And so it begins.

(Pics wont upload. refer to my facebook page)

Hello Everyone!

I am not going to apologize for the fact that I havent been keeping up on my blog. I do feel bad but cant seem to get into a schedule of uploading therefore I find myself having to do it at night. I will work on it so I am not exhausted and wanting to just go to bed.

My original intention was to write last night on the eve of my classes but I couldnt. I found myself in a frezy after I realized I was already behind in one of my classes. Who knew the prof. would be sending us an email at 5PM explaining how he wanted this this and this done for tomorrow. So the planning and reading and organizing started. I got up this morning, first day of classes, at 630 and was out of the house by 730. Lets just say, long story short, I didnt need to do all that the professor said I should. It was more a test then anything. Good news for me though, now I am ahead of the game!!! Yay :)

First day of classes: 94 degrees. You have got to be kidding me. It is never this hot in SF. People were stripping off layers so fast I thought it was about to become a nudist colony. People in SF dont know what to do with themselves when it is this hot. There is no AC anywhere to be found therefore everyone just roasts. Consequently, I sat in really hot classrooms. Just the way I like my spreadsheet modeling and analysis class.

Besides me loving school, networking like crazy and being a total nerd like all day long, I have been doing a lot of other things as well. Above you can see a few beach trips I have taken over the past few days. It has been so beautiful and warm that I just had to get outside. I drove by myself down the Pacific Coastal Highway on Monday and went to Ocean Beach tonight for the sunset with Ollie (Erins dog). We also went North to Tomales Bay on Sunday for an Oyster Picnic with some of Erins friends. It was beautiful and I saw lots of Redwoods on the way up!! Biggggggg trees. No, I didn't eat Oysters but I did have a few beers and enjoy the sights. We intend to go back soon.

I will say, I have been staying busy. There is very little time to stop and get sad about the fact that I am so far away. The transition has gone so well, better then I ever imagined it would. I guess I made a good decision that was right on target in regards to what I was ready for and seeking out in my life. Remember this is only day 1 and week 1 of 7. I might go really crazy in a week when I need to start studying for Midterms. Crazy huh?

Oh and Katy says Im starting to talk slow and drawn out like a Californian. I guess its hard when everyone around you is doing it. Seriously.

Counting down the days...

So the past few days have been going very slow. I have been trying to do as much as I possibly can to 1- to keep me occupied and 2- to see as much as I can before the mayhem begins.

So today I explored the sunny and beautiful Presidio and Baker Beach/Seacliff. It was the first really sunny day we have had yet and it made me happy therefore I needed to be out and about. Now just because the sun was out doesn't mean it was warm. There was a substantial improvement from previous days but it was still only 68. This is just a taste of the beautiful fall we will have. Bring it on, I am totally ready.

Anyway, as I was walking along Baker Beach toward the Golden Gate Bridge, as you can see above, I realized this end of the beach turned into a nude beach. Yes people were nude, quite a few of them to be exact and again, it was only 68 degrees. Maybe 75 in the sun. Brrr. I love it though. That is San Francisco for you.

I decided to head back, have some lunch and prepare mentally for my decision to take a Bikram yoga class. Katy and Kaitlin have been talking about their classes so much that I thought I would partake as well... just 3000 miles west of them. This location is right by Baker beach so I knew right were it was. I arrived early and mentally tried to prepare myself for a class that I haven't taken in years. That mental prep did nothing for me. I had forgotten how hard it was and how out of shape I currently am. I will be back later this week to continue the struggle. After all, struggle is virtually the only time you can be one with yourself and see what you are capable of right? (As if coming all the way to SF wasn't enough of one).

Sure enough, my moment of serenity ended as I approached my car, profusely sweating, and saw the first ever ticket attached to my lovely windshield wiper. Ah so special of a moment for me and the Mini. I guess being literally an inch from someones driveway constitutes calling the cops and complaining. I dislike you whoever you are but vow to never be so petty for as long as I live. Anyway, I'm over it. Consider it yet another donation to the Police Force. Ill be writing it off on my taxes next year.

