The wedding weekend

Alright, so I left off with the non-fiasco wedding... Ben and I got into DC on Friday in time to check into the hotel, visit with family a bit, then get ready for the rehearsal and dinner that followed.  (I had an awesome dress for the evening, so it was fun to wear that, haha).  The rehearsal was a little bit insane... lots of people talking at once, last minute details getting figured out, and all that jazz.  But, an hour and half or so later, things were organized enough to call it good and we all drove across town for a wonderful dinner.

The bridal party, and significant others such as myself, went out to eat at DeCarlo's Italian restaurant. It's a place that Jay and Leanne happened upon one night when they were looking for a good meal - and they definitely found a good one.  Ben and I had escargots to start, then I had a veal ossobuco while Ben had a penne and sausage dish, then we each finished a delicious dessert.

That was a late night, and then we were up early the next morning to get ready for the wedding (it was a 10:30a ceremony).  Everything was really great - it was kind of incredible how smoothly it went.  I really enjoyed the ceremony - at first I had the impression that it was going to be very formal and traditional, but Jay and Leanne did a really good job making it comfortable and their own between the inclusion of letters of advice from their parents, other fun readings, and even giving all the other married couples the chance to renew their vows together.  Pretty awesome.

The wedding itself was followed by a bunch of pictures, of course, and then a ride back to the reception venue on the metro - boy, did the public get a kick out of seeing the whole bridal party travel that way... I think it's going to make for some really fun photos though.  The rest of the afternoon was filled with running around to find forgotten things, picking up fajitas as part of an inside joke, and enjoying lots of company at the celebratory brunch.  We got to rest for about half an hour, and then we were all at it again for the afterparty held at Jay and Leanne's apartment building.  There was a bunch of food, leftover sweets from the reception, drinks, and football... All making for another late night.  We slept well.

We slept in the next morning, then ate a late breakfast with Mary K and Gray at a nearby diner.  Then it was time to pack up - they went ahead and drove on home, and we stuck around town.  We went to the Pentagon City Mall for a little bit (Ben got a new pair of shoes) and then we met up with some more friends.  More about that in a bit!

Home for the Holidays

Alright - so far so good with the camper!  We slept in it for two nights and it has been awesome.  Can't wait to get to work on it and keep on traveling!  Also, I had my very first trailer-pulling experience with it.  While I did remain very tense for the entire shift, it wasn't as bad or scary as I imagined.  In fact, for the most part I didn't even notice it.

In the last two days of travel, we also finished up all of our bingo... it was sad for it to end, but really fun that it lasted the whole trip.  Here were the final wins: Ben won a yo-yo (which is really perfect for him, if you didn't know); I won these noisy magnet things... not sure how to better explain them, haha; and finally, Ben won a small wind-up flipping monkey.  Pretty freakin' awesome, and really such an amazing gift from Zach and Blaire - thanks you guys!

Well, folks, this chapter of our adventure is officially over...  Ben and I got back to our families in the Charlotte area early this afternoon.  We have spent the day with our respective families, which is pretty much the perfect end to the trip.  I still can't believe it's over, but we'll be up and moving again before too long (probably about a week from now, actually).

Since this post will be wrapping up Chapter 1, I think I'll go ahead and comment on my initial goals -
1. Have lots of fun.  This was without a doubt fulfilled.  I will always be grateful to have seen all the places we did, and to have spent good time with family and friends - I can't imagine having a better and more fun trip.  It was straight-up awesome.
2. Don't get too worked up about the details - remain flexible.  While this is traditionally something I need to work on, it wasn't too big of a deal for me during this trip.  There were definitely moments when I would worry about money or how long we had in a certain place or if we would get home in time... but really, they just ended up being fleeting thoughts - easy to get past so I could just enjoy what we were up to.
3. Stay Healthy.  While I was no health nut on this trip, I think I did pretty well.  I haven't weighed myself, but all of my clothes still fit.  I am not injured or anything like that.  I would say, goal accomplished.
4. For Ben and I to keep liking each other.  This one was so easy!  Seriously, I started to get worried when we were planning the trip and people kept advising that we spend time apart whenever we stop somewhere.  Well, we didn't spend much time apart at all, and it was totally awesome!  We had so much fun together... I honestly think we laughed every single day, multiple times.  I am a lucky girl.

