SPURS!!!!!!

Bleurgh. I am quite tired today and do not really know what to blog about. *sigh*

Okay, so you might (and probably will) find this entry incredibly boring. But, it's the start of the NBA playoffs, which means I actually start watching basketball games! And...usually get no sleep whatsoever because the games tend to last kind of late. Basketball is basically the only sport I ever watch on TV. I would watch soccer (AKA football for you Europeans) on TV, but Colorado has this prejudice or soemthing against showing soccer games on TV....occasionally I'll find one on DirecTV if I'm at my mom's house. But, basically, it's rather depressing, since I love the action of soccer games =]

Oh, wait, the topic of this blog was supossed to be basketball. Oops. Sorry for the tangent....ANYWAY. Basketball. Yes. I think I love the sport so much because I actually understand it and can play it semi-well (though I'm nowhere near agressive enough) and enjoy the action. My team is the Spurs of San Antonio, since that's where I grew up. And, they are actually a very good team....most years. Although, with my man Ginobli out for the playoffs this year, I'm not getting my hopes up. I mean, I'm also not giving up on them, but I don't think they are going to go all the way this year. Sadly. Ginobli, Tim Duncan, and Tony Parker are always the big three, they assist each other and make the big shots....I think that Ginobli is just a great player all around, and it is one of my biggest wishes to meet him.

Fun fact: While he goes by Manu Ginobli, his first name is actually Emmanuel. My dad told me this last night...Manu is more "macho' sounding, I suppose.

Well, THIS is an amusing picture of him =D =D =D (that's me laughing. Trust me.)

Anyway, as I'm sure you can imagine, basketball games can get pretty messy. Especially in these "win or go home" situations of the NBA playoffs.* I will demonstrate this by detailing several examples from the Spurs-Suns** match-up in 2007. It was Game 4, and it ended up being a series-tying game (meaning it was now 2-2). During one of the games, Robert Horry bumped into Steve Nash, and it was a pretty nasty flagrant foul I suppose. Then I believe several players from the Suns got up off the bench to hold him back or something along those lines.*** Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw, to be precise (google FTW!). Anyway, there was somewhat of a fight. Robert Horry was suspended for 2 games, and Stoudemire and Diaw were suspended for one. It was rather crazy deal...First of all, it was hard to prove that Horry's bump into Nash was on purpose...and secondly....why the hell are Stoudemire and Diaw leaving the bench because of it?! Sheesh.

Also, in Game 1 of that series, Steve Nash and Tony Parker collided pretty hard near the end of the game. Parker was shaken up, but Nash got a nasty cut on his nose. He managed to stay in the game and make several helpful points, but his nose wouldn't stop bleeding. Which, of course, was a danger to him and a danger to the other players lest they slip in the blood dripping all over the court (yeah, I know it's gross. Deal). Anyway, he ended up missing basically the final minute of the game, and the Spurs won Game 1 of that series. To this day, I'm still not sure the Spurs would have won that game if Nash had not been out that final minute...But, they did, for whatever reason, whatever fates intervened, blah blah blah.

Okay, wow. I'm sure that was really boring. Anyway, the Spurs DID win last night, which means I have a little more faith in them at least beating the Mavericks (maybe). Tony Parker was great, but poor Ginobli looked so sad =[ I don't think he even cares whether his team wins, he just wants to PLAY. Poor guy.

All righty...I'm done talking about basketball for now......

I want to BE Mrs. Nerimon
So we can build a little house with a lawn....
And watch our love go on and on and OOOOOOOOOOOOON...

Ahem. Sorry. I had to.
Uh....so, if that was too boring for you, how about you go watch my Tuesday video for GenerationOfAwesome? =D

Also, I've decided I need to get more sleep...I know, I know, we're Nerdfighters...We run on AWESOME, not sleep. However...sleep is good sometimes. I should plan in getting a tad bit more. So I don't fall asleep in pre-calc or mix my colors wrong in Art....

Hopefully tomorrow I will be more exciting.**** Until then, Winged Monkey ningers Skype frieds! RAWR!
Cheers! DFTBA!

