museum

            National Museum of American Indians (actually, I just ate at the cafe there. :D)

            Butterfly Garden (was asked for money)

            National Archives (they didn’t even have the LEGIT Magna Carta on display. I’m going to protest.)

            US Botanic Gardens (I think I spent two hours in there. BE U TI FUL)

            US Capitol Visitor Center

            Library of Congress (the none book side... :/ )

            CVS for a water bottle, the Capitol Visitor center made me throw mine away, and snacks for the bus ride

            Arlington Cemetery. This was a spur of the moment decision, I managed to make the 6pm change of the guard, too. Breath taking, it really makes one feel patriotic.

~

April 27th 2:39pm @cafenineteen

            Drinking a $4 drink. Waiting for an $8.50 movie.

            Going to watch Source Code, mostly because it was a movie that’d be getting over with about the time Elizabeth will be getting off of work. This Mint Mocha Shake thing is actually really really good. And the barista gave me the extra stuff in the metal mixing cup to have too.

            I’m wondering if the movie theatre will have an issue with my luggage, when I asked the gal at the cafe she said that they shouldn’t mind, but, “You can bring it back here and we’ll put it behind the counter for you if they do.”

            Getting to the Regal Cinema Plaza in Mariette GA wasn’t a small feat. Anwar, my 15 hr seat mate was very helpful in which Marta to take. The Marta (rail) is the dumbest subway system I’ve encountered.

5:01pm,

            Back again. And another drink, this time a double chai for $3. It’s very refreshing, but I think I’ve maxed out my sugar intake for the day.

            Speaking of sugar, I was doing really well diet wise, pretty much zero sugar until circa Easter. :D YAY for candy! I’ve walked off a lot of body fat, my arms look toned and I’ve not done any upper body exercise at all. Yesterday I walked DC until my feet ached, they really wanted me to drop dead. I’m so glad I’ve got Burt’s Bees’ peppermint lotion.

Later
Today:
Arrival in Atlanta: 1ish.
Marta to Atlantic Station (purely went on gut instints once I got on the marta to pick directions)
Regal Cinema - ticket
Cafe’d
Movie: Source Code
Elizabeth picked me up: circa 5:30pm
Five Guy’s Burgers
Tornado Warnings till 2am!

~

April 28th {Hallie gave me her room to have while I’m here!!}

Lots of coffee
Hung out with Hallie
Home alone a little bit
            blogged
            drunk moar coffee
            caught up with everything online
Operation Grover with Andrew and Hallie; removed stitches
Imeson Parents home
Sweet potato
Target run for stuff!! Eliza & I make a good team.
Kings Speech - v. good
            icecream
Bed by midnight.

~

April 29th 11:17am

            I was just thinking about the 15 hour bus ride from DC, greyhounds are not for tall people....

later
Talked on the phone with mom
ate eggs (as prescribed by mom, I need protein, been eating tons of carbs)
Went biking with Hallie and Andrew
Grilled cheese sandwich of amazing. + chicken noodle soup
Went to see Your Highness w/Elizabeth. DUMBdumbDUMB. Would have been more fun to literally burn the cash.

~

April 30th 3:25pm

            A whole month of traveling and it feels like a few days.

            Went to Murphy in NC and to the store Moose Hollow. E took me to a river, where we saw a couple get married and another couple tango in hiking boots. She also treated me to lunch at a restaurant that hangs over the river. Now, if I could just recall the name of the place. We did a lot of people watching, and even talked to a few.

~

            As you can tell my writing has gotten VERY lax. I write outlines and list and there isn’t another dated entry in my travel journal until the 3rd of May.

~

May 3rd 12:19pm

            In Branson outside the greyhound pick up area. I’ve got two hours to kill before the bus is supposed to arrive. It’s the bus to Springfield, the only bus to Springfield. So, I really shouldn’t stray too far, it’d be really bad to miss that.

            I didn’t writing on the plane, again, due to chatting with the older lady sitting next to me.

12:42pm
            The flight was good. It’s wonderful weather here in Branson! But... it doesn’t sate my heart’s longing for the Colorado scenery. Ah, the deal to not go to CO was sealed when I sent my winter coat home with Gerald.
    Feeling light headed, going to head inside The Spirit Shop (the liqour store where the bus stops at) for some food.

            Lunch: Beef jerky, 16oz Milk, sunflower seeds. Yum? Yes.

2:56pm
            Bus #... four? It’s thirty mines late coming. I’m going to be really practiced at waiting before this is all over.