Also, I thought it might be fun to quantify the trip... here are some numbers for you :)
40 days on the road
41 tanks of gas
4 chips in the windshield
11 loads of laundry
1 new derailleur
6 days mountain biking
3 days skiing/snowboarding
3 meals from Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives restaurants
11 bingo prizes won
8 days with family
10,000-ish miles driven
27 blog posts... and over 2,000 blog views.

Thanks to everybody who has been keeping up with our adventures.  We have had so much fun and can't wait to continue the journey, whether it's on the road, in a new city, or with new jobs.  It's a happy and sad feeling for this trip to be over, but it'll be exciting to see what is in store for us next.  I'm not planning on this being my last blog post - let's hope for some fun and excitement in our lives so that I have some good stuff to write about!

We hope everybody has wonderful and heart-warming holidays... and, I'll keep you posted!

5 Days 'til Home!

Hello again friends!  Well, our time on the road continues to narrow… tomorrow (Tuesday) we will be on day 36 of 40.  Wow. 

After I wrote last, we made our way to Salt Lake City to pick up our goods at the storage unit, which means we're once again traveling with a full load.  Also, do you remember how the last time we were there we tried to go to the restaurant Bruges, which my brother suggested, but it didn’t work out?  Well, we did get to go this time.  It was still packed (we had to wait in a line that went out the door), but we stuck it out and ordered the Machine Gun Sandwich and a cup of Flemish Stew to share.  The sandwich is such a hot item that they were behind on orders, so we had to wait, but it was worth it.  The sandwich was on good thick bread and had lamb sausage, homemade frites, and a homemade andalouse sauce… soooo good. 

The next awesome part about our stop in Salt Lake City was that we came across the cheapest gas prices of the entire trip – check it out people, we filled up for $2.89/gallon.  That means we filled the tank for less than $40, woohoo!  Also, it was at a Maverick, which is still my favorite gas station chain of the trip.  We got coffee and Ben picked up an assortment of snacks, including a squeezable pouch of applesauce, an Idaho huckleberry cordial, and an Idaho spud bar.  Not too shabby...

After a bit of time in the city, we kept on heading east – we stopped and spent the night in a little town called Glenwood Springs, CO.  The town is built around hot springs and has a really cool little downtown area.  Also had an opportunity to try another local brewery spot.  It wasn’t the best food or beer that we’ve had, but it’s always fun to try that stuff out.

We made our way a little further east yesterday.  We were definitely planning to spend some time with Ashley and Chris in Breckenridge, but we had some time to kill before they got off work.  We went to a restaurant called Haywood Café a little ways down the road in hopes of seeking out the Panthers' game.  Well, we got lucky because we were seated right in front of a big tv showing it, the food was awesome, and it was actually a really fun game to watch (hooray Panthers!  Fumblerooski, anyone?). 

I would also like to share with you what we ate that morning.  First of all, we started with coffee and bloody marys.  Mine was made with peppar vodka and Ben’s was a bacon bloody mary (with house-made bacon-infused vodka and a slice of bacon as garnish).  I have to say, mine was better.  Ben had a country fried steak and eggs and grits.  I had this delicious little meal called Swiss Baked Eggs – a piece of French bread slathered with garlic cream cheese, then two slices of bacon, two poached eggs, and melted Swiss cheese.  Will definitely be trying to recreate this one…

After the game and a bit of time running errands and doing laundry at a nearby laundromat (which had huge washers that could do 4.5 loads at once), we met up with Ashley and Chris at their apartment in Breckenridge.  We had a really good time talking and relaxing, and also enjoyed some food and drinks at the Breckenridge Brewery.  We’re lucky to have friends who offer up their 5-star floorspace and little bit of free time to hang out and catch up. :)

We originally planned to ski at Breckenridge today, but the conditions just weren’t quite right.  Warm weather, no snow, and a crowd of people just encouraged us to save a few bucks and head on down the Highway.  We stopped in Denver for lunch at another Diners, Drive-ins and Dives spot: Tocabe.  We had delicious taco fixings along with fresh fry-bread at this American Indian eatery... it was delicious.  After that we drove on to Kersey and are spending another night at my Grandparents’ house, and we’ll keep on heading east(ish) tomorrow.  5 more days ‘til we have to (get to) be home!