I find myself at home this evening, winding down, figuring out what to do with my last day off tomorrow before school starts. I think Ill sleep in, read, make coffee with my NEW percolator (Wooo Hooo) and then see where the day takes me. Mom sent my Uggs and Winter hats/sweaters and they should be arriving as well. Who knew I would need them in AUGUST! Oh well, they are cute and I am used to wearing my fall/winter gear now lol.

Oh, did I mention that the Phils beat the Giants tonight... I will NOT be bringing it up with the roommate. I know what top of convo to avoid :) 

SF continued...

So what have I been up to these past few days you ask? I have spent most of my time getting situated at the apartment; A lot of organizing, cleaning and more cleaning. Oh and I went to another Giants game, out to dinner with some of Erins Friends and attended Outside Lands Music Festival where Further took the stage playing an amazing ensemble of dead tunes in the majestic Golden Gate Park. No better place then SF to see such an amazing band.

I am fully adjusted to the time zone considering I have been able to sleep past 9 for the last 3 or 4 days. It is nice to actually feel settled in. I will admit, I have had some highs and lows since Mom left but that is only too common and easily identified considering I have experienced this quite a few times in my life. Regardless, as soon as I feel a weirdness coming on I nip it in the bud immediately by getting out of the house and exploring. I have really managed to navigate my way around well and this is the only way to learn.

San Francisco is a really awesome place. I knew this from the beginning but never really was able to open up to it as well as I have over the last week. Considering this is not a vacation and I am going to have to make due with my current surroundings for the next two years, I might as well embrace it. I do feel completely comfortable here. The people are hospitable, the style is ridiculous and energy abundant. This makes for a breeding ground of culture, something I thrive in. My neighborhood is primarily of Asian decent. Philippino, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Russian (I know, random right?). Then again that was to be expected as white caucasian is like in the 'other' category when classifying demographic breakdowns. Thats cool though. So many different types of people with different backgrounds makes for a unique home.

Orientation starts this week on Thursday. I am excited but also nervous. I was the exact same way before the orientation in April and that turned out to be an awesome time. I get to meet my cohort who will probably be my new family for the next year. We basically spend every waking moment together, classes, study sessions, partying etc. Ill be sure to report all the details of my orientation prior to the whirlwind of events upon me.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that it has been really cold and foggy here everyday. Luckily it was def. warmer for the festival. That would have been miserable!! Im getting used to the 58 degree weather, no sun and so much fog it mists on you. Welcome to San Fran!

I know I know.... I haven't been avoiding you!

I promise I havent been able to log on. It has just been so crazy the last 3, 4 days! So here are few pics of the stuff to prove I've been busy! To the right you will see... Arrival, Baseball Game, Conservatory of Flowers, Lake Tahoe, Haight Ashbury!

I can name all the other things if you would like. I would have just put all pictures but the fact is they only allow you to post five. Maybe in the next post you'll see more pics, if youre lucky :)

We stopped at the Great Salt Lake and the Salt Flats which were amazing. Luckily we did those things because Nevada was terrible: Much like Kansas. Me and mom plugged away and ran over about 100000 tumbleweeds. They were AWESOME.

Tahoe was beautiful. I will certainly be going back this fall and winter. The Sierra Nevadas are so lovely yet a bit tough to drive in. The Mini did well and got me to my end destination in one piece.

It was such a release to turn the corner in Oakland and see the skyline. I have never had such anticipation in my entire life. The emotions came in rushing as I gazed to my new 'soon to be' home. I was excited and sad and overwhelmed all at the same time.

We have gotten me all settled into my apartment. I have a bed and lots of clothes in a closet and shoes and all kinds of things in a room. Yay- Finally a home away from home! Erin already knows people will be coming to visit and she's fine with it.

