2022 Year in Review

Not gonna lie; 2022 was not a good year. Good things happened, maybe – but overall, it was hard.

January – I got news that my team would be transferring from supporting the contact center within the center to a corporate role, adding support to new departments. This was a great opportunity for more visibility and furthering my 20-year plan (now 9 years into it), but it also meant leaving the best boss I’ve ever had. The results have been mixed.

February – It was time to plan my travel for the year. I’d tentatively planned to spend 6 months or so dipping in and out of Eastern Canada to work on my list of PTSBID. Instead, I got a call from my youngest sister, not unusual we chat frequently, but in the course of it she said Mom was really not doing well and last time she’d seen her see just “looked so small”. Of course, that prompted me to change everything and just plan to go home until the end.

March – March is always a month of errands. I renew everything – storage unit, po box, car registration, etc., go to all the doctors, and finalize lodging. My niece got married and had the most beautiful dress I’ve seen in a long time. What I learned over the next few months is that she is a fashion icon. I love her style.

April – I spent 4 days driving to Utah. Quarantined, and then visited my mom. The last time I’d seen her was the previous December (December 4, 2021, in fact), and it was a day where she didn’t know who anyone was and even who she was. I cried all the way to New Mexico. I missed her two last really good days – when her Christmas decorations were set up in 2021 and her 75^th birthday just a few weeks before. She was still Mom, but she didn’t recognize me (although she knew she had family visiting from Texas), and she wasn’t making a whole lot of sense. My first grandnephew was blessed during this time as well. I sat with Mom so Dad could be there for this special occasion. His first great-grandson.

May/June – I tried to see my mom every weekend during this time. She was various levels of confused. I could tell she knew what she wanted to say but couldn’t say it. She’d use words that she read, or numbers in sentences and it broke my heart. I told her repeatedly how much I loved her. During this time, she was also seeing people who weren’t there. I told her quietly that when her son came for her – she could go with him. I’d be okay. Her family would miss her, but we would all be okay. We had an appointment with her doctor (virtually) at the beginning of May. We talked about starting home health care so Mom and Dad could get extra support.

On Memorial Day, Mom felt up to going to visit the cemetery. I drove down and getting her into the car was an adventure. But again, it was nice to see the family and to be able to participate in other family tradition one last time. It was a rainy, drizzly day, but we got to see some extended family at the Bountiful Cemetery, got a surprise facetime from my niece in Missouri, and I got some nice pictures of Mom.

One Saturday, I showed up after a couple of difficult days. I insisted that my dad get out of the house for a little while. That day on my own with my mom was one of the best and worst days I had with her. I started with playing Christmas music (her favorite!) and talking about childhood memories. She was the clearest during this conversation than I’d seen her in a long time. Later, she had an incident and did not want to cooperate. I got it taken care of, but we both ended up in tears. I cried all the way home.

The next week, COVID finally found me. I was totally in denial for the first few days (and also testing negative). Wednesday evening, I felt like I was getting sick and by Thursday morning I was super sick. It felt like really bad cold/flu. I tested negative and worked both Thursday and Friday. On Friday, in every conference call someone would ask, “Are you ok? You don’t sound well.” My response was always, “No, I’m very, very sick.”

Finally on Saturday morning, I tested positive with a home test. Again, denial. That test had sat in a cold mailbox for a couple of day, which can reduce effectiveness. My company still offered COVID PTO days during this time but required a lab test – so I made an appointment and did a drive-through test.

On Sunday, I was emailed the positive result. I ended up taking the next 2 or 3 days off and put myself on a pretty strict regimen of cold/flu medicines to mitigate the symptoms. Then I slept, coughed, repeatedly testing my oxygen levels, used so much Kleenex, and just was sick. I lost my taste and smell – which was the weirdest thing. I was in a split-level Airbnb and every day I would Door Dash tomato basil soup from somewhere and that was pretty much all I ate. Walking down the 5 steps to the front door to pick up my order (after the driver was totally gone, obviously) nearly knocked me out every time.  

I thoroughly cleaned and sanitized that Airbnb when I left; I also left 2 days earlier than scheduled so the place could just sit. I didn’t want to accidentally infect someone else who came to turn it over or the next guest. That effort was a lot. Now, it’s a blur and I feel like all I remember was sitting on the stairs, trying not to cry because crying leads to coughing.