And lastly, here is a map of our progress.  It's getting a little confusing now that we're re-tracing some steps... maybe I'll do separate out and back versions the next time.

The Holiday Spirit

I love the holidays… straight up.  I love the colder weather and snuggly clothes, Christmas music, shopping for everybody’s presents… it is all so fantastic.  It’s funny because the holidays themselves, like the actual days, have been really stressful for me the last several years – you know, driving from house to house to house and trying to balance time with all of the family without offending anybody.  Because of that, it’s really been all about the season to me, rather than the day itself.  I’m really interested in how this year will go.  As awful as this sounds, my dad was a big part of the holiday complication.  I mean, he estranged himself from everybody but me, and I think even though he genuinely missed the family time, he was kind of a bah humbug about it all.  This year I think I might have a less complicated day, but I’ll also have to balance it with the sadness that comes with my dad’s death.  I just don’t know how it’s going to be…

This year I have been finding it hard to get into the Holiday mood… Not that I don’t want to be… that isn’t it.  I think being in the car and going from place to place has kind of kept me away from it.  Ben and I don’t have our house to decorate, so there isn’t any of that.  Ben doesn’t really like Christmas music, so I don’t get much of a chance to listen to it… I don’t know, it just hasn’t been the same.

Well, lately I have been pestering Ben a little bit about getting the Glee Christmas album, and as you can imagine, he never really got into the idea.  The other day however, we saw a She & Him Christmas album, and that’s when he caved.  That’s right folks, Ben indulged me and bought a Christmas album… woohoo!

This year, Ben and I have decided to do a mini vacation at Whistler, BC for each other’s Christmas gift.  We booked a deal for 2 nights in a hotel and 2-day ski passes for each of us.  We drove up here from Vancouver yesterday, and something is finally falling into place for me holiday-wise.  We listened to the She & Him Christmas album as we drove by these gorgeous mountains just melting into the water… the scenery was absolutely beautiful, and there was some little bit of perfection between that and the tunes.  I also bought myself some eggnog, which I always crave this time of year, and I have been enjoying it (and the Holiday feeling) in the evenings. :)

We realized as soon as we got here that two days would not be long enough.  Our hotel room is wonderful (see picture) – black out curtains on the windows, full kitchen, huge comfy bed, and a huge tub.  Not only that, but we are staying in a lodge that is right in the middle of the village and just a couple minutes worth of walking from the two closest gondolas.  After a great day of the biggest skiing of our lives today (a couple runs were 6.5 miles long!), we decided to go ahead and extend our stay.  We won’t be checking out of the hotel until Thursday morning, so don’t expect us to be in contact by phone until after that (we’re trying to avoid expensive foreign fees). 

And finally, Liz asked me a couple posts ago about our mileage and driving time.  Well, we’ve driven about 5,500 miles, and we have split the time really evenly.  For the most part, we switch off every tank of gas, so it works out really well.  Enjoy another map!

Seattle, you’re pretty fun.

Oh my gosh!  We had a great time in Seattle – we were lucky enough to be staying with one of Ben’s good friends from college, Rachel (I do also consider her my friend), which was really fantastic because she was able to give us a little bit of an inside scoop, and she was really good company.

We got to the city on Wednesday night and then left on Saturday, so we had a lot of time (though not enough) to explore.  We did the Underground Tour on Thursday and it was awesome – the tour guide had some good one-liners, though it was completely scripted, and it was really interesting to learn how the city was built.  We also explored different areas in downtown Seattle including Pike Place Market, a magnificent toy store and delicious coffee.  The market made me want to be able to shop there every day for my groceries – the produce was beautiful and meat and fish counters amazing! 

