spread the word!

Considering I am trying to solicit sponsorships and donations for my own project here and to be able to make it to Alaska this summer, I must be crazy to post something here in support of another organization trying to solicit too. Well, call me crazy.

I have enough loot to live for the next few weeks and that's it. After that? Part of my adventure is figuring it out and having faith. I fully understand the fact that I could be working at a Mickey D's in South Dakota in 2 weeks and not make it to Alaska until much later than hoped, so we shall see. I will make it no matter what so I refuse to worry. I'll make it work somehow, as I know I'd be a killer burger flipper. One exciting part of my journey to my 50th state, was that I'm going to be able to stop in Vancouver to meet Sean Aiken of the One Week Job. I've written about him before. I just got an email from these guys and apparently he and his partner in crime Ian are scrambling to get a last chunk of $ to complete their documentary film they've worked so hard on.

Now, CNN and others alike are most certainly not calling me for interviews yet, as they have these guys, but in an effort to keep paying it forward and because I wholeheartedly believe in what they're doing, I wanted to post a link here where you can donate if you'd like. (It'd be a total bummer if they've gotten this far and weren't able to cross the finish line.) I have to believe that there are people out there reading this that have or know someone who has extra $ and would like to put it to good use somehow. My vote if you want to give/donate- give/donate to people like Sean, Ian, me or other Generation Y-er's like us. We're young energetic, driven people who are swimming up stream in a sea of fish going the other way because we want to follow our passions, and use our skills to live the life we imagine. By doing this we're confident we'll influence other young people to do the same, and perhaps in turn, happier, healthier humans will be roaming the earth and be empowered to make it a better place. If you can't donate cash or don't want to, that's Ok. Just please pass this on to others and make sure you spend your day tomorrow doing something you love. That's all we really want to see. (Sean and Ian, I'm speaking for you here, but trusting you're cool with that and we are on the same wavelength anyway.)

Good luck with your last few bucks guys. Hope this helps! All I ask for is a coffee when I make it to Vancouver:)

meet juan, juanita and pablito

They are my travel buddies. I'm not big on tchotckies, but these guys had to come on the trip with me. My sister brought Juan and Juanita back from Ecuador this winter. She and I have lots of inside jokes. We often geek out about silly little things, so when she said she saw tiny Juan and Juanita (I named them) and immediately knew she had to bring them back for me- it made total sense to me.

A friend handed me Pablito the monkey at my going away happy hour telling me Pablito would keep me safe. Apparently this monkey has been to Germany, Japan and all over the place. Well traveled mini sock.

These pals of mine will be in plenty of photos from this trip so keep watching for them!

not brilliant, not clueless, but juuust right

I know all of you out there who thought I was nuts not to use social media outlets are exclaiming I told you so! You're right. There were a lot of reasons I was anti-Facebook, Twitter, etc. before (don't get me wrong, I still think they are slightly annoying, invasive and take more effort than i'd like to maintain) but they are pretty incredible tools, and I'm loving them right now. I've connected with hundreds of people in the past few weeks. I've gotten encouraging messages from old soccer teammates who I haven't seen in 16 years, who instantly "get" why I'm doing this trip, I've heard from elementary school friends' moms, and found other people I've met in my travels who have profiles and they're in their 70's. It's great.

I've been teased many times in the past and am sure will be in the future about being so behind the times. I figure if I am like the bazillionth person to buy or use all the new shiny, fancy tools and items, by the time I start, either everyone I know will be such pros they will be able to teach me about them in 2 minutes, or instead of spending top dollar the second these items come out, by the time I get around to purchasing one they'll only be 2 bucks.

I can't lie, it's actually fun to live a bit behind and old fashioned. I'm strategically making a life out of taking advantage of modern technology to advance, but using old-school practices on a daily basis too. I feel this way, I'll be able to continue to connect with all varieties of people. I'll reach the goals I have, advance in the areas I want to, while appreciating the little things and not ever forget where I came from. I'll take the "Duh Diane! That has been around for years! Where have you been?!" any day, because I can always tease right back with a "Yeah, well I bet you don't know the land area or capital of Alabama punk! I do because I still use paper maps!" (Laughing. These conversations really happen.)

Adding Facebook and others to my life, I'll use them along with still sending snail mail, I'll keep eating food from country bumpkin diners right along with eats in 5 star restaurants, and I'll always be able to do a keg stand, but love sipping a cosmo too.

The Birkenstocks will sit indefinitely right next to the Kenneth Cole's.

roadside america

Only on a Northeast late summer afternoon can you get your soft serve cone covered with something called Krunch Kote...



...slurp it up as you drive by one of the hundreds of family farms in all the green...



...and then stop by the local Moose Lodge for a taco when you get hungry again...