~

            The bus came a little while later and I got safely to Springfield and to Aunt Tara. I hung out with the Harris’s for a few days. Then the Bowen house over the weekend and then back to the Harris house. While with mom’s sister and her family I had some really good talks with Tara and Eric. Uncle Eric told me something very poignant to my situation, “Don’t expect or force an “ah ha!” moment with everything you’ve experienced on this trip, it’ll happen, but maybe not today or tomorrow but maybe a few more years down the road.” More or less. He can say this because when he was my age, he did a lot of traveling. Abet it wasn’t alone, he was with his band in a bus. But it was still traveling outside of his hometown and his past comfort zones.

            This “ah ha” moment isn’t something I had put a whole lot of thought to during the beginning of my trip, I really wasn’t thinking, “Oh, so just what am I going to get out of this trip?” but there were tendrils of it floating around. It’s edifying to know that I don’t have to force anything to formulate.

            Also, he called me a pup. And that made me smile.

One Way Ticket: Part Seven

Something about New York...

As soon as I got in on the 15th of April, I felt so very lost at Port A, there were so many people and I didn’t know where to go... I knew I had to take the R to Brooklyn, but I was still confused. I did eventually make it to 77th and then my nycHome by 2:30pm ish and then it seemed liked Robyn and I turned around and went right back into Manhattan... the first thing we did was go to the Met, I got in for a nickle. Now, that’s doing NYC the cheap way.

Looking back on what I did and how I got about I feel like a different person, even in this short of time, maybe not very much more grown up, but more mature, hopefully better with the brain to mouth thing... and more knowledgeable about public transportation systems, at least. A more thorough observation is pending.

~

April 20th 3:45pm on the 1 train

A kid talking about the subway while we were still on the platform said this to her mother, “But the express will be here in 900 mins!” And I just can’t help but think how true that is, every train is going to take nine hundred minutes to get here.

Also, a kid at the Museum, when he walked into a room full of dinosaur bones, “I’ve died, just died and this is heaven.” :D

I must for sure have a migraine, I think I’ll just go back and spend my last day in the apartment. So tired. bleg. I’m due for more ginger tea. Homeward.

~~

Things to do in DC

National Geographic Society

Tour the White House

Lincoln Memorial

Holocaust Memorial / Museum

National Museum of Natural History

Smithsonian  (Zoo, Wisconsin St, red line)

Butterfly Park

United States Botanical Garden’

United States Capitol

Library of Congress

Arlington Cemetery- Veterans

Alexandria Center, Pentagon

Book recommendation: Water for Elephants.

~

Bus to DC. April 21st 8:20am.

I am my father’s daughter, indeed. I guessed that I would spend the three hour trip either writing, or sleeping. But so far I’m talking. And my buddy isn’t feeling well, so I’m going to close my eyes too.

6:44pm.

My companion was feeling bad, dehydration headache and travel sick. I slept for close to an hour myself. But, good news! We’re meeting up again, tomorrow @ 10:30am to do something together. At the South Eastern intersection of Constitution Ave and Penn Ave. I think. I know where it is on the map, because we checked one out on a wall before we parted ways at the greyhound station. She to her hostel, me to find the Metro station and then off to find my host.      My bus buddy’s name is Elisabeth, she is from Germany and has been traveling for some time now. I’m very impressed and I know that I’d be terribly homesick. What I’m doing is small stuff to what she’s doing.

She told me, “That’s awesome that you’re traveling your country, most people, even at home, never even leave their own state.”

-DC

I arrived here; about 12:20 then walked about half an hour out of my way before getting to the Metro ($2.20) so I could get to Gerald’s work place (on L st NW) to drop off my luggage. And then wandered  around the city a little. My feet wanted to give out at Port Authority this morning then the bus ride was bad, with the exception of meeting Elisabeth.

As soon as I got back from wandering around the War World II Memorial it was close to 4:30pm. Gerald had his truck so we drove to his house, it was the first time I’d been in a car in weeks, which is kind of weird to think about. And after being greeting by the Great Danes (# & *) I took a long awaited shower, huzzah for hot water. It’s a traveler’s best friend, I don’t care what season you travel in.

Now, off to plan tomorrow, for while I wandered I found a discarded Metro map and the nice guys at the WW2 Memorial gave me a map of the city/area. So. Here is to packing in as much as I can!

~

Liz to DC. Part 2     4/22nd 2011  

Fingers crossed hopefully schedule, most is optional.

Starting at © 8am.

Holocaust Memorial Museum (tickets by 8:15am, please God. ) [haha, I silly. tickets @ 10am, two hour wait. was in the first block inline, woooorth it, got one for Elisabeth too.] [we went around 2pm, spent five hours in there.]

-[Japanese Pagoda]

-Korean War Vet Mem

-Vietnam Veterans (called Olman when we got there)

10:30 am meet Elisabeth @ Constitution Ave/15th (huzzah!)

{National Museum of American History & Air and Space (yes & yes)

{Smithsonian Castle (nope, told it was boring, didn’t go)

{Organization of American States [closed??]