So, let’s also talk about the whole coffee thing.  I’ve met some people from Seattle who are really big coffee snobs… like, they whine constantly about not having Seattle coffee.  Well, I’m not sure I’m that big of a believer, but I did have the best mocha of my life.  I got it at Seattle Coffee Works and it was like sipping chocolate cake.  You should be very jealous, and just to seal the deal, here is a picture of it:

For the most part, we just kind of explored – we also ate a lot of awesome food and had some good drinks.  Check out these mondo PBRs that Rachel and I had (that’s Ben’s beer in the middle) – we were definitely expecting regular tallboys and then got those instead. 

I also got in a little bit of family time, which continues to add something very special to this journey.  My Aunt Boston (my dad’s youngest step-sister) lives just north of Seattle with her family.  We went over for brunch on Saturday morning – Boston made delicious eggs, bacon, sausage and pancakes and we just sat and talked and enjoyed each other’s company for a few hours… it was wonderful!

And now, on an entirely separate note, with the risk of showing complete selfishness, I’d like to tell you all about a problem I have been facing - and feel free to judge me, leave your comments, etc.  Here it is: It makes me very uncomfortable (and slightly angry) when people ask me for money on the street.  I wish I could be more graceful about this!  It is something that has plagued me for years, and I even try to give myself pep talks about feeling generous and about the fact that there are people who could genuinely use my help.  

Well, trying to psych myself up for it hasn’t worked so far, and I think this is why: I actually really enjoy being generous and helping other people, but the spontaneous solicitation is hard for me.  It really frustrates me when all of a sudden I am faced with guilt for not busting out my wallet and giving someone my cash, when really all I want to do is take a stroll down the sidewalk.  Does anybody else feel this way?  Does anybody have any insight to help me see past my discomfort?  I want to be able to handle this common situation without feeling like I have to stare at my feet out of guilt as I walk past…

Anyway, that’s the story.  Stay tuned, there is more to come!

Portland, done. Next: Seattle

Holy cow!  What a day in Portland!  Here’s how it went down:

We arrived late Monday afternoon and went straight to the home of the friends we stayed with.  Ben has a good college friend, Bri, and she and her fiancée have a great house right in town.  They were so welcoming and awesome – as soon as we arrived they cooked up a homemade meal and dessert, made us feel right at home, and even drew us maps of all the places we should hit while we were there. 

After dinner and lots of chatting, Ben and I walked to a nearby bar and met up with Brechter… you guys probably know him.  Haha, anyways, it was a great time just talking about his job and our trip and catching up on everything.  He made us want to go ski at Mt. Hood sometime.  Also makes me miss camp people like crazy. 

On Tuesday we got up early-ish, showered (which feels especially great when you don’t get to every day), and walked to the Waffle Window.  This place was awesome – you can get sweet or savory waffles with all sorts of delicious toppings.  Ben’s had thick bacon, cheddar cheese, and some kind of jalapeno/avocado topping.  Mine had sliced bananas, lots of nutella, and whipped cream…. Yum.  After that we walked over to Stumptown coffee – we were told that this would give us the true Portland coffee experience.  We were also warned that we wouldn’t feel cool enough to go in, but that it was okay, and we were.  The coffee was delicious, I was not disappointed…  They even made a little heart with the frothy milk on top of my café au lait.

After that, we definitely had to hit up Powells, which is this bookstore that is 4 stories tall and takes up an entire city block.  In the hour that we were there, we made it through 1½ levels, and were kind of rushing.  I feel like this is a place I will definitely have to revisit.  We left downtown after that and drove south to Salem – we were lucky enough to meet up with my Aunt Jodi and Uncle Deacon for lunch there… I hadn’t seen them in over 10 years.  It was really fantastic to sit and talk and catch up a little bit.  The family thing is definitely a huge part of my experience with this trip, so it’s really special to be able to make connections in lots of the places we’re going. 

When we came back into Portland, we thought we’d stop in at the Widmer Brothers Brewery and Pub.  After a few samples, I settled on a Peppermint Paddy Porter, and it was delicious – like a delightfully Christmasy, wintery beer.  If you come across it, it’s worth a try.  So, while we were sitting at the bar, some company employee came over and offered free Mumford and Sons tickets to the bartender… he just kind of said, “um, okay,” and took them.  Ben and I made obvious jealous faces.  The thing is, we aren’t obsessed with the band, but we like them well enough and some of their music is pretty catchy.