OK my computer is about to die. I will work on this blog more over the next few days, updating the details of the last awesome days I have spent traveling all over the place. I want to do them justice by telling fun details of each. Oh and Mom leaves tomorrow :( so solo Mollie time begins. Me and my computer are going to be best friends and you might see a lot of entries lol!

Keep following along as I begin the journey on my own...

The last and most amazing Arch

You really cant begin to understand the shear magnitude of mother nature until you have stood below a rock wall towering thousands of feet high. Oh yeah, some parts of these towering fortresses have been around for 100 MILLION YEARS.

As you can imagine my brain was working in overdrive all day yesterday trying to wrap my brain around this concept. 100 Million years. Scientists say that some of the formations began over 300 Million Years ago... Like really people?

Its beautiful. Everywhere you look is another picturesque sight calling for the camera to capture it. Sure enough I came up short so many times after looking thru the view finder. It was almost a waste of time trying to encompass all that these structures portray. All 150 pictures I took are beautiful but I have to warn you that they do not do Arches at all justice. Like the first time I saw the rockies a few days ago, I stared in wonder at the world much greater then me.

Thank you mother nature. You always have a way to put everything in perspective. You think your problems are big or stresses to overwhelming... come here. Its sort of a 'all natural' retreat and Mother Nature is my Guru.

So mom and I had a great drive yesterday. Left at 6a from Vail (sad), arrived at Arches around 10a and then hiked for an astounding 5 hours. We didn't really anticipate this but there was no way we were leaving without seeing almost everything and taking a few hikes. The Delicate Arch Hike was 3 miles but totally worth the 2.5 hours we spent there. There was no alternative. If you go to Arches, you have to go here. It is a test of your endurance, stamina and determination. I promise, your drive will pay off as you turn the corner, on the top of this 600 (ish) foot structure and there it stands. Chillin. I wont go on as you can hardly put into words seeing miraculous structures like this one. Even though it is a huge and unmoving mass, due to its location, time in history and structure form, this arch is truly Delicate. Oh and on the way down, we experienced some of the strongest winds we have ever felt. We now know exactly how these structures have eroded. We were hoping while walking down the path we may erode a little around the edges ourselves. I certainly wouldn't have missed those extra inches :)

I could go on and on but I wont for your own sake. After leaving, we headed north to Salt Lake. We took the scenic route 6 up for 3.5 hours and arrived in Orem accordingly. We wanted to crash. This is why I didn't write last night. I found a PF changs which made me happy and watched the Sunset on Lake Utah. Its beautiful here and there aren't many places in the world like Utah.

We are about to continue on to Sundance in a few so I must break away. I will continue with this later as well as the newest addition from Tahoe :) Ta Ta

(My title refers to the St. Louis Arch, the million golden arches we passed and the Delicate Arch.)

I could get used to this!

Finally, a full day of adventure with NO driving necessary!! Vail really does have a lot to offer those visiting during the summer months. We took advantage of all we could in the time we had and I have found myself with slight writers-block because of it. I suppose I am overly relaxed to the point where my brain has ceased to function. I apologize if the following paragraphs are boring, rambling or nonsensical.

Taking it back a minute, I have to mention that mom continued to think that she was hearing things last night... consequently we both went to sleep paranoid. Luckily, It didn't phase me and I still slept like a rock (as always). I even had a dream I was in a bongo band with Shana- Awesome little jam session while I slept. I woke up happy.

Basically, we started the morning getting our usual coffee fix. After juicing up, we explored the Vail Cascade Resort a bit to determine what it was we wanted to get into. Exercise was a good motivator so we decided to take a mile walk into town along Gore Creek that runs at the base of the mountain. Even though it was chilly in the morning, 55 degrees, it was quite hot on the walk. Luckily we both wore layers because they were stripped off a tenth of the way in. I swear it was 85 (those of you on east coast are drooling, I know). Actually the sun is more intense at 10,000 ft. and it makes it feel a heck of a lot warmer then it actually is. So its 60 and it feels like 90; This explains the excessive sweating.

