Weekend in Cali!

So this weekend we ventured out a bit to explore the cool stuff around us!

Saturday we watched the OSU game at the OSU bar in Palo Alto...not very exciting especially since the score of the game was 73-20. The bar wasn't really what I expected but still fun nonetheless. We need to check out the San Fran OSU bar for a bigger game!

Today Erin and I got together with the other traveling girls and headed to Santa Cruz to the beach boardwalk to have some fun in the sun!



It was the PERFECT day for our outing! ANDDDD I got to put my feet in this....for the first time!



THE PACIFIC OCEAN!!! WOOOO!!! Toes in the water and toes in the sand baby!

We wandered up and down the boardwalk and scoped out the amusement park...




Took some scenic portraits...




Found some Sea Lions...





And hung out on the beach in the sun!



All in all it was a great first weekend in Cali...

Tomorrow starts our first days on the unit and I have to say I'm kind of freaking out inside but at least I have someone here with me to complain to and get through this with!

Wish me luck peeps!!

The Finest Fro Yo in the World!!

Let me introduce you to Tutti Frutti...the worlds greatest frozen yogurt! Like seriously amazing!

Erin and I stumbled upon the grand opening of this place on the Sunday after we got here. It's on adorable little historic Murphy St.

It's self serve so you get your bowl....choose from about 8 different fro yo flavors and then make your way down the ridiculous toppings bar with anything from red velvet cake pieces, nuts, berries, cereal, candy, sauces, etc, etc, etc...

Heaven in a bowl I tell you!!

Come visit and we will get some!

California Here We Are!!

Well kids we officially finished our 4 day cross country road trip and have settled in to our awesome townhouse in Sunnyvale, CA!

What an adventure this was!

I started the journey crying before I even left the driveway...just thinking about all that lay ahead and all that was being left behind...holy emotions batman!

But alas we were on our way and before we knew it were leaving Ohio!



I didn't get a pic of Indiana's sign but by the middle of day one we made it to Illinois!



This is where we hit a bump in the road...I was driving down highway 74 talkin to my good friend Riz when all of the sudden I heard this crazy noise and looked in my rearview mirror to see this black circle thing roll across the highway. It couldn't be a piece to my car now could it?!?! Although my a/c was starting to feel a little warm....I called Erin to see what she thought and she wondered if it was a piece of my car too. Rut Roh...now I gotta call my dad...and get lectured about how I should have pulled over and found the piece...blah blah blah...long story short I just happened to find a Midas in the middle of nowhere Illinois and met Chris who tole me that I lost my clutch face...he could fix it but not till tomorrow...We decided to forge on to Iowa...



We found a Midas there and met Matt who got my car in first thing in the morning and thankfully had me fixed up and on my way by 1pm! Thanks Matt!

After spending the night in Iowa City we were on the road again heading into the awfulness that we call Nebraska...The Welcome to Nebraska sign was in the middle of construction so all I could get was Welcome to Omaha...



I have to say that I really dislike Nebraska...Don't get me wrong...all the people (even the Huskers fan mechanic that checked out Hank Jr and told us to go buy some University of Nebraska merchandise at Walmart) were lovely...I mean just over the top nice...but the state...terrible! The most awful 8 hours of my life that I will never get back! Thank goodness we made it through and Hank Jr didn't break down on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere America!

This is what got me through most of Nebraska...and the whole road trip in general...note the tissues, snacks, cooler with diet coke and water, walkie talkie to talk to Erin, cell phone, and overnight bag...




Oh and I forgot...Grand Island Nebraska did have an awesome pizza place that I can't forget about!

After a not so awesome stay in Sidney Nebraska (just yucky hotel...nothing major) we were off to Wyoming!



Wyoming is just beautiful! The mountains are hell to drive through with my car but looking out the windows is just fantastic!





After Wyoming we were on to the great state of Utah...



Utah was breath taking! Amazing!







We tried to stop in Salt Lake City so I could see the Mormon temple. Kate even gave me detailed instructions on how to get off the highway and park...let me just tell you that the sun setting behind the mountains makes it really hard to read the highway signs! And then there was tons of construction around the temple and lots of traffic so needless to say we got a bit frustrated and ended up back on the highway westward! It was also weird when some little kid picked up our radio signal and came across my walkie talkie! Freaky!!

Anyhow we stayed the night in a city about 2 hours west of Salt Lake and came the "back way" into Nevada so I didn't get a cool welcome to Nevada sign...it wasn't too exciting of a state...lots of hot dry desert and a some ok mountains...