Well, a little bit later Ben had stepped out for a minute, and the bartender came over and started this conversation:

Bartender: So, have you heard of this Mumford and Sons band?

Me: Yeah, definitely.

Bartender: Oh, well, what are they like?

Me: Oh, you don’t know them?

Bartender: Nope.

Me: Oh, well, they’re kind of bluegrassy and catchy and…

Bartender: I heard there would be girls there…?

Me: Yes, there will definitely be girls there.

Bartender: Hm. Well, what are you guys doing tonight? (pointing to me and Ben’s empty seat)

Me: Umm, I don’t know.

Bartender: Well, I have basketball at 9 tonight, so if you guys want the tickets you can have them.

Um, awesome!  I mean, how can you pass up free live music?  So, Ben came back and I told him about the conversation and we slipped the bartender a little extra tip in exchange for the tickets.  We still wanted to spend time with friends that evening, but figured even if we only made it for a few numbers that it would be better than the tickets going to waste. 

So that’s the story for the evening… we met up with Bri and Ryan and ate a really delicious sushi meal, then went to the venue just in time to see the band come on… we saw the whole set, then slipped out just before the last encore song so that we could beat the traffic back.  It was a really long day, but what a fabulous introduction to Portland…

Today we slept in (obviously), hit up Stumptown for another cup of coffee, then wandered around downtown until lunchtime.  Today we had lunch at Bunk Sandwiches with another fabulous friend from camp, Leslie, and her boyfriend, Chris.  Somehow it has been about three years since we’ve seen Leslie, but she is just the same and so fun, and funny, to be with.  It’s already obvious that we’ll have to arrange more time to spend in Portland at some point… there is just so much to do and see and so many great people to spend time with. 

We left town after lunch and made our way to the coast.  Even though it’s a much longer drive, we decided it would be nice to take the more “scenic” route up to Seattle.  I’m sure I will have some good Seattle adventures to share with you in the next day or so, but for now I’ll leave you with another map of our progress.  Enjoy!

Family Picture

So, just thought I'd drop a family picture in here.  This is my mom's side of the family (or part of them):

Left: Jake, Kathy, Grandpa, Deb, Me, Grandma, Andrew, Desi                 Right: Jake, Kathy, Grandpa, Deb, Me, Grandma, Andrew, Darin

That's Kathy's new puppy, Bella, I'm holding... she's a sweet, but feisty, corgi.

There is a lot to be thankful for.

In honor of Thanksgiving, I'd like to do a post dedicated to the spirit of the holiday... everything I'm thankful for.

I think I'll start by revisiting my original 4 goals for this trip:
1. To have lots of fun.  I am.  We've been on the road for only 10 days, and I can't believe how much we've done and seen so far.  We have been eating good food, seeing good people and laughing a lot.
2. To remain flexible.  I'm not sure I've really been tested yet, but I can honestly say that our loose itinerary and "see how it goes" attitude is more exhilarating for me than stressful.  I'm embracing it :)
3. To stay healthy.  I am thankful for the good food we've been eating, which has mostly been homemade. I'm glad we are having a relatively regular opportunity to exercise, and I'm straight-up thankful for my health in general... can't take that one for granted.
4. To keep liking each other.  This one has been easy... we laugh together every day.  We are truly happy to be doing the things we're doing.  And, I repeat, there is nobody I'd rather have by my side for this adventure.  I wake up every day thankful and excited to spend it with Ben (and hopefully he feels the same way about me, haha).

This year has really been a crazy one.  It has been a roller coaster and a year full of all kinds of milestones... my dad died, my brother and sister-in-law had their first baby, I paid off all of my student loans, Ben and I quit our jobs at a place where we have spent amazing years, we left a town and a house and friends that felt like home.  It has been epic.  And life changing.  I mean, I just met an entire half of my family I never really knew before last weekend...  and, the adventures of 2011 aren't over quite yet.

I can't really explain how whole all of this is making me feel.  I know you understand.  This is a time in my life that I will look back on forever - I am and will always be thankful for the opportunity to have these adventures, for my other half who challenges me when I need it and always supports me, for our amazing families, for our friends - I know we will be friends for a lifetime... I just have the feeling that good things are in store for us, and I feel so lucky and so excited!  Though, to be honest, I wouldn't mind a less eventful 2012...