*The NBA playoffs are "Best of 7" whoever wins 4 games first goes on.
**The Suns are from Phoenix, Arizona, if you didn't know
***Wow. I am NOT good at retelling stories....Let's go look this up on Google and see if some old news story will save me...
****Hey, at least you got some crazy basketball stories, right? Maybe? Don't hate me? *nods*

Past and Future Letters

Okay, so, for today at least I am completely out of original ideas. So I'm stealing something from nerimon's video today. =D I have decided to write a letter to my past and future self. Yay! I know it's totally unoriginal, and I accept this. Hopefully tomorrow I will have something more interesting to write about. On we go......

(The one to my past will be short)
Dear 11 year old self,
Okay, I know right now you're pretty upset that your Dad is going to Iraq. And these months that you're stuck with your mom are awful. But rest assured that you will gain something out of this experience, and that you will become rather proud.

Middle school sucks. I know it does. You're lost, you're confused, you don't know who you are anymore. But don't blow off these years. When it comes time to leave, you'll really miss those hallways. And make sure that you embrace your Humanities teacher, because she will become your best mentor, the person you still look up to and thank. By the time you graduate 8th grade, you'll find yourself crying. So don't waste these years. It may seem like it sucks, but you'll miss it when it's over.

I know you have no clue what I'm talking about, but PLEASE get involved in the HP fandom a lot sooner than you originally did. You love these books, and they get you through the toughest times. Once you discover the whole community out there just like you, your life will change. So don't wait until 2007. Also, don't try to hide your nerdy passions. Whether you hide it or not, you'll never be popular or even liked much. The teasing will still continue. And, if you embrace your nerdiness, you'll discover a whole community of people who want to be your friend. I know, right now you have no clue what the internet will mean in your life. But it will mean A LOT. And if you just do these things sooner, you won't be quite as lonely.

Unfortunately, I can't reassure you the loneliness will end. It won't. But it's okay. You do have people who want to be your friends, and who think that you're awesome, and who will miss you when you're not around. Yeah, middle school sucks. But don't be afraid to put yourself out there. PLEASE join cross country sooner. Oh, and that swim team? Don't join. It's awful. Take people's compliments more often, and listen to your teachers, because THEY will make the true difference in your life.

I know you're not happy right now. But don't worry--You'll be okay, and you'll find something to keep you going.

Sincerely,
Your 16 year old self

P.S. Thank you so much for always saving money! It's because of YOU that I have HP conferences, a laptop, Skype, a microphone, books, and the opportunity to do what I want. THANKS.




Dear 21 year old self,
Hey. How ya doing? Well, how about we sit down and I remind you of some things. And ask you some questions.

Look, 5 years ago, you were lonely. Really lonely. Your best friends lived no where near you, and you communicated on a computer. You weren't necessarily happy about this. They are great friends, who would listen to you rant about almost anything, and who understand you and don't judge you. But you, future self, are confused. Because a friend is supposed to be someone you can see every day and hug and laugh with....and you aren't sure you actually have any friends like that. By now, I'm sure you live in a different place.* Possibly, you aren't even friends with some of those people anymore. And, I'm sure, there are so many different ways of communicating now. But I hope you realize that the friends that you have online are true friends....I mean, I hope you've found some of those in real life by now, too.** But I also hope that you don't hate yourself for all that time you were teased and mostly friendless in high school.

Also, how are those friends of yours? Have you talked to them in a while? Do you know what some of them are up to? If you haven't talked to them in a while, but still have their screennames,*** why don't you check up on them? These people are and were your friends, and you can't let them slip through your fingers. I know, I know, you worry that you're a very forgettable**** person. But worst case scenario, they don't remember you right away and you just have to remind them. Chances are though, they do remember those fun times you had on Skype***** and all the conversations. Because the teasing you got from them was the FUN teasing. They thought you were funny. You were grateful for having them as friends. Let them know that, if you can.

Do you have a boyfriend yet? Just wondering, you know. Because as I write this to you, I've never had a true boyfriend, a first kiss, or a guy tell me I'm beautiful. I'm not exactly sad about that right now, but I would like to know if you have or have had any semblance of a love life since you were 16. Also, future self, I'd like to know how you feel about the above statements. Do you regret your lack of a love life? I certainly hope not, because at the moment I'm grateful for it, in a way. But, as you might remember, there is that one person who you feel you're falling for sometimes right now...How did that go? Did anything come of it?

How's college? Did you end up going to Oregon like I so want to right now? Has it turned out to be everything you wanted it to be? I wonder, too, how you liked the rest of high school. Did you get over not going to FVS? Did you finally accept the cons of Rampart and give it a chance?