My next move was to Pocatello. It was close enough to come down every few weekends, but not in the crazy Airbnb market that is Utah. I hadn’t tested negative yet but was feeling better. At least until I got to Pocatello and unloaded my car. That was maybe overdoing it. I was back to being very sick for a few days after. The next week I finally tested negative. During this time, I prayed a lot that the last time I saw Mom wouldn’t be the last time I saw my mom.

July – I came down for Independence Day weekend. It was nice to be able to see the whole family. Most of my nubbins were able to come by for at least part of the day.

Things were getting serious with my mom. She was now on hospice, and the decline was noticeable each time I saw her.

We lost her on July 21^st. The thing I will remember most about that week is the range of emotions all packed into one. I was struck most by how beautiful and peaceful her death had been. How much she would’ve loved having her family gathered. How joyous her reunion on the other side of the veil must have been. Her son, her parents, generations of loved ones waiting to welcome her. I was sad; I still am – I miss her terribly, but also how “good” her death was and how I would wish it on everyone.

August – Mom’s visitation was Monday, August 1^st. I was feeling pretty numb during this time. Given how much I cry on a regular basis I definitely expected more tears than I shed. It was actually a great experience. I loved seeing family and friends that I haven’t seen in years. I I loved hearing others talk about how great my mom is. It was sad, to be sure, but it was also joyful.

Her funeral was August 2, 2022. It was beautiful. Exactly what she would’ve wanted. As we left the cemetery one of my nieces commented that she didn’t want to leave – that we couldn’t leave Grandma there by herself, all alone. All I could say is, “She isn’t here anymore, not really. She’s coming with us. Do you think she’d miss a good funeral lunch?”

I took the rest of the week off work and spent time with the family. We cleaned out Mom’s closet, went through her jewelry, and just hung out.

September – This month was especially hard. I was there in that house only because my mom was dying. And now I was stuck. That cute little house on Gray Ave could never be anything else than the place I stayed while Mom was dying. No happy memories there. I was glad to leave in mid-October.

October – In mid-October I started back. I decided to stop in St Louis to visit my niece, but because it was a drive all weekend and work all week situation it took a while. My first stop was overnight in Cheyenne, WY. From there I drove to Nowheresville, NE. This little town in Nebraska reminded me of my hometown while I was growing up. Kind of stuck in time.

Next stop was Kansas City, for some good BBQ.

November – I rolled into St. Louis on my birthday. I wasn’t exactly sure where my niece would be, so this part of the plan had some contingencies built in. She’d been transferred to IL, so I drove about 3 hours to spend a few days in her area.

I went to church on Sunday and got to visit with her a little. I gave her a little frame of flowers from Grandma’s funeral to have with her, and we made plans to meet for dinner the next day. She suggested a burger place that was really good. It was so good to get to see and spend time with her.

Back to St Louis for a few days, and then off to Little Rock, AR. I was in Little Rock over Thanksgiving. I’d made a restaurant reservation to have a traditional dinner, but when I went to leave my car wouldn’t start. Dead Battery. It was raining really hard and despite the hotel clerk helping me out and offering to jump start, I was leery about leaving and having my car not start again. So instead, I had a sad Thanksgiving of random stuff from the hotel market. The next day, I called AAA, and they came to replace my battery. The AAA Tech said he didn’t think I needed a new battery, that the rapid temperature changes over the last few days had probably just drained the battery. He jumpstarted it and told me to drive around for an hour or so and it should be fine. So far, it has been. (Although, I bought a little portable jump starter to keep in my car going forward so I don’t get stranded somewhere.)

From Little Rock I drove to back to TX, Tyler to be specific. I stayed at a questionable little Airbnb with the scariest heating system I’ve ever seen. It had this weird open flame mounted to a wall with a gas line situation that scared me to death. Luckily, I didn’t die in a gas explosion so…. Win.