Thanks to everybody who keeps up with the blog.  It's really special to me to be able to share this experience with you... whether we're close enough that you know all the details of my life, or you're someone I haven't seen or talked to in years.  It's been pretty darn cool to see what kind of network I have out there...

Making Our Way South

The latest excitement of this Little/Clusiau adventure was a visit to Mount Rushmore!  It totally lived up to my expectations... I mean, how could the giant faces of 4 presidents carved into a mountain not meet expectations, really.  I don't mean to sound unpatriotic or something... of course I am appreciative of everything they did for our country.  But, faces carved into a mountain?  Isn't it a little... absurd?  Maybe even funny?  Well, our trip to Rushmore was most excellently topped off with a visit to the gift shop, and it did not disappoint.  Everything Rushmore was available - t-shirts, coloring books, patches, socks, ornaments, sewing kits... I mean, you name it and they had it.  And, yes, we indulged.

After the that excitement, we also visited a local winery and then made our way to the Crazy Horse Memorial.  If you don't know about Crazy Horse, he and the memorial are pretty interesting and worth looking up... you know, another giant head carved into a mountain.

The rest of Wednesday we spent traveling south to Kersey, CO.  Most of my mom's family lives in and around Kersey, which is just north of Denver.  This is another place where I just feel at home.  We didn't get to see this side of the family often growing up, mainly because of the sheer distance between us, but it's always easy and fun to fall into place with everyone when I'm here.  

After Kersey, I think we'll be moving on to Moab, UT.  Ben ordered a new derailleur since we never could find a shop that had one.  It's scheduled to get here, to my Grandparent's place, tomorrow.  And, we're not moving on 'til we have that part, because our bikes need to be ready!

Here's the progress so far... I can't believe how far we've come already!

And we've got a winner!

Hello People!  To start, here is a family photo from this past weekend:

 We’re still on the move… we’re currently in the middle of working our way from Grand Rapids, MN to Kersey, CO.  We decided on a route that would take us by Mt Rushmore, so we headed west from MN into North Dakota and camped last night at a KOA in Bismarck.  It was a really good night – we got into town pretty early in the evening so we ran a couple errands, went to an Applebees and had a couple beers, then went back to the campsite to make dinner and get ready for bed. 

The first thing we did last night was to purchase a new mac-daddy 2-burner camp stove.  Sorry Mom – the other one leaked fuel and caught itself on fire, so we figured a replacement was in order.  The new stove did a great job and Ben cooked up some delicious chili with ground pork, and yes you guessed it, the rest of the leftover Porketta.  Mmmm.

So, not sure where you are while you’re reading this and what your weather is like, but it is definitely winter up here.  It got down to 5 degrees last night!  We camped in the car again (it just seems warmer than in the tent on the ground).  It’s so nice because the car starts warm and delightful, then just cools down throughout the night.  We woke up to frozen crystallized windows and cold air, but it was cozy in our sleeping bags.  Ben pan-fried thick slices of homemade banana bread and made mocha with pressed coffee and homemade hot cocoa mix – all compliments of my Auntie Carrie (thank you!)… a perfect start to the morning.

So, Ben and I have been holding off on the car bingo until now in an effort to savor the experience… ya know, we don’t want it to be over too quickly.  Well, we decided to go ahead and bust it out for this leg of the trip, and we’ve each won twice so far!  We also accidentally messed up the order of the presents (Ben thought #11 was #1), so here is what we’ve won so far:

#11 – Another set of car games, including checkers, snakes & ladders & chess

#2 – A magic set… can’t wait to fool all of you with our new tricks :)

#1 – A whoopee cushion.  Yes!  I’m totally slipping this under Ben’s sleeping bag tonite!

#3 – A pair of sweet candy cane socks (pretty sure Ben is going to try and claim them).

We’ll get back in the proper order after this… I think we’re also going to try some more difficult bingo requirements… like the “L” or something like that.

