Wait for it....

It doesn't happen often. In fact, it has happened once in the past 6 years- and didn't happen before than since I was in highschool- no wait since sophomore year of college- then highschool. What am I talking about? Family vacation. Sit back and learn what it is like to be the only child (27) and go on vacation with your parents (68 and 54).

Destination: Charleston, SC Duration:2.5 days (trust me- that is enough)

If you have ever rode with my deddy, you know that it is standard protocol to check your pants on the assigned bathroom break to see if you did indeed poop in your pants from his driving antics. The OH CRAP handle gets used more than once, as well as the passenger side brakes (your cars don't have these?). My momma refuses to sit up front because of the wild stunts White Cosby pulls. Either he is an adrenaline junkie or is completely oblivious to oncoming traffic. But, I am more than happy to ride shotgun with White Cos. On the way up we listened to my ipod loaded with lots of classic rock and roll and some rhythm and blues. I made my parents guess who sang the songs. I must say my mom only got 1 wrong. Well, technically, she got it right, but was referring to the band that covered the song, not the original. White Cos knows the words to all these songs, but wasn't as quick to the draw as momma. The trip up wasnt bad at all. Only 1 minor argument before we left Milledgeville, so I dont really count that.

We had dinner at the Crab shack somewhere near our hotel. It was nice to just sit and talk to my parents. I dont get to do that very often when we are home- because 1 of 2 things is happening: both arent in the same place at the same time and- if Mowgli is present- I dont exist. So- we had some long serious talks about my present life and future life. No one got mad and we agreed on a lot of things- mark that down in the history books. 

For the record, let me just say I booked a sweet hotel on expedia. Holiday Inn and Suites in North Charleston- you won't be disappointed. We went back and watched a few hours of the movie story and had solemn conversations. Off to bed with my lime green ear plugs my mom brought for me- since BOTH my parent's snores could wake up the dead. 

Saturday- oh how busy I kept them. We took a bus tour around Charleston and it was really good information- but too quick to snatch a lot of pics. I took some that I will have to post later. After the bus tour, we headed to Ft. Sumter by Ferry. This was an exciting trip for my dad and I- as one of our distant relatives was involved in the first firings of the CIVIL WAR. You get that? The first shots. It was really cool to step back into history and know that my family had ties on this pretty small island and inlet. 

The one thing that all three of us have in common is that we all have a love for history. My mom and I have been on many a house tour and my dad has taken me a lot of places involved with our family (cue West Virginia trip over Thanksgiving break in college). Everyone loves to look at things from different eras and learn how life was back then. It was cool to see my dad get excited about reading some of the stuff on the island. We even found a picture of our distant relative on the wall. Pics posted later. 

Lunch at Sticky Fingers- which is quickly becomming a favorite of mine- then off to the next tour. When you are 27- you can go and go and go. When you are the parents to a 27 year old...your get up and go has left the building. So, after begging to go to this place- we made it there as they were closing. BUT- it was most assuredly the highlight of the trip for me. Middleton Place- America's largest landscapped garden. One thing my dad and I share is a LOVE for a pretty yard. I didnt get the green thumb gene (was blessed with the black thumb, because everything dies when I mess with it)- but my dad mustve gotten the green hand gene because our yard is spectacular in the spring. This place- was just garden after garden of amazing use of space. If I had the nerve to do it- Kevin Pope and I would be getting married here. It is a photographer's DREAM.  We just walked the old plantation and took lots of pics and read lots of information about each space. Beautiful doens't begin to describe it. More pics later.

Wait- I am forgetting the LOVELY time we had with the brand spankin new GPS Garmin Nuvi I gave to my dad for Christmas. Lemme just say: White Cosby didnt quite get the jist of following comands from that thing. We made A LOT OF wrong turns and turnarounds.. insert a few arguments here.

We then headed to waffle house for dinner- so exciting right? At this point we were so tired and hot and GROSS I didnt care about eating. One major argument here and it was a bad one, but I did feel bad about it and apologize. Off to bed then off to the beach Sunday morning.

The beach was a nice relaxing time. Everyone just chilled and kept to themselves because I think we were all still asleep at 9am when we got there. Folly Beach is a nice beach. Go early before all the crowd gets there. Lunch at the crab shack again- this time crab legs and it was a really good lunch. No one talked. Not that that makes it good, but the food was way better this time. Tanger outlets for a few hours- then home.