December – back to College Station. It’s good to be home. I decided this year I would do several advent calendars so I could have a little surprise gift every day. I did a wine advent, Godiva chocolate, Walker’s shortbread, and Sugarfina. I’d also bought a Sugarfina sampler that also had 24 types of candy, so I counted it and had two Sugarfina treats. December was hard. I missed Mom so much and so many things reminded me of her. I typically don’t do a “big” Christmas – or any holiday really – and this year was no different. But literally everything reminded me of Mom. I gave in to grief and her memory by buying a poinsettia and gave in to nostalgia and bought a bubble light night light that reminds me of the ones the Barkers used to have on their tree.

I rang in the new year watching something. I can’t even remember – and I was up past midnight, because I am every day, but I didn’t watch any NYE celebrations or the ball drop. I didn’t cross anything off the PTSBID list or vacation anywhere. Hoping for a better 2023.

Crossing the Border – COVID Edition

 In order to cross into Canada I was required to test negative within 72 hours, be fully vaccinated with an approved vaccine, share a quarantine plan, and acknowledge that I could be randomly selected to quarantine and re-test. 

Now, the last time I visited Canada the crossing was little stressful because the male officers at the border could not understand that I was road-tripping, not trying to move to Canada.  So, this time I was a little anxious when adding the COVID factor to the fact that my car still looks like I’m living out of it. (Spoiler alert: I am. I’m still homeless, happily.) 

Lucky for me, there was a female border agent at the gate!  She immediately understood what I was telling her about my living situation and why I was going, how long I’d be here, etc. The only issue was that she kept asking questions about my firearms and where I was keeping them.  I kept answering, truthfully of course, that I don’t own any and so I assume they are still at the store.  Lol.  Finally, she gave me a suspicious look and said, “You’re from Texas and you don’t own ANY firearms.”  Hahahahaha.

“No ma’am, I’m not that kind of Texan,” was my reply.  She laughed and said, “Ok, I have no concerns, you’re clear to enter, enjoy your trip.”   That exchange had me cracking up all the way to Calgary.

2020 Year in Review

Well, 2020 sure started off with a bang, and the first 2.5 months were a continuation of my year of travel. 

I started out the year in Reno, NV with nubbins and wontons. From there I flew to Orlando where I experienced Disney World, stayed on a horse farm, visited NASA, met a cousin I’d never met, and spent time with more family.

February brought a tour of all things Florida and Georgia. I was captivated on Captiva and Sanibel islands, saw manatees in Crystal River, toured historic Savannah (with a super busted up knee - that still isn’t better), waited in line for 2 hours for home cooking at Mrs. Wilkes’, and fine-dined at Elizabeth on 37th. I hung out in Beaufort with dolphins and sweet tea frappes, ate Gullah Grub, found tree spirits and rich retreats in the Golden Isles and pampered myself with an ocean view on Amelia Island.  

Having crossed so many things off my list and secured Titanium member status, I headed back to Texas with stops to visit the Daltons in the panhandle and the McElroys in Alabama. By then, I’d started hearing about a new virus. Nothing major - just wash your hands and you’ll be fine. I stayed in Katy for a week while I ran errands, made doctor appointments, renewed my car registration, etc.

And just the very next week….Lockdown. COVID. Isolation.

Things happened the rest of the year, although not much. Some of it celebratory - Jades married Martin and Mike married Eve. Some of it...hard - Mom had a couple of surgeries and was diagnosed with the thing that will eventually take her from us….she’s already leaving. And during it all lockdown. COVID. Isolation. 

This year started with such a high and is ending - somewhere else. I’m hopeful that a vaccine will be widely available soon, that it will allow me to travel in 2021. That it will let us eat in restaurants, and see the people we love, and allow us to cross international borders. I think the world is permanently changed by 2020. I have been. Only time will tell if it made us better or broke this world completely.

The Places I Stayed

A couple of notes, I ranked the Airbnbs and the non-Marriott hotels.  Marriotts are Marriotts and there isn’t a lot of difference between them.  That said, I will never stay at the SHS-Reno or the TPS-South Baton Rouge ever again.

I also included general thoughts about family member’s houses, but they were all great.  I’m so grateful everyone let me stay with them - so they are listed in the order I stayed there.

