Alaska Bound:

PART 2:

Day Two:



We left Tennessee on a gray morning and headed onto Kentucky and then Illinois. The terrain became flatter and you could see for miles with the sights only occasionally being interrupted by a farmhouse or building. Kentucky and Illinois held their individual forms of beauty. As we continued our trek Northwest, however, a trend became apparent…flooding. There were rivers and small lakes where they obviously did not belong. This was made apparent by trees or structures that jutted out appearing to be islands on this recent water-ways. Many of the rivers we swollen past their banks and miles of fields and farmlands were under water.  I truly hope they dried out quickly as it appeared that farming was taking a hit this year and it was a sad sight to behold.

Flooded Banks

We saw the great St. Louis Arch miles before we actually crossed into Missouri. We detoured off the interstate to play tourist and parked right off a cobble street near the waterfront. It was misting rain and cold, but passing this land-mark was not an option. Here again, the waters where swollen past their banks and the skies where a very distinct shade of gray. We wondered around the Arch, trying to get good shots and learned very quickly that photography here was tricky due to the enormous size of the Arch itself. After walking through the plush grass that carpets the arch and exploring the immediate vicinity, we decided to load back up in the car and head further down the road to eliminate some of the miles necessary to make it on to more fun destinations.  

Swollen Banks by the St. Louis Arch

Under the Arch

The St. Louis Arch

After leaving St. Louis, the roads again became pretty rural. The vast remainder of Missouri was miles of farmland punctuated by hilly flatness, where every structure and tree stood proud and obvious in placement with little to no protection from the elements. We made it to somewhere around St. Joseph, Missouri, that second day and found a hotel room to rest our weary head. Much to our surprise, and my delight, we were also given a complementary wine-cooler at check in which helped me relax after hours in the car with two children, a dog, & a sleep-deprived husband. Too tired to go for dinner, we snacked off my “road fuel” snacks and found our way to dream land very quickly.

Our Nomadic Migration Northwest: Alaska Bound

PART 1:

Goodbye NYC...

The Grand Exit from NYC:

New York was one of the most difficult places we have ever left. Not, because we were sad to go (although parts of us were), but because NY apparently did not want to let us leave! My husband spent a large chunk of money and three weeks of his time, prior to our departure, doing preventative maintenance on the vehicle that would be used for our cross-country trip…only to have it overheat & shut down HOURS before we were due to leave NYC! Imagine the frustration. However, we had several members of our wonderful family ready to make the 20-24hr round trip to get us and one very good friend NY-side who helped us through the sticky part of that jam. Thankfully, I also, married a man with a good base-knowledge of mechanics and he was able to slap a “band-aid” on it and get us through the first leg of our journey…home-base in NC. We spent a wonderful week and a half with our families in NC before heading out on our Big Adventure.

Day One:

Saying goodbye to our families (and friends) was especially hard this time due to the sheer number of miles and space we were putting between ourselves and our families. But, alas…duty calls and this is our life. As difficult as the goodbyes were, we were all extremely excited for the “Big Adventure” in which we were about to embark.  We left NC on a beautiful warm day with big puffy white clouds framed by a gorgeous blue sky. Our first leg of the journey took us through the breath-taking Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee.

French Broad River that runs thru NC & TN

Driving through the Blue Ridge Mountains is an adventure in itself. Hairpin turns with sheer drop-offs, large sections along the craggy mountain-side littered with warning signs about falling rocks, and tunnels that take you right through portions of the mountains, are all common place as you journey through those majestic mountains.  We stopped for the night on the far side of Nashville, Tennessee late in the day and decided we really weren’t up for sight-seeing. So, we found a little park to get some exercise in and stumbled upon a Historic 1779 Frontier Fort called Manskers Station, The Bowen Plantation House dated 1787, and a part of the Civil War Trail.

Historic Manskers Station

Towards the end of our exploration/walk, the wind whipped up and the clouds rolled in signaling that a very-nasty storm was imminent. We headed back to our hotel with some take-out and watched its fury unfold. That first night in the hotel was, at the same time, exciting and scary. That looming storm thundered through with tornado-like fury producing a power-outage, hail, and damaging winds making sleep nearly impossible. The storm finally petered out in the wee hours of the morning allowing our vigilant protectors, the man & his dog, to finally get snippets of rest. The next morning, the true-fury of the storm was apparent in the littering of trees, branches, pool furniture, & other debris littered about in the pool, parking lot and road-ways. Thankfully, we emerged unscathed, albeit a little tired, from the night’s adventure. We loaded up the car & headed on to St. Louis...

Hurry Up & Wait: Transfer Time

That time is here again…time to pick up, pack up, cut ties, & move on to the next adventure.  After so many years of moving and living the nomadic life of a military family, there comes a point where it almost becomes an “itch”. A sort-of internal clock that goes off and says, “Ok, that’s it…pack it up, our time here is done”. It almost brings a level of anxiety with it. Our alarm went off prematurely here in NY and at 2 years we were ready to go, but it wasn’t our time. Now, after 4 years we are more than anxious to go and there is a heightened excitement after waiting that extra two years.