It's a tough time right now. And I guess the best I can do is hope that in the future, I'll have some recognition of what these years meant to me. It's hard to know why things happen and what they mean right now. And I'm sure that's true in the future, as well. Most of all, don't forget these years. The present and the future are a lot easier to live in than the past, but remember this time, a time when you weren't happy and everything wasn't perfect.******
Sincerely,
Your 16 year old self

*God, I HOPE I live in a different place by now.
**Does college help? Have you found those intellectual friends you so crave?
***Provided, of course, that there isn't totally NEW technology and that you are still able to use those screennames.
****By forgettable, I mean that you believe people forget you easily. Do you still think this?
*****Wow. Does Skype still exist? Because let me remind you, it changed your life.
******Okay, I'm sure it's STILL not perfect. But really, just look back on these times and remember them, so you realize that your life CAN'T really ever be perfect, and that's not a tragedy. It's normal, and it's okay. =D

EVERYONE needs to travel

Trust me, Everyone. I'm not kidding here, guys (and girls). You NEED to travel. There's no getting out of it! Come on, get out of your home city, your home state, or, if you have the money, your home country! You can't stay in one place your whole life and become a hermit. TRAVEL, TRAVEL, TRAVEL.

Oh, and here's 10 reasons why =]
1. You get great pictures.
Assuming, of course, you are a picture person. I am. I take pictures of EVERYTHING. Well...everything except myself, that is. =D I'm really weird in that I take a bazillion pictures of the scenery and the cities and the flashing lights and the other people and occasionally the food (lol), but never of myself. Like, I have all these great pictures of New York, and very, very little proof that I was actually there. I mean, I was, of course. I have a few pictures of myself, but they are overwhelmed drastically, alarmingly, by pictures of...not me. *wink* Anyway, the point is, that travel gives you a lot of amazing pictures that you can show your friends, even if they do not want to see them. Just sit them down in front of a slideshow of your pictures and make them! Muahahahaha! Okay, also, they are a GREAT way to keep memories and keep track of events and how it felt and looked to be in that place.* PICTURE TIME!

A PICTURE OF ME!!!!!! *gasp*
2. You meet a lot of awesome people!
Even if you are traveling with your parents, you are bound to meet SOME people who are awesome and cool and amazing. People who have different accents and funny habits and awesomeness. But, you especially meet a lot of awesome people if you go somewhere by yourself or if you go somewhere with your parents but get to be away from them at certain points (ie a cruise). These people could be lifelong friends....or, you could also never see them again. Either way, you got to meet a bunch of awesome, interesting people, and learn something about the people who live there and how they act and talk and blah, blah, blah (that's German for etc). So you don't have any stereotypes or assumptions about people, because you actually KNOW. And that's always good.

3. You have EXPERIENCE.
And I mean ACTUAL, worldly experience. You've traveled, you've experienced. You've done things, seen things, eaten things, met people, traveled to exotic places.** You can do a lot of great, awesome things when you travel, like go sailboating or swim with dolphins or climb over 400 stairs. You can see beautiful places and experience them in an upfront way. You can eat funny foods (that you might not like) but never have to eat them again...or you could eat amazing exotic foods and come home with a recipe on how to cook it because you love it so much. And, you've met people from other cultures,*** religions, places, customs, traditions, and so on. EXPERIENCE. Trust me, it's a good thing. People will gravitate towards you because you know so much...maybe.

4. You can see history right in front of you.
By this, I mean you can see historical PLACES right in front of you. Rather than just reading about, say, Jamestown, you can actual go SEE Jamestown. You can visit castles and forts and everything, and actually SEE the history. Definitely more exciting than reading about it, right? I certainly think that my interest in history came very much from actually getting to experience it and wanting to know more. Anyway, the real thing is better than a picture or a description any day. (The Alamo, Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty, Tower of London, Trier, etc)

5. You can gain insight on global issues firsthand.
I always think it's better to see both sides of a global issue, and what better way to do that than traveling? Visiting places like the UN or European Union**** allow you to see how our global issues actually get solved, as well. Or, visiting a poor country in the Caribbean helps you gain insight into their situation and how you can help. Well, just traveling to a different country in general lets you see their insight into different global issues, especially if you talk to the people there. =]

World Trade Center site

6. You see a lot of great, beautiful places.
Uh...this one should be sort of self-explanatory. When you travel, you get to see beautiful places! Forests, mountains, oceans, cities, farms, buildings....Sunsets, sunrises, rain....Flowers, butterflies, new wildlife. Er, okay. I think I'll just leave it there. When you travel, you see beautiful places, okay?