{US Botanic Garden [BE U TI FULL]

{National Archive (fun times!, actually, it’s a dark room full of people... >.>)

{Library of Congress (got to looook but not touch or actually go in it proper)

{Butterfly Garden (behind NM of NH??)

{Arlington Cemtary or Iwo Jima Men (not both)

{International Spy Museum (nope, $$)

{US Capitol Visitor Center ?? (underground, weird)

{Pentagon -- way far

{Cathedral off of Wisconsin  (nope)

~

Some of the things that I did go to aren’t on my list. Elisabeth wanted to go to the DAR (Daughter’s of the American Revolution) House and the Lincoln Memorial and we didn’t get to tour the White House, because that requires about six months of fore planning. I know right, they don’t just let people step in off the streets. And I wonder if they would let a random non-citizen even go. Hm, something else for me to research.  DAR was pretty cool, they had replica rooms that I took tons of pictures off. And we didn’t do all the stuff of the list that I commented on, a lot of that I did on my own on a later date.

We spent a good amount of time walking in the rain after DAR, a pit stop to get coffee (it was Earth Day and Caribou and Starbucks were doing free coffee if you brought a cup. which I had. :D) and after the rain and before the Holocaust Museum we spent some time in a cafe to eat and warm up.

~

April 22nd, 9:44pm.

    So very emotionally exhausted. Spent close to five hours in the Holocaust Memorial Museum & I still didn’t get to see everything. It’s horrifying. How does one express an apology to a whole nation of survivors? I am so saddened.

~

May 11th, 8pm

At this point I do not know if I can express, in writing and at this time, any more about the Holocaust or the museum. I know that I am rereading my journal as I type it up for you to read and time and distance has given me a buffer. But, even now, it stripped me.

From the first step of the exhibit I felt wrenched from deep inside... I was not alone, that was the quietest museum I have ever visited. Voices all around were dimmed... in shock? in respect? Both? I cried. I sobbed. I’ve talked to people who were physically ill from the experience of seeing this Memorial to the Holocaust.

I wish I could walk you through it all, I do not know if I would go again, but I think that everyone should go once.

~

April 24th 8:56am @ the Klicka’s church near Warrenton, VA

    This has been an emotional journey. Not Something I really planned for. I just thought I’d be going to see some sights and meet some people.

But, regardless of my failings: Christ Is Risen, Amen!! It is right to be in an assembly to celebrate Easter. Jesse Klicka picked me up from the Vienna Fairfax metro station, end of the orange line, yesterday.

At the Klicka house we had an Easter lenner of corned beef and Greek salad. So much yum. Then I assisted in an egg hunt, both hiding and seeking.  & they made me  a basket for me! of candy, <3. Then Suz, Amy, Charity, John and I watched Tangled before bed. Last night, as I was heading to bed, I noticed a missed call from Alexandra. Even though it was close to midnight I called her back. We talked for some time about things that change and things that don’t change. And of childhood regrets.

Solomon tells us, reminds us, that there is a time for everything.

    In service: “I have seen the Lord!” Announce it to the world, not because you have to, but because you get to.

One Way Ticket: Part Six

A very short post today! I'm in Pittsburg, Kansas and about to head to church. Happy Mother's Day to all you lovely ladies in my life that are mommies. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers. <3

~

A list of things to do while in New York City and Brooklyn:
{Most of it was decipherable, but some of it... I don’t even remember what I or why I wrote it down. Lists like this have kept me sort of on a guided path. General ideas of where I want to go and do as I get to each place.}

Laundry – (L), to Bay Ridge Pwh, 2 streets
718-238-6060     (L), past Starbucks
Post Office – off of 4th Ave-68th St.
Katie Bell
The Rose is off of the (C) $18 by 1pm/6pm
The Guggenheim   - across central park $15
Chealsea Market – use stash cash R->D->E
Kinohumiya books
               1072 Ave of Americas    Bryant PK.
               From Guggenhiem -> 86th/Lexington. tax (8 downtown)

$20 The Guggianheim – (212)-423-3500  5th/E 88th
($) Post Office 7am-8pm 718-855-0912
$0 Statue of Liberty (212) 363-3200
$0 American Girl Place 5th/W 49th 877-247-5223 10am-7pm
$0 the Brooklyn Bridge (212) – 477-8150
$10 Central Park Zoo (5th Ave/E 63rd -> 65th) (212) 439-6583 10am-5pm 11:30am- sea lion feeding
$6 Transit Museum (718)- 694-1600 10am-4pm Schurmerker Boerm PL
$10 Brooklyn Botanical (718)623-7200 8am-6pm

See other
Grant Memorial Museum

~

April 19th 10:48am.