Airbnbs

1. Whitewood, SD I'm sure these hosts were a big part of the reason I loved SD so much. Up first, cons: They are out in the country on an unpaved road. Pros: I actually loved that they were out in the country. They had the most amazing views and their house was gorgeous. (Oh, one more con....they had like a million stairs to get into the house.) My room had an en suite bathroom which was perfect, it also had a TV with cable. They were fantastic and friendly, and I chatted with them almost every day. They had great restaurant recommendations and were just so, so lovely. Obviously, so much so, that I would consider living in South Dakota (but not really, because...winter).
2. Gresham, OR  I loved this place! Again, a downstairs apartment space that was seriously gorgeous. The host was fantastic, was chatty whenever we crossed paths, and had done most of the remodeling herself. There was a fireplace (which I used every single day). Cons: the internet sucked, but I was able to log in to all my accounts through her roku and watch whatever I wanted.
3. Chanhassen, MN  Really liked this place, even though it was short on natural light! It was another basement apartment, but the only window was in the bedroom. For most people that might be a deal breaker, but I rarely open blinds when I'm in my own space, so it didn't phase me. She noticed the internet was slow and weird and actually had them make a service call and install a new modem/router. She had a bunch of good recommendations for restaurants and places to see, and was friendly, but not intrusive.
4. Goshen, IN  Loved Goshen, loved this Airbnb, loved the host! Cons: slow internet, but again, she had noticed and made an appointment for the provider to come out and fix it. Her young grandkids used my bathroom a couple of times when they visited. But mostly the space was huge, super private, and in the middle of Amish country.
5. OBX, NC  Ahh, home sweet home. I was here for 3 whole weeks and it was a pretty basic basement apartment, but it was quiet and comfortable and so close to everything I needed. The host here was also great - I ended up getting emergency oral surgery the first weekend I was here and he messaged me to check in and see if I needed anything. The co-host also gave me some really valuable recommendations and advice about sight-seeing during the storm that probably saved me from being stranded.
6. Medford, OR  I really like this place. The cons are pretty few: it was up a steep, unpaved, winding, mountain, so the first few times were really nerve wracking. The wifi was really super terrible. The pros: it was basically a basement apartment, which meant a lot of privacy. It was a beautiful property, and the owners were so nice. They have 3 dogs which I totally loved (2 boxers, 1 shepherd). The boxers would always immediately run down when they heard me come outside, and then they'd race me down to the end of the hill. It was my favorite part of the day. I spent 2 great weeks here.
7.  Ellsworth, ME  A very 70s basement apartment all dark wood and shag carpet, but it was cozy and comfortable and perfect for a couple of days - especially after the boat. There was a little mishap with the key (the hosts' boyfriend had locked the deadbolt - which unknown to her was a different key than the one for the regular lock - the one she left me. But a couple of messages, and a quick (here's the spare key for the upstairs) telephone conversation and I was in. She also had a lot of good pamphlets about Acadia which I borrowed to see the best stuff.
8. Chandler, AZ  Much better than my first airbnb. They had super soft sheets. So much so that I took a picture of the label so I could buy a set when I get back. The bed was just a mattress on a frame (not a platform and no other box springs) so that was kind of uncomfortable, but overall it was a much better experience than Austin.  It probably shouldn't rank this high, but without this experience I'm not sure I could've gone forward with so many airbnbs.
9. Richmond, VT  I loved this property. It was remote, yes. Down a series of dirt roads, but I was staying in a clearing in the woods. The leaves were just starting to change and the view out the bedroom windows was spectacular. The host was interesting. She actually got a puppy toward the end of my stay and it was fun to get to just play with the puppy, while not having to deal with any of the puppy mess.