The simple life, the good life. Gotta love it.

from big city to the green of the poconos

Pennsylvania welcomes me!



As I zip through PA on way the the Finger Lakes on a great sunny day, my concerned ripped/fit/hottie pal Sean has sent me a message via Facebook concerned that I'm keeping "balance" as I travel. Perhaps it's because I write about stuffing my face all the time and drinking liquid chocolate Sean? Rest assured my cutie friend; Before Max Brenner yesterday there was breakfast, later a snack of a granny smith apple from Whole Foods and this morning before I left the city I went on a sprint run along the Hudson River. I've tried so hard before to be one of those girls that doesn't like to eat, but we all know that's going to happen. I say run, run, run, soccer, roadside yoga, fruits, veggies and a chocolate a day. That's what keeps the doctor away!

Thanks Sean. I'll wave to Canandaigua for you as I pass through!

love handles in place of mug handles

This is the Max Brenner hug mug full of liquid chocolate:



This is me loving life drinking it:



Now if I had a picture of me in a chocolate coma on the couch I'd send that...

Dear Max~

You were so worth the wait. I'm coming back for more soon!

don't tempt me

I've been in NY since Wednesday. After about 30 minutes in town, I started thinking I'd absolutely love to live here. This has blindsided me. I was never that girl that wanted to move to the big city. Like most things, I've never been opposed to trying whatever or moving wherever, but there has never been that burning desire.

Now I am feeling the burn.

The last thing I would have ever expected on my journey to 50th state Alaska; The Last Frontier of all places, is that I'd roll into NY for some quick fun, food, touring and seeing friends, that I'd get smacked in the face with a screaming "Welcome home Diane!"- from the universe. What does this mean? I'm not sure but I do know that I LOVE:
1.) A place that you could ride a donkey down the street and no one would give a damn. 2.) Food glorious food. 3.) The energy here that's impossible to find anywhere else. 4.) A fashion that is unmatched. 5.) It's like free 24/7 dinner and a movie just by walking down the street. 6.) Never a dull moment. 7.) The survival of the fittest; Keep your ass moving and gettin' smarter, faster, better, or you will be run over. Peace out lazy-asses! 8.) The general lack of complacency. 9.) The fact that I can walk. EVERYwhere here. 10.) The never ending supply of friends and family who'd visit because everyone comes to NY. And so much more.

Of course there are 1,001 reasons it'd be crazy to try to make it in this city. If I were scared of/opposed to; Rats like the one who ran down the stairs as we waited for the train the other day, the fairly regular smell of pee in various places, the completely insane people that roam the streets, the roach infested apartment I could afford with 64 roommates, and traffic, traffic, traffic- nah- I'd be fine. I'm twisted enough to actually find those things charming. The single thing that appeals to me even with the 1,001 reasons to NOT to try to live in NY is the fact that not a single person could give a flip about you. (In a good way.) People generally don't care about what you're doing. It's Ok if you talk to yourself while walking down the street. You can sing out loud and pick your nose in public and no one turns a head. Just twirl around in the middle of the sidewalk- everyone will walk around you and keep on their way. Sport your purple hair with teal fringed jorts and leopard print loafers or some other form of a schizophrenic outfit and blend right in. You just do what you do and no one bothers you or judges you. It's a giant free for all and I find that more comforting than anything.

I leave in the morning to head upstate to the green. I'll likely think and discuss the same when I'm there and 50 other places; wouldn't it be great to live here. For now though, I sit alone in Union Square overlooking the park and Empire State Building, about to go nosh on some serious Max Brenner chocolate with a friend I haven't seen in 12 years, feeling happy as a clam and daydream of this being home.

Stay tuned for food posts coming. Off the charts yummy these past 4 days. There's that bonus of a walking city again; I can stuff my face for several days in a row and still feel like I'm in the best shape of my life.

I LOOOOOVE NEW YORK!

"i think i found your old homework diane"

That's what the email was titled from a friend who sent this to me yesterday:

"When I was in grade school, they told me to write down what I wanted to be when I grew up.
I wrote down happy.
They told me I didn't understand the assignment.
I told them they didn't understand life."

- Unknown

Love it. Thanks G!

meet gabriela

This is my day 3 in NYC and only at lunchtime. I am whooped. It's whooped in a good way, but my lord you can do some walking, touring and seeing just about everything in this place. I have lots of stories I'm looking forward to sharing, but I must first go back to my night in NJ with Gabriela and Phil on Tuesday...