            So this is a fun new development in my trip. I somehow have managed to lock myself out. I feel like an idiot, and who knows when the super will call me back. Robyn gave me her keys, and I have both hers and Elizabeth’s numbers, but both are going to voicemail right now. I just need to be walked through how to open this door! Ahhhh. Elizabeth is with family in Queens and Robyn is at work in Manhattan, so I don’t expect either to come all the way back to Brooklyn to let me in, I just need to figure this lock out! A lesson in assumption in my part, next time I need to make sure I ask how to open a door, and not believe I know how just because I watched it happen more than once.

            Did laundry at a laundry mat, cost close to $4. Not bad, I’d say for clean, dry, clothes. And I’m inside with my money and clean clothes and jacket... so it’s not like I’m without or in danger of the elements. I just don’t like this zero control thing (hey, look my human nature!) Also, as I sit here trying to find things to do BESIDES fiddle with the lock again, I realize that I don’t seem to have Katie’s number in my cell phone. I have to get a hold of her at some point; she said her fiancée would house me while I’m in DC. Oh the things you think about when you’re locked out of your abode.  I’ve tried to open the door about thirty times in the last ten minutes. It has an automatic lock and there’s a special way of opening it...  

___________________________________________________________________

UPS men are awesome! I’m so glad God answered my prayer with physical help. My angel today is a tall whistling black man in brown delivering packages.  <3

1:38pm

            I just missed a train by a minute and have to wait ten minutes for the next one. Just seems to be how I ride the subway. I get frustrated when I miss the train by seconds, it’s roaring into the platform just as I get to the turnstile and by the time I get down the next flight of stairs I get to see the tail lights as they leave. Yippee. Some trains are closer together, but most, it seems are ten or more minutes apart.  Cei la vie. Gives me more time for people watching and frantic looking at the subway map to quadruple and quintally check my route. (Quintally even a word? Probably not.) This excessive checking still does not keep me from getting turned around while underground. I go down two flights of stairs and I loose what little sense of direction I could claim to have.

            I got laundry done this morning. I feel slightly productive. Being locked out was the tipping point for some welling emotions. “Dear God, I’m unable to get a hold of anyone but you, please help me to get the door unlocked.” And then there was a peace upon me and, moments after, a cheerful whistle floated up the stairs.

He held the package out to me, as if it were mine, I held out a set of keys to him, “Are you any good with locks?”

“I’ll try sugar, if it was meant to be then it was meant to be.” He sets the box down and applies hand to keys, key to lock. A wiggle, three tries, and a jiffy later he has the door open and the keys back in my hand. At my look of relief he cheerfully replies, “It was meant to be, sugar.”

I could have hugged him for being such a Godsend.

~

April 20th

            Officially my last day here and I’ll spend half of it packing. I only brought as much will fit in this carry on and one shoulder bag... and I’m mailing stuff home, why is this such a lengthy process? Next thing I’m going to write about is how to survive out of a carry on and still look human.

            I met up with Hiromi at the Japanese bookstore (mentioned above) and we bought origami paper (and resisted all the kawaii)and she taught me how to fold 3D roses! (http://usefulorigami.com/valentines-day-origami-rose-lesson-2/) Then we made our way to Cafe Eruopa on 6th/26th. This was only after much debate of which coffee shop might be the closest/coolest/still open. Robyn met us at the cafe after she got off work and then we went to Little Italy for a late and yummy dinner.

            Before that (Hiromi and I met at 6:30pm yesterday) I went all the way south to the World Trade Center (got on the wrong train, again, and the new building that they’ve got going looks like an upsidedown icicle) and then northward to Chelsea Market, dropped in to get some Kinder eggs (I hope they don’t melt, I’m mailing them.) Then to the Museum of Natural Science (it has an entrance directly from the subway, so I didn’t have to get rained on, again) got lost via Guggenheim (long twisty road below/through central park, so I never actually saw CP. oh well. Next time!!) and never actually made it to the round museum. Spent some time in an Apple Store, which was cool. I discovered a yummy pizza place, I got a white sauce with three cheese (asiago, mozzarella, parmesan) and summer squash slice that feed me for lunch AND an evening snack. I also stumbled across a little market that had apples for less than a dollar apiece, which by this point of my stay in NYC I was very happy to find.

            I walked a lot. Was “lost” most of the day. But every native I asked was very helpful with directing me closer to my destination. I’ve been told that the people in NYC are rude, maybe as a whole, but every individual I talked to was very cordial.  It was damp and rainy most of the day. Even though I bought a travel umbrella the second night in NY, I was very glad that the Subway stop for the museum was directly into the lower story of the place. I got in there for a dollar, it says tickets are 18, but it’s suggested donation pricing. Got to read the fine print! I didn’t write about it before, but the Met is the same, I got in there for a nickle.

Well, I’m mailing home a box and then heading back into Manhattan. I am mos def taking a nap on the subway.