7. You can "escape your own problems."
This one is sort of self-explanatory, too. When you go away from home, you don't have to think about your own problems anymore. I'm not saying you WON'T think about your problems. But they aren't there, right in front of you anymore. And sometimes it's really good to just go somewhere else and not think about your problems for a while. So, go relax on the beach or travel around Italy.***** Get away for a little while!

8. You have great material for stories!
Yes, yes. Again. Once again, you are at that same party. And, you know that a story about traveling is MUCH more interesting than a stupid story or a conversation about books! So, this time, you are almost guaranteed to have people like your story. EVERYONE likes travel stories...because they wish they could've gone, too! So, you start telling that great story about the time you went to the Bunker Hill monument in Boston and actualy climbed up and down all 472 stairs (or however many there were). Then, not only is everyone interested in your story, they also want to tell their great travel stories! So you started a whole conversation topic! Hurrah!

9. Some beautiful places might be gone if you don't go NOW!!! Okay, so this one is slightly depressing. But it's TRUE. If you don't go to some of these national parks soon, they might be gone. Glacier National Park certainly won't last long if climate change continues. Alaska won't be the same...and neither will Greenland. If you have the money, go on that trip to Svalbard now before all the polar bears are gone! (Sad day, that day will be) Travel now, before we destroy the natural beauty of our world!

10. You have something to blog about!
It always, ALWAYS ends in this. Because, as I said, travel stories, just by being travel stories, are inherently interesting! So if you run out of things to blog about, just describe a great (or maybe not so great) travel experience. =] Shameless self-promotion of previous blog FTW! Traveling, Traveling Great blog material any day, traveling. =]

So...summarization? TRAVEL!!!!!!!!!!!! You shouldn't need a reason, but here are some great ones.

Until tomorrow! Cheers! DFTBA!

*Especially for when you're older and don't remember going somewhere when you were 2...Your parents have those pictures, so it must be true!
**Even if that exotic place is Texas or the next town....
***Again, even if that culture is Texan or Denver...ian
****I haven't been to the EU, though I'd like to. The UN was great, though!
*****Provided, of course, you have the money. Spending all your money is NOT a good way to escape your problems.

Confessions of a Nerd Girl Part III

Because I know y'all look forward to these so much! Actually, I have a feeling that there isn't too much that my skype ning friends don't know by this point, but I don't care. I'm just going to say it anyway.

1. I'm a neat freak.
Seriously. For example, my bed is currently a little messed up and it's bugging the heck out of me. Only, I'm a little lazy at the moment and also my cat is sleeping on it and I like when she's all cute and happy =] The sad thing is that I usually don't have enough time during the week to keep my room totally clean. I mean, it's not dirty--no trash or food or dirty clothes on the floor. But there are school books and homework papers lying around randomly on my desk and floor and by my backpack....And I almost never find time to properly make my bed until the weekend. Plus, I have no room on my bookshelves anymore, so books are just stacked in seemingly random places...but they're NEAT stacks!

I suppose someone wouldn't necessarily walk into my room and think, "Neat freak!" Because some things appear to be in very random places. But they aren't random to me!!! Everything has its place, and needs to stay in that place lest I freak out. I am very OCD about the organization of my school binders and notebooks and the such especially. I have to hole punch things and put them in the right section of my binder and so on and so forth. I'm not the kind of person who randomly stuffs everything into their backpack. I'd panic. ;)

Whenever I go to camp, I never have a problem keeping my stuff neat and ordered and not strewn about the cabin. Actually, one year my friend and I* started cleaning up everyone ELSE'S stuff and sweeping the cabin...and the other girls got rather annoyed with us. Also, since I work in the barn, I also always have to straighten the riding boots and helmets after every lesson because I can't stand them being unmatched or tipping over or in the wrong spot or something. I just appreciate it when things are neat and ordered and tidy, okay?