Continuing on, we shopped around, perusing the ski/boarding shops and getting excited for a winter of awesome trips to Tahoe and Jackson Hole. The thought of winter made me cool off for a short minute then I realized it was hot again.

We ate at a restaurant of my choice, go figure- The Blue Moose (mahhh- hungry moosey) and then took the infamous Gondola up to the top of the Mountain. Vail had the first functioning Gondolas in the US, this is why they are infamous. We rode with people from Connecticut and Texas. They were nice. We hiked around the top at 11,000 or so. Its like nothing anymore, hiking where the planes are flying- No biggy. By the way, we did see a plane flying and it was really close. I love planes.

The rain looked like it was approaching so we rode the gondola down and found a nice little Gelato/Coffee shop to cozy up in. Actually, it never even rained, we just wanted a reason to get ice cream and coffee lol.

We headed back and decided now was the time to get a tan. It was 5p, the sun was still really high in the sky and it was hot as a mo fo. Nothing a little cool plunge pool cant cure. I love the intense sun. Its hot, but its not, but it is, all at the same time. We finally retired to the house, got some food and have started to prepare for our trip tomorrow. Back on the road we go.

I hate to leave as I could see myself spending more time here touring around and maybe even enjoying a spa treatment. But before I spend whatever is left of my savings I better hit the road. Big day tomorrow, cant wait to report about all the awesome sights and experiences. Until then all I can hope for is another awesome dream of bongos.

Thank you Mr. Charlie Vail

What a great day! Finally, a much deserved easy drive from Limon to Vail. We set off at 8a this morning with coffee in hand, anticipating the moment when the majestic Rockies would appear on the horizon. About 50 Miles from Denver, there they were. Mom was having nostalgia while I just stared in awe... "if they are this big now.... geepers."

We went straight threw Denver hardly realizing it existed (much like Topeka), then up up up the Mini went. Boy did my car not enjoy this. At 6RPMs I realized I had packed to many shoes. There was no turning back now though and only a dozen more 6% inclines to go not to mention the Route 6 pass we planned on climbing. Crap. (Even if I had thought about it, the shoes were worth it). I got smart and dropped it into a lower gear, problem solved. Oh and we stopped at the first Starbucks we have seen since West Virginia, situated in the quaint little town of Idaho Springs. Thank you Meliss and Jon for funding our caffeine addictions.

Loveland Pass. Woah Mama. Such a worthwhile detour. At 11,900 ft, it's definitely the highest point I've ever been too and I could feel it in my chest as I exited the car. "Feeling faint? Lets go for a hike." We headed up the hill and one hour and 1,000 feet later we were at the second highest summit. After taking it all in, we then realized we both had to pee (thank you Starbucks) so we did so on hopefully what is a very ancient and sacred rock formation. I am sorry Continental Divide Gods but right before that those same Gods hailed on us, yes hailed- So take that.

After frolicking down the mountain, we popped in the car and zipped around the winding road passing what would be a hustling ski world if we were under 6 feet of snow. I had to use my imagination. Before we knew it Vail was among us. We checked into Kevin's amazing condo and regrouped. Since we hadn't eaten and worked up quite an appetite we headed to Vail Village for a little stroll. We couldn't get over the amazing flower arrangements and dutch style architecture . The village was adorable and even better when we avoided the clouds that were quite ominous. Not until we got back did the clouds open up. It was perfect, just as this day has been.

As you can imagine I have a million, trillion photos from today. Ill be making an album later for Facebook. You'll just have to hold tight until those are up. I hope no one loses any sleep. Oh and Charlie Vail, as referenced in my title, was the engineer of Route 6 and Vail was named after him because he was such a rockstar. Just wait, in 20 years Mollie, CO will exist (Parker is taken).

Toto, I dont think we are in Kansas anymore...