Oh glorious home. The best part of vacation: leaving to go somewhere. The worst part: the ride home. More so the last hour and a half of the trip. Home so close you can taste it, but so far you are going to die if you dont get out of the car. A few major arguments, I apologized again, and some near crash calls because of the need to pass a slow driver to be faced with a transfer truck coming at you!

This is already longer than I intended- so I will wrap it up. I am glad that my family had the opportunity to spend some much needed time together. More pics posted later.

Circle Hike

Welcome back. I have had a few blog posts on my mind since Saturday, but you can clearly see that I am a procrastinator and am just now posting them. Read on into the reality of Rachel.

Saturday was a different day. I had determined earlier in the week I was going hiking. Not to a state park but to some local attractions. Rock Hawk in Putnam county was the chosen site. I had invited someone to go with me, but they bailed on me and decided they would rather sit around than go hiking. Lame. So off Mowgli and I went. Alone.

We climbed up the tower to see this:

Might not look like a hawk to you, but I could see it. It is an unexplained Indian effigy mound

This was my first hike alone. It was a pretty good hike, except for the signs of poisonous snakes every 25 yards. I was a little freaked out, not going to lie. Mowgli panted the whole time. The hike was up hill mostly, but not too bad.

I was following the orange course. I had been doing great (minus having to look over the entire path many many times for snakes) and then came to this weird fork in the path. The orange sign pointed to the right, but clearly the left was the clearer of the paths. The one on the right had a lot of tall grass. AKA perfect snake hanging out place. So, Mowgli and I started to the right and about one minute in I decided I wasnt going to take my chances of getting bitten. I trecked back to the fork. Or what I thought was the fork. I never got back to the fork really. Somehow I made a WRONG step and I was just going no where but in circles. I ventured one way and said, this isnt right, and then went back to the starting place, keep in mind I NEVER made it back to the fork- or the original one I guess. I just kept going in circles. I walked over this path where someone had dropped a bottle of water and I said to myself, crap I have already been this way. Walked back up to some intersection and decided that I was tired of being in snake country and the water bottle path was my only option. So, we walked back the way we came in. Stupid I know, but I was alone, hot and my poor dog was super tired. We had been hiking over an hour at this point.

In my wanderings, I thought of what it was like for the Israelites to wander around in the desert. For 40 years. In circles. I am sure they passed a "water bottle path" many times. I know the feelings of desperation and hopelessness I was feeling, so I can't imagine what life was like for them. The desert- eek had to be so hot and sweaty and dirty. At least I had shade. I was reminded that even in my wanderings, God is still with me. We can go in circles upon circles and yet, he still is there. He never leaves. How crazy to think that God never leaves, it is only us who choose to leave Him.

I finally made it out of that trail, and was so glad I did. I had seen enough snake signs to last me a while. I didn't see a snake, HALLELUJAH, but was creeped out none the less. When we made it out, we were the only people ones  in the entire park. Not a comforting feeling when you are a girl alone with her dog who isnt very intimidating.

I think I will make sure I hike with either one of two things next time: a gun or another person.

Triscuits & chips

If you read the previous post, you know I was very blessed to be able to travel to 2 states, hit up the beach, look over a campus, see some amazing animals, and breathe the same air as greatness, all in the same week. As I sat riding to all of these places, I realized how blessed I was at the moment. Blessed to have a car to get me from point A-B- Z wherever. Blessed to have money to get a new suit to interview. Blessed to have so much "stuff" that I sold it and made $110 for my trips. Blessed to be able to have a job that allows for me to get off early in the summer- and take a short vacay at the beginning of the week. Blessed to be able to have friends who let you come stay with them in order for you to save money. Blessed to be able to buy foods to take into the games to not have to spend so much. Blessed that when things go wrong, you don't over react, you just deal with it and not let it ruin the fun of your day. Blessed to be able to know that I have a job when I get back from these trips. Blessed to know that I am able to do all of the things that I did that didn't get mentioned- all the shopping and dining and plain spending time with people I care about.