My room usually looks like THIS:

NEATNESS FTW!!!!!!!!!!!! =]

2. I love Lord of the Rings.
Okay, so, you may remember that Jordan did a challenge where he watched all of the Lord of the Rings movies in one day. Now, my family does this every year. Every winter break, we choose one weekend day and watch all three EXTENDED editons of the movies. We take breaks for lunch and dinner, but it is mostly a very butt-numbing experience. I love it though, because it's basically the only tradition that my family has. When I was younger, I was particularly into the movies. I thought they were the awesomest** movies ever, and I had a huge crush on Legolas.*** Now, I still appreciate the fact that they are BEAUTIFUL movies. Peter Jackson was a great director, and they are just so well done! If only the Harry Potter movies could live up to the Lord of the Rings movies....

The books are also absolutely**** wonderful. (Although I'm not a huge fan of the hobbit) Parts of it***** are seriously tedious and brain-numbing. But mostly, Tolkien uses wonderful scenery and imagery and characterization. It's a great adventure story, that is breathtakingly well-written. I love so many quotes from it, too!

"Many that live deserve death; and some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Do not be too quick to deal out death in judgement. Even the wisest cannot see all ends." ~Gandalf

"The brave things in the old tales and songs, Mr. Frodo: adventures, as I used to call them. I used to think that they were things the wonderful folk of the stories went out and looked for, because they wanted them, because they were exciting and life was a bit dull, a kind of a sport, as you might say. But that's not the way of it with the tales that really mattered, or the ones that stay in the mind. Folk seem to have been just landed in them, usually — their paths were laid that way, as you put it. I never thought of that before! We've got — you've got some of the light of it in that star-glass that the Lady gave you! Why, to think of it, we're in the same tale still! It's going on. Don't the great tales never end?" ~Sam

3. I LOVE DINOSAURS.
Okay, you're probably thinking, "You're kidding, right? All your other confessions have been so serious!" And yes, that's true. But, no, I'm not kidding. I LOVE DINOSAURS. They are awesome. The most awesome things ever to be on this planet.

I used to call my daycare (when I was 3) Dinosaur School because I didn't know the real name.****** And my sister and I always played with those plastic toy dinosaurs when we were little. Nerdy, but AWESOME nerdy!!!!! =]

DINOSAURS FTW!

Yay!!!! Okay, so hopefully I will think of something to blog about tomorrow! Until then!
Cheers! DFTBA!

*All our stuff was already super neat. Cause that's how we are.
**I know it's not a word. DEAL.
***Judge me if you want. But those eyes! That bow! The slaughter of that oliphaunt! =] *in love*
****I can't even remember why I have this one anymore...Oh well.
*****TOM BOMBADIL!!!!!!!! AH!!!!!!!
******I still don't know the real name to this day. As far as I know, it WAS called dinosaur school.

Welcome to the joys of Colorado!

We have a snow day today. And according to Joe, I should blog about that. But that would be one very short paragraph. So I will blog about that, and also the other aspects of Colorado....some of which are great, and others of which suck. Seriously.

Snow? GAH!!!!!! I mean, okay. I don't actually mind TOO much today, since it gets me out of school. And now I have a 5 day weekend. I just hate the cold, and snow is cold, therefore I dislike snow. It's not like this is anything particularly unusual. We, here in Colorado, usually do get our blizzards in March and April. But I much prefer rain and sun and that sort of stuff. But...it's also thundering DURING a snowstorm, and I am greatly confused. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE! I do not know if this is supposed to happen or what's going on....but, whatever. I have 5 days now to work on vectors homework and prepare for my Personal Project presentation on the 27th.

Kat says: :^) colorado is so weird
Tobias says: how so?
Kat says: because it's thundering during a snowstorm
Kat says: don't you think that's just A LITTLE odd?
Charlee says: lol, maybe its like in the wizard of oz
Charlee says: weird weather patterns and all
Kat says: :D
Charlee says: and then you wake up in Oz...
Kat says: and now the Wicked Witch of the West is going to start chasing me

So, much about Colorado weather is rather sucky. But as an extra perk, Colorado has SUPER beautiful scenery, what with the mountains and the forests and the rivers and the sunsets and the rain and the animals (horses!!!!) There are so many beautiful, amazing places to go hiking or running, and none of them are too far away. =]

This seems like a very short blog compared to what I usually write....But, Well...I have vector homework to do and I have to think about how to present my personal project (IB) and how to turn my research paper for English into a speech and...and, a lot of stuff. Plus I'm being distracted by skype right now.