So how many people have driven through North and South Dakotas?  Wow, they are big states.  The views are enormous… you can see for miles and miles and the roads are super straight.  I’ve never seen so many round bales, cows & buffalo in my life, but despite the redundancy, it’s a very beautiful part of the country.  Here’s another map of our progress – From November 15 through November 22.

Mmmm Porketta

The weekend with the whole Clusiau family finished up as nicely as I can imagine.  We all got together for dinner yesterday, relaxed last night, and then Ben and I visited my Uncle Tom's dealership this morning to see what my grandfather started and say one last goodbye.  I left with the feeling that the Clusiaus are like home... I can't wait to plan the next visit and continue keeping up with each other.

So, I've got to tell you guys a little bit about Porketta.  Have you ever heard of it?  Well, a family named the Frabonis introduced this super delicious seasoned pork shoulder to the Northern Minnesota area 50 years or so ago, and they are still made and available today - not only are they sold locally, but now you can order their products online.  From time to time we got to eat Porketta growing up... you know, for holidays or other random occasions.  This weekend I got to talking with my family about Porkettas... and how gooood they are.

Well, let me tell you about the delight I had when we went to my Uncle Dave and Aunt Kathy's place for dinner yesterday and they had prepared a Porketta along with all of the other delicious fare.  I think I almost drooled when Dave opened the lid to the pot and I caught a whiff of it.  This lucky girl got to chow down on one of the best pork products ever, then they packed Ben and me a to-go container for the road.  Let me show you the amazing burrito I had for lunch today:

This is roasted red pepper hummus, porketta, and some yummy antipasto that my Aunt Kathy made. (Hey, Aunt Kathy, do you think you could send me the recipe?)

Well, I just have to tell you about how my Porketta-filled weekend was topped off.  When we left this morning, my Uncle Tom had packed a cooler with a whole uncooked Porketta - that's right.  It's on the road with us and just waiting to be prepared once we arrive in Colorado (yes, Colorado family... get ready!).  What a treat!

In case you're wondering, yes, there are people other than the Frabonis who make Porketta, but it would really just be a waste of your time.  You should just go ahead and visit this page and get one for your next holiday feast.

Learning a little bit about the Clusiaus

So I thought I'd do a quick post about the weekend so far.  It has been really great.  Ben and I got to Grand Rapids on Friday afternoon, and we've been spending just about every minute just chatting and hanging out with my dad's family.

In anticipation of meeting the Clusiaus, I was a little nervous about what to expect.  My dad didn't get along really well with anybody in his family and I have never really known any of them, and then here we were getting ready to spend an entire weekend with them all.  My mom kept saying that there was nothing to worry about because they're family, and even if you don't know them, there is just something there that makes it comfortable and familiar... well, she was right.

It has been completely fascinating.  First, I see my dad in both of his brothers.  They all have the same sense of humor and they laugh just the same way.  They have the same mannerisms and the same ways of protecting us kids.  My Uncle Tom's smile is practically identical to my dad's (this is both good and spooky at the same time... seeing my dead dad's smile all weekend has been kinda crazy).

The best part about it is that we are all coming together.  It seems to me that there is a real trend in the Clusiau history of hurt feelings and grudges and estrangement.  A big part of the reason I wanted to come here was to get to know my family, and specifically to learn about all the positive stuff that comes with being a Clusiau.  There is something so awesome about sitting down with both of my dad's brothers, their significant others, my cousins and their families and laughing and learning about each other... we've been able to talk about the really crappy stuff that's happened and we've been able to share the hilarious stories, and we've even looked through pictures of the family from the early 1900s and on.

It's been fun to learn that I really look like a Clusiau.  It's also fun being in a town where my last name is actually really well known.  Ben and I spent some time with my cousin Kellie and her husband, Pete, last night and cracked up forever about how Kellie and I carry on some very "Clusiau" traits.  Ben and Pete laughed at how Kellie and I organize things similarly, have the tendency to be late, like to have all the laundry folded, and are obsessive about cleaning the house before going on vacation.  They laughed about the fact that if we get the idea to finish something before we do anything else, there is really no stopping us.  We laughed about how my dad and Uncle Tom keep (kept) files and notes on everything (and everyone).  It's so much fun to realize that despite disagreements and estrangements between our fathers from time to time, they parented us in very similar ways.