10. Wheat Ridge, CO  Since I was going to be there for a month, I splurged and rented a whole place. It ended up being a duplex, with a sublet basement apartment. It was nice to have a whole place to myself and was comfortable and adequate. The hosts left great instructions and were quick to respond. Overall, though, it was just ok. It advertised AC, but really had a swamp cooler, which doesn't mean much of anything during a heat wave. It also means leaving the front door open (the screen did lock) and windows open which makes me nervous and also lets in a lot of bugs. The furniture was a little too big for the house and I think there were more crosses than Julene's baby Jesuses at Christmas. Overall, though, it was a fine place to stay.
11. Helena, MT  Another basement apartment! My only complaint here is that there wasn't a door at the stairs, and my host was a little bit hard of hearing (or maybe just likes the volume set to loud) so I could always hear his TV. Aside from that I loved this place. It was easy to work, and he's a retired art history professor so he had a lot of great books, and a lot of really great artwork.
12. Beatty, NV  Beatty is in the middle of nowhere, but this was the perfect jumping off point for Death Valley. It was a trailer and was fine. The internet super sucked - I couldn't stream anything and there was no TV. But overall it was just 2 nights and it was fine for what it was.
13. Katy, TX  Just one night in but so far, so good.  The bed is comfortable, plenty of pillows, the bathroom is not ensuite, but the whole situation is a little alcove kind of removed from the rest of the house (similar to Austin).  The hosts are lovely.  It's kind of awkward to be sort of home, and since I don't know anyone here anymore, I'm not meeting up with friends every night, and all my favorite restaurants... well, it turns out they're all take-out joints.  I mean, I knew I never left my apt, but now I really feel it - you know?  They also have the best dog, Charley Brown, he didn't bark - not once in the entire week I stayed there.  He also has some anxiety issues and is sort of scared of their floor.  So, he mostly stays on the living room rug, and they have yoga mats down that he can walk on to the bedroom. 
14. Spokane, WA  I liked this place well enough, the room was small and there wasn't AC (despite listing it in the amenities), and again, the internet was slow….spoiler alert: this theme will continue. But the host was great. She had several Airbnb rooms, but I didn't really ever see anyone else, and she had some friends from Canada staying with her. We all got along really well, and I spent most evening coming back from dinner and chatting with them.
15. Mississauga, Ontario  Super clean with an en suite bathroom. It was in a house that rented out multiple Airbnb rooms so it felt a little like a hostel (especially the noise level) more than a Airbnb. But everyone respected the quiet hours and I was only there for 2 nights and officially on vacation so I wasn't there very much. It was as advertised and fine for a quick trip to Toronto.
16. Camden, NY  My biggest issue here was the smoke detector that started its low battery chirping around 6:30 in the morning. Otherwise, it was a great place to hunker down on my way to the Adirondacks. It was its own apartment in a little house, and very close to a quaint little downtown area. My only other con was that the parking was unclear, so I always felt vaguely guilty that maybe I was blocking other spots. But it was clean, quiet, and comfortable.
17. Sanford, FL  This was a really interesting property. It was a real horse farm, and from my bedroom window I could look out to the pasture and see the horses.  It was also close to a lot of good restaurants so even though it was out in the country it didn't feel far away from everything.  The only downside was the other guests.  Their room/suite was really close and I could hear them a lot, and the internet was not great....lots of issues with streaming.  Otherwise, the bed was super comfortable (giving Sam-e-cito a run for the title), and it was a lovely/relaxing stay.
18. Oak Hill, WV  Another Airbnb, another dirt road, up a hill, and a one lane road. But the place was great, the host was friendly, and they gave me some amazing restaurant recommendations. Would I live in Oak Hill, probably not, but would I visit again, yes, definitely.
19. Austin, TX  My first Airbnb! It was super awkward, and I wasn’t sure what I could do. The bedroom/bathroom was fine, but the hosts did not speak English, and they had a sign up saying not to flush any toilet paper. I flushed, man. That is gross. The house was also super empty and cold. It made me really nervous about my whole trip. One thing I liked here was that they had a shelf in the fridge and freezer reserved for Airbnb, but they didn't make it clear what appliances in the kitchen could be used. Can I use the microwave? The Stove? Pots & Pans? Slotted Spoon? Who knows, not me.