Okay. Sorry for the distinct uninterestingness* of this blog. I will leave you with one last thing: THIS PICTURE OF THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE THAT I DREW!!!!!!! =] =]

Well, until tomorrow. When I will blog more confessions and we will probably EVEN MORE snow.
Cheers! DFTBA!

*I know that's not a word. But...deal.

EDIT: It's clearing up a bit!!!! New picture:

Being brainwashed by teachers?

Disclaimer: Okay, now before I start this blog, I want it to be known that this is just making fun of how much teachers teach us and how they drill it into our brains. I am not criticizing teachers...just stating how it's kind of funny how we NEVER forget somethings we are taught. On to the blog....

So, I was talking to my friend while we were working on our physics project about how certain things that teachers tell us NEVER get out of our minds....and we seem to apply them to everything. I'm not saying it's a BAD thing that teachers drill things into our minds, but sometimes those things come up when and where they have no logical reason to come up for the average person. But they do, because we can't forget them.

For example, English. GAH, English. After freshman year with all the stuff about archetypes (colors, seasons, etc), I CANNOT read books or watch movies without thinking at least once, "That's an archetype." about something or other. Whether it's the fact that the person is wearing white or that everything takes place in winter. Or the really annoying, "Look! The Hero Cycle!" Or, I'll be reading a book and thinking about all the things that an English teacher would want me to annotate. I don't, because it's not for school, but it's just so annoying! I sit there now and analyze every little thing sometimes. Not ALL the time...but especially when I'm reading classic books that I want to just sit down and enjoy. It's almost like we can't just sit down and simply enjoy a classic book anymore, because our teachers have ingrained into us that EVERYTHING is there for a reason and EVERYTHING means something and we need to analyze EVERYTHING.

And I'm not saying that authors don't put things in their books for a reason. I know they do. =] (Although I'm doubtful about SOME things English teachers claim. Some things, I'm sure the author just thought would be cool, ya know). But I am saying that we shouldn't have to think about all that every time we read a book. Sometimes a book's purpose is just so that people will enjoy it, and if they find any symbols or analysis, good for them. But, usually, an author's main point is not to put a bunch of stuff that English teachers will love into their books.

I'd really like to just be able to sit down and read a book without wondering if the fact that so-and-so is wearing a blue dress to the dance when she wore a white one to the last one. (I don't think this is actually in any book that I've read, it was just a random example.) I love the analysis and deeper thinking and all....but sometimes you read to relax, okay? Back off just a little if you could, English teachers...

Also, we were working on our Physics project on Newton's three laws. So at the time we were supposed to be analyzing what movements of a cat could apply to the laws. But, when we were editing the video, my cat jumped on my lap and I leaned forward. And I say, "That's equal and opposite reaction! She jumps on me, and I move forward!" And then, I immediately thought, Nooooooooooooo!!!!!!!! Brainwash!!!!!!!!! Physics!!!!!!! AH! and hit myself on the head. I do not want to go into physics, so I should not be analyzing how every movement applies to physics. Or, at least I don't want to.

My math teacher also seems to want us to think about math constantly. He told us to walk to school "in vectors" and then have "your friend walk in the resultant vector." And I was thinking, Yeah, NO!

I like school, really I do. There are many criticisms I could make, especially of Rampart High School, but I don't want to do that right now. I just wish that teachers didn't ingrain material so deep into your brain that you think about it constantly. It's annoying, and often quite pointless....

Anyway....Omegle?
You: RAWR
Stranger: I'm made of a million tiny bugs

SPREAD THE WORD! ALIENS ON OMEGLE!!!!!!!!

It's supposed to snow a lot again tomorrow and Saturday. Great..............*sarcasm* *rolls eyes*

Well, until tomorrow, then! Cheers! DFTBA!

Traveling, traveling

Okay, I suppose that today I will blog about funny travel stories, since Abby, Lindsay, and I are trying to find a way to get to England in June. =] I have many funny travel stories, since my family LOVES to travel, so prepare yourself!