Gabriela started reading my blog about a year and a half ago. She wrote a comment to a post that I had written about how ignorance is bliss and I responded. She replied back to me and we have been email buddies ever since. We have exchanged stories, photos and pretty much been pen pals, like we all did in elementary school. Just notes, but never meeting face-to-face until this week. When Gabriela learned that I was going to be driving north for my first leg to Alaska, she wrote and told me it'd be "an honor" to host me. It was actually an honor for me to meet her, a stranger who I've bonded with and who's been a loyal reader for so long. She's never put off by the utter nonsense and babble I often write, but has promoted and encouraged it.

Upon my arrival to her home, I got an excited welcome like you get when you go home for Christmas. She and her husband jumped up from their chairs on the patio to greet me and immediately offered me drinks and anything else I might want. We chatted as if we'd been old friends for years and they toured me around their gorgeous property. There was so much green and everything was so lush, it was hard to imagine I was only 30 miles outside of NYC. They had vegetable gardens and blueberry bushes, pretty flowers, a fire pit and slate patio, and even a white fence. I learned that the house was put up in 1926 after it'd been ordered out of the Sears catalog. It's The Del Ray model. These houses would arrive in 30,000 pieces. Price; Just over $2,000. The garage is The Avenue model and came at a price of $173. (How neat is that?) Every little piece of the home and property was just lovely. Here are a couple photos:





Gabriela is from Brazil- her family all still there. She came to the states for work about 3 years ago where she met Phil. They've now been married a year. They host and attend lots of bbq's with neighbors during the summer, so were excited about grilling up some veggies and meat and stuffing me too. (I was excited to be stuffed!) Gabriela made a Brazilian "sauce" that is essentially the garnish and big pop of flavor you pour over your dish. The sauce that night was yellow and green peppers, tomato, onion, red wine vinegar, olive oil and salt. It was incredible. Here's my first helping of dinner:



(It's officially impossible to be a vegetarian on the road or eat light with these types of meals, but really who would want to? I I've been an absolute carnivore in the past few days and I have to say I am loving it. I might switch back to vegetarian status in due time.)

We all grilled together, visited and scarfed. Grilled corn, asparagus, and squash fresh right out of the garden 15 feet away. After dinner Phil made us fresh espresso and surprised us with ice cream. This night was a feast like you read about. Full and long conversation with so called strangers who ended up being not so much strangers at all, but more like those friends you've had for years. They told me stories about a pesky raccoon who they'd been trying to catch for days and the strategies including all kinds of food bait and waiting up all night trying to nab him. The stories were hilarious. I'm convinced the raccoon was playing with them, barely defying them every night flipping them the bird as he ran away with all the treats they had put out to bait him. (Phil spent hours outside that night with another friend trying to catch the bugger with still no success. That varmint must be one smart cookie.)

Exhausted from a long drive, lots of good chatter and a feast, Gabi and I snapped a quick photo before we all retired to our rooms for bed:



She was off to work in the morning so Phil generously accommodated me with breakfast, coffee and even lead me to the interstate to make sure I found my way ok. Before leaving the house, he wanted to make sure I got a photo of the back of the shed that he had painted. I happily snapped this:



I'm very thankful to have met people like this. They were 1,000% generous to me for no gain other than to be just that and share good company. My favorite thing to do in this life is to feast, visit, and spend time with people that I care about who are interesting and fun. This was no doubt one of those times.

Thank you to Gabi and Phil for welcoming me with open arms as if I were a part of your family. I look forward to staying in touch for many years to come and hosting you sometime in your travels down the road. Cheers to new friends!

you beat me

As an answer to my slurping down the mega de-lish mocha java shake at Port City Java the other day in no time, one of my readers Bibb sent me this photo:



My shake was gone within 5 minutes. Bibb said his was gone in about 35 seconds. Now that's some devotion. I am impressed with this photo too. With one glance you can almost feel the chill and taste all the melty goodness of this perfect summer treat.

Thanks for sending Bibb!

food, glorious food

From my wonderful stay in Mendham, NJ on Tuesday I headed into the one and only New York, New York.

I've been to NYC at least 15 times before but yesterday was easily one of the best days I have ever spent here. Maybe it was good company, amazing food, the general energy of the city, the fashion, the people- I think a combination of it all. I absolutely love love love the big city. I've already been thinking about how I can either get about 5 roommates or rob a bank so I could afford to live here for a while.

I arrived at my friends place, surprisingly easy and with little traffic to maneuver, put my car in a lot so I wouldn't have to worry about it for few days and we headed off to lunch. He took me to this amazing little Cuban joint Cafe' Habana on Prince St. The place was packed as I learned it always stays. There were good looking people all around to watch which made our wait time pass very quickly. When the waitress called us in to our table I knew that this was going to be one of those places that every last thing on the menu would be delicious. Turns out it was.



I had to order the straight Cuban sandwich just because. My friend ordered a quesadilla with chorizo, avocado, mozzarella and a bunch of other goodness and this appetizer for us:



Holy moses.