20. Crystal River, FL  This place never stood a chance, and yet it managed to beat several other places I stayed in.  First of all, I took a really bad fall on a weird little step and royally messed up my knee.  Any injury that was definitely getting better before I fell in Savannah and maybe, seriously, hurt it.  I haven't seen a doctor yet. But that aside, my host had the flu, and they had a water issue, and a bunch of things conspired to try and ruin my stay.  But the real reason this is so far down the list is the teeny-tiny-itty-bitty bathroom.  That was unforgivable.
21. Flagstaff, AZ  Reviews on this place are mixed. The house itself is a cute little A-frame cabin, but it was waaaay outside of town. I also didn't have cell service (wi-fi, yes; cell, no). I'd explained my trip and that mostly I was just working a regular 9-5 and then doing fun stuff on weekends, but I guess she didn't quite get it? Also, I stayed on a CT time work schedule so I was off work by 3:30 and then I'd go to dinner. She was a busy, busy person - so I'm sure to her it seemed like I never left the house, but whatever. The room was comfortable, the bathroom was small. There were common areas, but no TV and she wasn't into making conversation. I thought it was kind of awkward, but ok until one morning she had a friend over for breakfast. My room and bathroom were right off the kitchen so I could hear them talking if I was near the door. And I was getting ready to go take a shower and heard her say, "I don't know, I guess she.....works?" and then immediately hushed tones. So, yeah, the rest of the week I couldn't wait to leave. Also, I hated Flagstaff. I felt super trapped and claustrophobic there.
22. Ankeny, IA  This was a town house with an upstairs room and en suite bathroom. The space itself was fine, but the set up was weird. The bed was sideways against the front wall, which meant it also was covering the vents. And since the bed was just a box springs and mattress on the floor the vents were well and truly covered. The host also kept it HOT! so hot that I couldn't sleep with any covers even with a fan right on me. She also has 3 cats -which turns out, I'm still really allergic to cats. The worst part, though, was that she's a Mary Kay hun. I got the hard sell several times, and even though I was adamant that it wasn't for me, it fell on deaf ears. I also felt pressured to buy MK and even though I like their products, I'm not a big, long , skin care routine type of girl. Also, telling me about all the tacky, gaudy, jewelry you get for meeting your sales goal doesn't tempt me....not even a little.
23. Bellflower, CA  Yeah, no. I met this host when I checked in and he was very nice and had a super cute daughter. He also told me that he was going to be traveling for work that week, but his wife would be there, and that her cousin would be there. Sure. Fine. However, every time I came home there was a different group of people there. One night I came back and there was a middle aged lady there and I just said "hi" as I walked through to my room. She grunted at me. Literally grunted. Bitch, I know you don't live here so maybe calm down and just say hi back. Also, I ALWAYS make sure the booking is a private bedroom and bathroom. The first evening I came back from work and it was clear someone else was using the bathroom. I immediately messaged the host and he took care of it, but the rest of the time I was always super uncomfortable and didn't leave my stuff in the bathroom. The space itself was also bad. The bedroom was super tiny and right off the kitchen - right off as in if someone had the fridge open I couldn't open the bedroom door. Then the bathroom was through the kitchen and down a hall - so a ways away. That was mentioned in several reviews, so not unexpected, but added to everything else...not great. I want to be clear that I never felt unsafe here, just really uncomfortable and unwelcome. I was very glad that this property was the Long Beach stay, so I left for work by 7am and then would go out with friends after work and not get home until 11pm.
24. Kalispell, MT  I was only here for one night, thank goodness. First the bed was almost as tall as I was. I seriously had to formulate a plan to get in it. The room was super cute, but the bathroom wasn't very clean and there were ants. Like I said, I was glad it was only overnight.
25. Charlottesville, VA  Nightmare! The parking was a very narrow (car-width) semi-circle with a rock wall on one side and a steep drop off on the other. The stairs down to the house were old railroad ties (steep, uneven) with no handrail. And dark, no outside lighting, for the stairs. The room itself was small with no window coverings and the most uncomfortable bed I've ever slept on. I spent one night, cancelled the rest of my reservation and moved myself to a Marriott.