I'm excited to spend this afternoon with everyone again and continue the conversations.  It has been a really fulfilling couple of days being here, and for the first time in a long time I am feeling a connection with the Clusiau name and family.  I think we're at a turning point... I hope one where we'll spend time together regularly, keep up with each others' lives, and continue a trend of friendship and love and family-ness.

Next stop: Family

So, here's a sad Ben with his rental park bike:

It's funny... Ben has called just about every bike shop between Madison, WI and Grand Rapids, MN and nobody has the derailleur he wants in stock.  They are all super happy to special order it for us, but that's no real help to traveling folks.  They all say that they don't carry something that high of quality in stock regularly - only if they're doing a special build or something.  Hmph.  Maybe we'll order one?  Or just wait until we're in CO to get one?  Does this have something to do with the fact that we aren't by any real mountains?  It just seems like we could easily go to a shop in Brevard and find the SRAM X9.  Fooey.

Well, we are currently on our way to Grand Rapids, MN and we'll be staying the whole weekend there.  That is where the majority of my dad's family lives.  It really kind of hit me when my dad died that I don't know that side of my family very well... like, I'm not even sure I would recognize a lot of them.  So, one of things I really wanted to get out of this trip when we first started planning it was to try and connect with the Clusiaus.  It turns out that I am a lucky girl and my dad's brothers and their families will be keeping us for the weekend - we'll be seeing where my dad grew up, looking through all the old family albums, and most importantly, getting to know each other a little bit.  I'm really excited about it.

Also, I thought I'd post a map of our progress around the country.  Here it is so far... this is from Tuesday morning to Friday afternoon:

Officially Adventuring

Well, welcome to the blog!  Really, my hope is to keep this relatively updated during our travels (and maybe even after that?), but I'm not sure I'll be very good at it - time will tell.  I'll do my best to post regularly and even put up pictures... but, I warn you, Ben and I are not good at picture taking... we often just plain-old forget.  I'll work on it.

So, here's the story.  We quit our jobs, moved out of our house, and now we're driving around the USA.  This road trip is going to be about 40 days long... enough to see a lot but still be home with family for the holidays.  A lot of people have been asking us the same question, but I think my insurance agent put it best when he said, "You're quitting your jobs and traveling, and then you don't have a plan... don't you think that's kind of a ballsy thing to do?"  Well, hmm, not sure how to answer that one.

Yes, we know the economy isn't at its prime right now, and no, we don't have actual employment plans after this (though we do plan on being employed), but it is just the right time.  Through some hard work, some very generous parents, and a little bit of fate we have come to a point in our lives where we are debt-free - that's right.  No house payment, no car payments, no student loans... nothin.  We have a place to put our things, a car with 4-wheel drive, and health insurance.  So, we were feeling a little bit restless and figured Now Is The Time!  Before we get into careers, or go back to school, or get sucked into a stationary life some other way, we are going to adventure.

Well, maybe you will be interested to know that I have some goals for this trip.  Here they are (the list might grow as we continue):
1. Have lots of fun.
2. Don't get too worked up about the details - remain flexible.
3. Stay healthy (as in, don't get injured, and also, don't just eat crap).
4. Keep liking each other.  Ben and I spend a lot of time together normally... but we'll be taking it to an extreme for the next little bit.  My hope is that Ben still likes me at the end of it all, and vise versa.  There is nobody I would rather have by my side, so I'm hoping for lots of laughing, fun, and even some mishaps to tell you all about along the way.

Ben and I are also extremely fortunate to have a giant network of supportive and loving family and friends.  It is going to be so much fun to see a bunch of people during the journey, and just to share it all with everyone else.

So, we're nearing the end of day one.  We left Gastonia, NC this morning and will end up in Canton, OH.  We're visiting some fabulous friends from camp: Allyson Shank, Ben Colston and Nicholas Colston (maybe we will see Nate too?  I don't even know).  I heard that Momma Colston is making a lasagna for us all to enjoy together when we get in, then we'll head to Allyson's apartment and relax & hang out for the rest of the evening.  I can't imagine a more perfect way to end day 1.

Thanks everybody!  Stay posted!