So... today... Yeah... I will never go back to Kansas as long as I live. Not even as a mother taking her daughter (I guess mom forgot how bad it was after 35 years). I am vowing that to you right now. Sure the first few miles were sunny, flat and big sky. I was thinking "ok, I can get used to this," then 7 hours went by and I wanted to throw myself into a miserable Kansas ditch and end it all. Thankfully, that didn't happen.

There was nothing more enjoyable then seeing the Colorado sign go by... so fast in fact, that I couldn't take a photo- I don't care, I needed out. So that's how I feel about Kansas. You can imagine how my 10 random blurbs are going to sound tonight lol.

1. Mom left her coffee on the top of her car, classic lol 2. The Gateway Arch is ginormous 3. Kansas has never considered nor heard of such a abstract concept of vegetarianism 4. Steak and Shake... really Kansas... real appetizing 4. Topeka doesn't exist its so small 5. Mom can work the iPhone now after a 6 hour tutorial 6. Prairie thunderstorms really are bad ass 7. McDonalds is worshipped in Kansas (too many arches in one day) 8. Can you imagine crossing Kansas in a covered wagon- ew barf 9. We saw two cowboys, real cowboys too, like wild west style 10. We arrived in Colorado and thats all that matters. 11. We passed OZ and Dorothy's house: Theres no place like home... lol yeah right.

The stats- 750 miles and 12 hours in the car; a bit shorter then yesterday, A plus. We spent an hour in St. Louis this morning which was very worth while then continued on into the west. Me and mom kept each other entertained with a little air band, eat pray love and complaining about Kansas. But hey, whatever gets you through.

The fun starts tomorrow. We are only 1 hour outside of Denver which means we are really close to a total geographical change. I cant wait to explore the Rockies and relax in Vail. The next few leisurely days will be much needed and deserved. Only about 1500 more miles till SF but the worst of it is far behind us.

Gateway to the west....

We haven't arrive at the gateway just quite yet. About 15 miles shy, which is perfectly fine with me. After approximately 14 hrs on 850 miles of road, we are what we would consider a bit pooped. I will say though, the time flew thanks to XM Radio, Books on tape and oh yeah, my mom.

I wont bore you with the minute details of the overly exciting states we covered, instead I will discuss 10 things I discovered randomly:

1. My mother cannot use an iPhone (especially not the camera) 2. Monster Drinks come in 32 ounce cans (I know this thanks to the 15 year old boy in line at Sheetz- Gross) 3. Men do not wear shirts in WV. 4. Artichokes do NOT grow in Kentucky 5. It is impossible to find the different regional classifications of the US on the internet. 6. Indiana lives in a black hole abyss when it comes to day light savings... who knows what time it is and who cares. 7. I am not going to have Friday classes for the next 6 months (totally rad) 8. The mini can climb to massive height of 2500 ft in WV (lets hope it goes higher then that- say 12000) 9. Even after 2 cups of coffee my mother will go right back to sleep 10. In Illinois, as the sun goes down the temperature goes up (102), go figure..... and the list goes on.

Thank you all for txting and calling today. It has been a great trip so far; One that I dont want to have to do again for a really, really long time. Ill update you all tomorrow with more useless information I feel so passionately about between Missouri and Colorado!

... just cant wait to get on the road again

Well, First leg of the trip down and I've landed in Crofton, MD. I know its a pretty weak start but the truth is that extra hour is really going to help when we are packing a very heavy 14 hours in the next day. I just want to be able to make it to St. Louis, or at least something that resembles it.

We are very excited, leaving at 6AM this morning. Still haven't 100% decided the route; to go Kentucky or not to go Kentucky is the question. Ill let you know when we cross that bridge... literally. I personally think we will go with the lesser or the 2 evils, no offense to anyone who is from Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana or West Virginia.

Oh and 1 cup of coffee down... only a dozen more to go before the day is thru. Stay Tuned. San Fran here I come (in 7 days).