Hotels

1. Wyndam in Alpine, TX  So much better than expected!
2. Baymont in North Platte, NE  No memory of this one, really, so it must have been acceptable.
3. Motel Ely in Ely, MN  Super dark, but definitely clean. It was kind of noisy - people would hang out in the parking lot drinking and talking about their adeventures.
4. Rodeway Inn in Newport, OR  It was meh. Not great, not the worst, I think I could've looked around and found somewhere better.
5. El Dorado in Twain Harte, CA  Tiny, a single bed, barely big enough for 1 and I think it was gross enough that I didn't shower.
6. Terrace Bay in Escanaba, MI  Ick. I was "upgraded", but if that was an upgrade then I'm very worried about their regular rooms. They were in the middle of a renovation, but my room hadn't had anything done. Also, I suspect the views of the lake are really nice, but my view was the parking lot. Also, the doors didn't fit well in the jam - it felt very flimsy and I was super grateful for the Add a Lock - especially since there was a creeper in the parking lot the night I arrived.
7. Howard Johnson in Lake George, NY  No. Don't stay here. The room is small, it smells funny, there isn't a towel rack for hand towels, and only 1 hook for bath towels. It's also super loud. I picked this hotel because it looked like you could maybe see the lake, but no. I can hear the carousel music from across the street, though. Also, another super loud property. So much so that I had to call the police on some rowdy Jamaican guys in the parking lot. Around 10:30 they cranked up their music. At 12:00 other hotel guests were telling them to turn it down. That ended in arguing and the Jamaicans turning the music up, rather than down. So I tried to call the hotel front desk....no answer. I don't know if they have anyone on staff, but no answer. So I called the cops, and they came pretty quickly. The music was turned down, but the guys stayed out in the parking lot being loud and rowdy for another hour or so. Finally, after killing a giant spider and watching all the little bugs swarm the light (they were coming in from the less than well-fitting door), I abandoned my resolve to wait out the reservation and checked in to a brand new Marriott a town over. Goodbye HJ - you are the worst hotel I've ever stayed in.

Family

• Hubbard's, Phoenix, AZ:  I didn’t stay overnight, but Erin kindly made me dinner twice (including some really awesome queso dip!).  She also not-so-kindly made me put together this smasher ball with a toy in it thing.  It nearly got the best of me, but I conquered it eventually.
• Samicito, Las Vegas, NV: The Samicito is super deluxe and maybe the most comfortable bed I've ever slept on. Also, I appreciate Brian's dedication to me catching up on Survivor!
• T3, Reno, NV:  I was here just after Ryker's bday (and I still owe him $5!). I'd never been to Reno during not-Christmas so it was fun to pick the kids up at the bus stop, and go to Kita's soccer game, and Ryker's football practice.
• Gee's, Portland, OR: An overnight stay with movie night, Family Feud, and delicious lasagna!
• T4, Eagle Mountain, UT:  I just need a fan and a garbage can in the bathroom.  
• Burton's, Melbourne, FL:  Joanne was kind enough to keep my car in her driveway for a month while I was traveling for Christmas.  When I got back to FL, she also arranged a dinner with Christine and David.  I actually think it was the first time I ever met Christine and it’s been, probably, 30 years since I really saw David.  It was great to get to know that little slice of my family that I didn’t grow up with.
• T3 Reno, NV:  I was here for 4 whole weeks, which is a lot, but hopefully T3 weren't too inconvenienced. It was great to have an entire month of R&R before heading back out for the tail end of the trip. (And I even remembered to pay Ryker the $$ I owed him.)
• Dalton's, Niceville, FL: Melissa invited me to dinner while I was in the Florida panhandle and it was delightful.  Her kids totally charmed me, and it was so much fun to catch up.  

The Amazing Adventure of Jalairean Proportions

• 27,937 Miles Driven

• 76 Places I’ve Stayed
• 37 Marriotts
• 26 Airbnbs
• 7 Random Hotels
• 4 Family Members
• 1 Boat
• 1 Train

• 57 New Things I’ve Seen
• 4 Revisited 

• 39 states

• 5 Family Reunions
• Hubbards
• Lindsey
• Gee
• Burton
• Dalton

• 4 New Tires

• 2 McElroys

• 1 Oral Surgery

• 1 Funeral

• 1 Busted Knee

Let's see where the 2020-2021 Travel Year takes me!

Family, Friends, and the Florida Line

With all my list items for this trip crossed off, I started the trek west.  I drove about 6 hours to Navarre, FL which is apparently a big beach destination.  I stayed there because it was close to Niceville and the Daltons.

Melissa was kind enough to invite me over for dinner and made delicious homemade alfredo pasta.  It was super tasty, and again, homemade.  But the two best parts were:

• Meeting her kids.  She said they were SUPER excited to meet me and that gave me all kinds of warm fuzzy feelings.  They ran out to meet me at my car, asked all kinds of questions, wanted to know everything I'd seen and done, and wanted to tell me all about themselves.  They even made me heart shaped cards and got me flowers.  Melissa said they had quite the debate about which flowers to get - which were the prettiest, etc.  I'm telling you warm, fuzzy feelings.  I'm hoping they end up back in Utah in June so I get to see them again (and even more hopefully that there is a new little one to squish)!