This is grilled corn slathered with butter, cheese, lime and chili powder. I said wow several times as we both scarfed the corn down and we laughed that wow really summed up the taste perfectly. Add a cold beer, my Cuban sandwich, fantastic friendly service from the staff and oh what an excellent first meal in the city as my welcome wagon.

We left Cafe' Habana stuffed and happy and toured around Soho. We wandered the streets for a while until it started pouring. We sprinted drenched into the Soho Grand to get out of the rain and have an afternoon cocktail. What a gorgeous spot. It's so fun to have a glass of wine on a weekday afternoon.

Back to the apartment we headed for some chill time, but I got a burst of energy and decided to go for a run. For some reason I sprinted like there was no tomorrow. It's oddly fun to have to jump around and play frogger to maneuver the streets of NY. In a short 30 minutes out I almost got hit by a few cars, I saw old men playing dominos in the park, I watched a guy pick a nearly empty Snapple bottle off the ground, examine it carefully then drink the last sip, and spotted more jorts than I ever dreamed would be fashionable again. Bored falls out of the dictionary in this town.

After a shower and change we headed off to The Spotted Pig for dinner. We waited again as to be expected for a well-known delicious food spot. I have to say I'd prefer waiting to sitting right down any night for dinner. To me it's like dinner and a movie all in one. Have a drink, talk to some strangers, watch what's coming out of the kitchen the most to help your decision on what to order and avoid that fast food eat and get the hell out feel that happens all too often when you go out. My dinner was off the charts ridiculous. (It was a suggestion by the waitress. I'm a big fan of asking server opinion and always choosing what they suggest. Especially if the suggestion is not the most expensive thing on the menu, then you know you can trust them.) It was one of the best meals I've ever had. I honestly cannot remember when I ate something that perfectly flavored and prepared.

I went to bed so stuffed and happy last night it's as if I were in heaven falling asleep. With hundreds of more off charts ridiculous spots to eat in this city, I'm wondering how I could make it possible to stuff my face for a living.

"do you have a french press?"

..."if not I am going to give you one of those, along with a bunch of coffee because no friend of mine is going across country on bad coffee!"

Spoken like a true coffee lover from one to another.

My friend Tom roasts coffee for Blanchard's Coffee Co. in Richmond, VA. The above is what Tom responded in an email to me after announcing my trip. In enters Blanchard's as my coffee sponsor.

I got the chance to stop by for a chat and pick up with Tom on Monday. I had been in the roasting house before and the smell is so delicious you want to lick the air. As always Tom was in good spirits, peppy about life and loving his job. He had just finished roasting with the crew for the day so I snapped this photo of the roaster:



...and of course some boxes full of all the hard roasting work:



...and finally my gifted stock to start off my trip (Tom is going to ship me more as I drive.) A French Press too. Ahh...



What a great treat. Bad coffee is a serious no-no for sure. I was happy to pay some of my stock forward to my hosts Gabriela and Phil who I stayed with last night. More fellow coffee lovers. It's so fun to be able to do that thanks to Blanchard's.

Thanks guys. No sleepy driving for me!

133,811

That's how many miles were on my always reliable Honda as I left Richmond, VA this morning. We shall see what the odometer reads by the time I get to the Land of the Midnight Sun. (Honda should totally put me in a commercial considering this is about the 5th time I'll be going across the country in one of their cars that has over 100k miles on it. Honda? Hello?...)

I'm about to fall asleep at the home of my new friends; Blog Followers Gabriela and Phil. I'm all safe with a stuffed belly in their lovely little NJ abode. Arrival couldn't have gone better. Tonight was a feast fit for a king with a Brazilian twist, great company, perfect weather, and a pesky raccoon.

I'm road tired and heading into the Big Apple tomorrow, so need to rest up. More story on new friends and that pesky raccoon along with some photos to come!

here goes nothing. by that i mean everything...

Last minute packing and officially leaving the south on my trek. I am so excited and cannot wait for the stories I'll pile up to share.

I have to get my behind out to door and up I-95 towards Jersey and the Big Apple, so I am off for now. Just wanted to say THANK YOU to all my friends, family, readers, and amazing intern for helping me prep for this trip.

I have never been happier in my life and have you all to thank for that.

Tonight I meet Gabriela, my email/pen/reader pal and her husband for dinner. How fun. Stay tuned for more!

Here's to adventure, doing the things you love, and spending precious time with the people you love.

i'll take both please

It's possible, so why not?

On that note, I am finishing up my work day this morning and off to Sunday Funday with the ladies at the pool. I love you cocktail, gossip and sunshine summer afternoons. Add a little World Cup and put a fork in me.