First one. When I was about 8 years old, we went to Spain over Spring Break. (Wow, am I bad at starting stories). Anyway, we didn’t know anyone in Spain (unlike in the rest of Europe ), so we were kind of just traveling around in a rental car. And no one really spoke Spanish very well; my mom only had high school and college, definitely not anywhere near fluent. So, we got the rental car, they said something to us in Spanish which we didn’t understand, and…we left. Sometime soon after that, probably, my dad filled up the gas tank with REGULAR standard gas. (Keep in mind this is a normal small family car…like a Honda Accord or something) We were driving, driving (really fast on the Spanish highways with no speed limits…) and then, as we were at a toll booth, the car just STOPPED. It wouldn’t go anywhere. All of us, including the toll booth attendant, were incredibly confused. I guess we got towed somewhere, and it turns out the car took diesel fuel. What?! A car using diesel?! I think the guy at the mechanics place went and drove to get some diesel fuel from a gas station, drove back, and put it in our car. I don’t exactly have a strong memory for this experience as far as details go, but I do remember sitting on the side of the road, riding in the tow truck, and then sitting at a mechanics place….But, really, how were we supposed to know that a small car took diesel fuel?!

In 2003, my dad, sister, and I decided to go on a three week trip in Europe , since we could get cheap/free military flights and stay with all his friends. Several funny stories come from this (awesome) trip. Well, first of all, our plane left Washington DC at about 8:00 pm on the 4th of July, so we watched fireworks from the windows of an airplane. Anyway, we flew to England and stayed at the Air Force Base there (with a really ugly green bathroom). We stupidly went to London on a Sunday, so just about everything was closed. We ended up spending a week in England , because we couldn’t find any flights to mainland Europe.* Uh…but we did find a cheap flight, and went around Germany and Belgium and Luxembourg and The Netherlands. (My dad got lost in Luxembourg , and also got lost in The Netherlands and ended up back in Belgium for a while) Then, there came a point when we wanted to try to find some flights back to the US . So…we basically lived in the airport near the Air Force Base in Germany . We ate WAY too much Subway, and I couldn’t eat it again for about a year….One day when we couldn’t find a flight, we decided to drive into the Alsace area of France . But….what we did not realize was that it was Bastille Day.** So everything in Strasbourg was pretty much closed…although we DID see a church filled with bikes. Finally, we did find a flight back to the US ,*** although it was a flight that was transporting soldiers back from Afghanistan , had engines in the middle of the plane,**** and REALLY uncomfortable seats. It was an epically amazing vacation….but several amusing travel stories come out of it. =]

Also, this one is sort of short. In 2006, I was helping my stepmom move from Berkeley to Chicago, and we were driving through Nevada and Utah and Wyoming, etc. Anyway, her newish car wasn't used to driving up big hills. So we were just outside Salt Lake City when her car just started making really strange (the BAD kind of strange) noises and having problems going up the hill. So we managed to get the car to a gas station/garage, where they told us to let it cool down for a while. We needed something to do, so we walked her dog, and also ordered pizza and a salad to the gas station for lunch....I'm sure the pizza place thought we were crazy when we asked them to deliver to gas station! =D

Last one, I guess, since I don’t have too much time (writing in study hall before my dad picks me up for appointments)! In 2007, we went on a trip around New England , which also brings out several funny stories. The itinerary was planned around the fact that my dad had gotten a ticket to a Barack Obama event in New York City on that Friday. In the morning, we had visited around Woods Hole, MA,***** and then flew through Rhode Island and Connecticut . Except…….we ran into awful, awful traffic around New Haven , and it continued all the way into the city (typical). But, you see, we could not waste time!!!! What ended up happening was that we arrived at my stepmom’s friends’ apartment (and they weren’t home yet), my dad changed and took the subway to the place. He was late, but it didn’t really matter in the end. Anyway, I also remember that we didn’t get to bed until about 2 in the morning that day, so we were up for about 17 hours straight. The other funny story that comes from this trip occurred when we were flying back to Denver out of Manchester , NH . There were big storms in Chicago , apparently, so the flight there was delayed. So we had to RUN across the Midway airport to catch the flight back to Denver …and it turned out they were waiting for another family anyway. *rolls eyes* I was up for over 18 hours straight that day….

Okay….so…in case anyone is wondering where I was today, I had appointments up in Denver right after school, and then we went to dinner, and then we had to drive back. So I wasn’t on the internet until about…oh, 7:30. Sorry!

Do you realize we're halfway into BEDA? *gasps* AMAZING!

Well…until tomorrow, then! Cheers! DFTBA!

*But we did find a bunch to Iceland!
**We did figure this out really quickly since my sister and I both took French
***A FREE FLIGHT!!!!!!!!!!
****So we had to wear earplugs the whole long plane ride....
*****A very, very awesome place =]