             

• Catching up with Melissa.  I've had so much fun reconnecting and meeting with cousins along my road, and it's especially fun when you realize your little cousin in all grown up with a family.  I really can't convey just how much fun I had and how much I needed a little family time.  

After Navarre, I took a quick detour north to Alabama.  I met Clara and Derwyn McElroy on my transatlantic cruise back from Europe and they are individually and collectively two of the best humans I've ever met.  

Originally, I had planned to spend a week in Montgomery, there are so many Civil Rights monuments and important places to visit and learn about in the area, but when I rejiggered my trip so I could be at Ferrin's funeral the Montgomery detour was going to fall by the wayside.  I've stayed in touch here and there through Facebook, but they were definitely a main event for this adventure - they may not be on the official 1000 Place to See List, but they are definitely on my People to See at Every Opportunity List so I made it an overnight trip to spend time with them.  

It was so good to catch up and chat and laugh. The McElroy's and I were randomly seated together at dinner one night on the cruise.  They were so delightful, that we made plans to eat together every night.  We'd eat and chat and they are so interesting and have such great stories, and love each other and their children dearly.  I remember one night, after dinner, we were sitting there chatting and Clara decided to go see the show, I'd seen it, and Derwyn wasn't up to it, so we stayed and chatted. 

He told me in a clear, convincing, and impassioned way how much he loved his wife, how much he loved his family, and how lucky he was.  Even at 80-ish, and even with failing health, he was the lucky one. That really stuck with me.  I've seen a photo from their wedding as they're leaving the church and he is looking at her with adoration and love, and that picture makes me know that if I ever had someone look at me the way he looks at her.....that would be forever, and I would be the lucky one.

2019 Year in Review

2019 was bananas!  I knew toward the end on 2018 that I didn't really want to stay where I was in Texas, but also, wasn't quite sure where I wanted to move.  When I mentioned this to my boss, she very casually said she literally didn't care at all where I was as long as I met me deadlines.

"Anywhere?" I asked. "In the U.S.," she quickly clarified.

Fantastic, but still where to go?  In a moment of inspiration I thought.... everywhere.  Why couldn't I travel around the country crossing things of The List?  I started some preliminary planning, and it looked feasible.  I started looking at the budget, and again, it looked totally doable.  So, I started planning in earnest, and when my lease ended on February 28, 2019, I was officially homeless in Texas.

To be clear, being homeless didn't start out great. It started out with a crazy and total breakdown where I basically cried for 24 hours straight.  Luckily, I was able to get in touch with the amazing Jenn Hough who set me up with a priesthood blessing and a basket of goodies and words of love and encouragement.  I can't adequately express how much that meant to me.  It set such a great tone for the rest of the year.

I can't tell you exactly how many miles I drove in 2019 (maybe I'll edit to add later) because I'm not with my car...it's currently in Florida and I'm currently in Reno, NV, but I will tell you I've driven around 25,000 miles in 2019.

Other milestones:

• 47 Places off the list (finishing the year on #200)
• 4 Places revisited
• 61 Places I spent the night (and unequivocally, Sam-e-cito has the most comfortable bed)
• 25 Marriotts (Thanks, Cort!!)
• 22 Airbnbs
• 7 Random Hotels
• 4  Family Guest Rooms (Thanks - Lindseys, Gees, T3 (2X), T4)
• 1  My Apartment
• 1  Boat
• 1  Train
• 37 States
• I'm only missing Alabama and Hawaii (and I'll be going to Alabama in 2020)
• 5 Number of Times I wasn't sure if I was in Illinois/Missouri/Iowa
• 1 Oral Surgery
• 4 Dental Professionals in 2 States Visited
• 1 Really Amazing Year with Uncountable Memories
• Oh, and I had purple hair for a little while

Now, does anyone know anything about Canadian temporary resident/work laws?  Because I would love to do this same thing in Canada soon.