There was a place called Pumpernickel Valley and if it wasn't in the middle of nowhere I prolly would have wanted to stop! lol



No more stops after this! It was onward and upward from the end of Utah on! Tpp bad Cali had some construction too...it was hard to get the sign...this was the best I could do...



Cali had some awesome scenery too!





After what feels like literally flying through the California mountains we hit some traffic and finally made it too our little abode! A lovely 2 bedroom 2.5 bathroom townhouse! So far so amazing!!

I have very good feelings about this decision so far and I can't wait to see what the next 3 months has in store for me!

I will say that this past weekend we went to Stanford to walk around and found the best fro yo place in all the land...blogs to come about those things tomorrow!

Peace out kids!

QUICK Update...like super quick!

Welp let me just start off by saying I am safe and sound in Iowa City, IA. A little piece of my car however is back on the side of highway 74 in Illinois.

Hank Jr is in having some minor surgery as I type this...it will set us back like 4 hours or so....hopefully we can make up some of it when we are driving down the long boring stretch of highway in Nebraska.

The piece that fell off only seems to be vital to my air conditioner and lucky for me it is covered under warranty by Midas where I had it fixed. My luck if I would have just kept driving the whole underside of my car would have been on the side of the highway!

We also turned on the teevee this morning to find that we have tornado warnings all through Iowa, Nebraska, and Wyoming! LORDY!

Well so far it could be worse, could be better....we will see what today holds for us!

All you people out there that pray need to keep us in your prayers PLEASE!!!

Happy Happy Birthday!!

Happy 19th Birthday to my FABULOUS little sister Hannah!

She is spending the weekend with her church friends up at Beulah Beach so I know she is going to have an amazing birthday weekend!

She is such an stellar person and I want her to have the bestest birthday ever!

Can't wait to see ya again Hannah!

Love youuuu!

Update!!

Well kids here we go...t-minus 4 days till the road trip of the century!!

This past weekend I went home to hang with the fam for a couple days before the big departure. It was a nice relaxing couple days complete with...

People watching with my ma at the Stark County Fair

Watching Charli the cat and Lily the cat annoy the crap out of each other

Lunch with Gma

Happy hour with Ma and two of my cousins

Lots of sister time

Hanging out with Tim and the cutest thing ever...baby Ella!

And of course I can't forget a ride on my dad's Harley! Scariest thing everrrr!!

Annnnd now I'm back in Columbus for a jam packed 4 days of OSU football watching, errand running, dinner with friends, packing, test taking, fax sending, contract signing, snack buying, worrying, party having, and bar hopping. It will be fabulous and sad and awesome and terrible allllll at the same time!

Sometimes I think I act like I'm leaving forever when in reality I will see most of these peeps again at Christmas. I gotta stop freaking outttt!!

This is gonna be the experience of a life time and I need to take advantage of it man!

That's all for now...

Peace out kids

Cali Baby!!

Well kids I didn't want to post much about my travel nursing stuff until it was more official...and it now IS!!

I'M MOVING TO CALIFORNIA!!!

Palo Alto CA to be exact...here's where it's located...



It's about 45 minutes from San Fran, 2 hours from Napa and right near San Francisco Bay! It seems like a lovely place and I have only heard good things about it!

Stanford University is located here and I will be working at Lucille Packard Children's Hospital which is associated with Stanford University Hospital systems. Look how pretty!



I'm excited, scared, sad, and happy allllll at the same time! Erin and I will be packing up our measly belongings that aren't in storage and making our cross country trek starting Sept 14th! We are making it into a 5 day trip and hoping to stop at some awesome places along the way.

Our job will be in the PICU and will start Sept 20th. This will make us finish our contract the week before Christmas so we can hopefully road trip it back to Ohio in time for Christmas with the fam!

We have a jam packed week and a half left in Columbus filled with 2 days of work, Canton time to see the family, going away party, hanging out with friends, packing, planning and gearing up for our new 3 month life!

I'll be sure to update as often as I can about my travels!

Peace out kids!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY POP!

This is a pic of my dad with my youngest sister Hannah at Holly's wedding. I couldn't find another one of my dad and I and he looks super handsome in this pic anyhow!

Today, Sept 2nd my dad turns 57! I can't believe he is that old because he doesn't even look 50 to me!

I'll be going home on Monday and will get to hang out with him a bit...he works today but I hope he has a fantastic birthday!

HE DESERVES IT!

Love you dad and can't wait to see ya!