At the end of the week, I would be foolish not to thank God for providing me with all of these blessings this week. From protecting me on the drive to Tuscaloosa, and being missed by a car barrel rolling at me on the interstate from a wreck, to giving me peace about going on my HHI trip instead of looking at houses (when I still dont know where I am living), to allowing me to have some precious time with friends that I dont get to see often, to showing me to not get mad when turns were missed or something cost a lot to park, and giving me the opportunity to do so much in one week, that a lot won't ever do in their lifetime. I realize that God was blessing me, I am so grateful that he makes us new and gives us joy, even in the times when we feel like he won't or that everyone else is enjoying life and I am not.

Monday- A wrong turn was made on the interstate and it left me in an unfamiliar area with a person at the window asking for stuff. She showed her recent stay in Dekalb county jail arm band and said she had no ill intentions- and was just looking for some food or clothes for her and her kids because she was homeless. As I sat with my head thinking the worst of this person, and then my heart brought me back to reality. She said she was hungry- so since I pack everything for trips- I reached in the back and passed an unopened box of triscuits and bag of chips through to the window. (the chips were a free blessing from panera a few days before, it pays to pay it forward). She was truly grateful for someone just acknowledging her. As I sit here and recap all the 1000+ miles I ventured out on this week, I am reminded to be Christ to the least of these. God gave me a lot of blessings this week, and I need to share that with others. I hope you will choose to give up your Triscuits and chips just to see a smile on someone, even if they are missing some teeth. They are precious in His sight. Pay it forward, because blessings, unlike karma, have good intentions. Karma: what goes around comes around; blessings- what you do for others will come back to you in ways you can't imagine, and only for good.

The Road.. Travelled

Wow. I can finally take a break. The past week has been one of lots of mini trips. I haven't blogged since my class reunion- so I apologize for that. I have recently caught a lazy bug and don't know how to get rid of it. This bug has affected my workouts (don't get me started at how bad it is now), my diet (lack there of) and my motivation for anything in life (it is nonexistent!). So, here is a small (well, I am sure it will be long after I finish) recap of the past week's events in my life. Sorry, I can't get the pics to line up.

I had the awesome privilege of interviewing at the University of Alabama last Wednesday. I was in Tuscaloosa from Tuesday night until Wednesday afternoon. It is for a Health Educator Assistant Director position dealing specifically with mental health and financial health. The food, people, and the campus were awesome. I had a great trip and thank them a whole lot for their hospitality. As far as the job goes- I am still unsure. Change would be good, but change would be hard. If you want to pray about direction for me, that would be great. Here are a few pictures from around campus. They are as follows: Hotel Capstone, Denny Chimes, restaurant they took me to on the river, campus buildings, awkward sculpture, the Quad, and the National Championship trophy.



 



Thursday was our last softball game. We lost, and it sucked. I am mixed about how I feel about the season being over. I love softball and have a lot of fun, when I play good, but it will be nice and weird to have my Tuesdays and Thursdays back. Not sure what I will do with my time, but losing this lovely amount of fat I have aquired is one of the things.

Friday, I headed up to Hilton Head Island (if you are reading this Josh, sorry I didn't visit, pressed for time and rushed) to visit my girl Alicea. She was one of my roommates from studying abroad and she is an amazing friend to me. We hung out Friday & Saturday and it was fun. Trip advice: Roundabouts in HHI SUCK. Do Eat at Roastfish and Cornbread. Don't waste your $ @ Hudson's. Do take a crab killer- shoes whatever. These little black crabs were all over the beach. And like bright colored towels!

 

1st view of Jeter, 27 is who I got the ball from

This close. WHAT!?

Monday and Tuesday I took a few days vacation to head up to the ATL to see the yankees play. Do you know how big of a deal this is? The Yankees. In Atlanta. It was awesome seeing players I have followed for a longtime WITHIN 10 FEET of me. Highlights of the 2 days of games: Caught a free shirt, Jeter was literally right in front of me, CAUGHT 2 balls thrown intentionally to me, one from David Ross (catcher, Braves) who told me thanks for sitting on the front row :), and one from Rual Ibanez, Yankees Outfielder who had hit a home run Monday night :), having Coach Eddie Perez speak to me and ask me how my day was, being on tv for a serious foul ball, and watching A-rod hit a GRAND SLAM Tuesday night. I had just said- it is either going to be a double play or a grand slam- and it was an awesome slam!! Really cool to witness that. I also went to the Aquarium and the Titanic exhibit- which you should really do if you like history at all. It was really neat/interesting/sad all at the same time to see personal belongings of people and hear the stories of what happened that night.

Andruw Jones back on his stomping grounds