We selected where we might like to go, before a deadline, in the fall of last year. Then, the fun part comes…WAIT, and WAIT, and WAIT some more. The holidays help keep the mind off of the waiting, but once they are over and all of the decorations are packed away…the waiting become more difficult. Each day through the most barren days of winter are punctuated by that wait.

You wait until one day…finally, your orders come in. Our orders this year say…Alaska. Enter: punch to the solar-plexus. After catching your breath on that one, it’s time to inform family & friends.  Social media, like Facebook, have made this SO much easier. Kind-of a one-stop shopping for announcements of that nature. And then the reactions start rolling in…

Much to our amusement, the most common reaction is concern. This encompasses everyone from perfect strangers to close friends. Yes, we knew what we were doing when we put Alaska on our list and we are excited for the adventure. Honestly, is there a bigger adventure than leaving the Concrete Jungle and moving to the Last Frontier? The move in itself will be an adventure and we are already planning some awesome stops along the way. The worst part about moving to Alaska is the missing family element. We will no longer be within a day’s drive of home. But, just imagine what we will be able to teach our children (& learn ourselves) along the way. It is a simpler life…and THAT I am looking forward to the most.

Our move is now in the beginning processes… declutter, organize, & downsize. Another wonderful thing about being military…the need to “spring-clean” isn’t so pressing since you do a massive one every two to four years…lol. Now if we could just get this blasted snow to melt so we could get busy! The itch is getting to me…naptime is a-wastin’! Off to make a little dent…

I love our life…

Exploring the Concrete Jungle

Ah…NYC. There really is no other place like it in the world. In fact, shortly after moving to NY we decided that it should be a country in itself. The first year and a half we were in NY, I refused to go “into the city” and we wallowed in our misery, missing DC. Finally, after spouting my hatred for NY to everyone who would listen, one of my friends grabbed the kids & I up & convinced me to do a “City Day” with her & her daughter (who was my daughter’s bff…yes, even at 3). So, we headed out and low & behold…I did enjoy myself. We arrived home dirty, exhausted, & a little giddy at all of the experiences we had managed to fit into one day. Toys R Us Time Square, Dylan’s Candy Bar, and so much more. The highlight of the day, by popular vote, was Dylan’s Candy Bar in Manhattan with its bathtub full of gumballs.

NYC gem: Dylan's Candy Bar

After that first outing, the kids and I were hooked. Since I was still having trouble convincing my husband that the city was a fun adventure, we started having “City Days” with our “City Buddies” every time our schedules meshed and the hubby’s were away working. My children and I first stood on ice-skates & attempted to learn in the famous rink at Rockefeller Center. We took a horse-carriage ride around 5^th Ave when the NYC Marathon pushed them out of Central Park. We explored Time Square, street carnivals, Grand Central, and even ventured into Brooklyn for yummy cupcakes at “The Little Cupcake Bakeshop” & ice-skating at the huge indoor Aviator Sports complex.  Every time coming home exhausted, filthy, & exhilarated.

Ice Skating in Rockefeller Center

Feeding the carriage horse after a ride around 5th Ave

While our many adventures with our “City Buddies” were always fun, there was always an element missing…daddy. So, we started working on him. Slowly, we convinced him to start making small trips for one particular thing…like a BonJovi concert put on for military out by the Today show. Then, once we had him in the city, we started showing him the treasures we had discovered along the way. We explored the Intrepid, attended the Rockettes Christmas Spetacular…twice, saw “White Christmas” on Broadway, got front-row bleacher seats to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, and pigged out at places like Bubba Gumps & Juniors. He started to warm up to the city and we also enjoyed dates in the city going to Madame Tussand’s, eating at in a ridiculously expensive Irish Pub near Time Square,  running our first 5k (The Tunnel to Towers 5K, memorializing 9/11), and dressing up and attending dinners  with friends put on by the USO & CG Foundation. While these trips were fun, I also know that they were not easy for my space-loving hubby and that made is participation that much more meaningful and being able to share those moments…priceless.

Front row seats to the greatest parade on Earth...The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Since becoming a “City Girl”, I’ve taken friends & family to explore some of those treasures and even discovered a few more. The kids & I have walked the Brooklyn Bridge 3x, gone to the Top of the Rock (not my fav experience, but my dare-devil kids loved it, lol), explored the West Village, and Lexi even got to experience going to the top of the Empire State Building (I stayed grounded for that one). The kids have fallen in love with Central Park…primarily for the many boulders that the can climb and get filthy on and continually ask for outings there. Seriously, all there is to see & do in NYC and they’d be just fine climbing boulders…lol.

Central Park...rocks!

We have around 3 months or so left in NYC and I plan on squeezing in every bit of adventure I can manage. If nothing else, NY has taught me Carpe Diem (seize the day), choose your attitude, & embark on every adventure available in your given area. NY is not DC, but it has its own offerings. I take this attitude forward and pass it on to my kids…

Background

Disclaimer:
Hi! Welcome to my blog. This is a work in progress...I'm sure that I will make mistakes & have to edit, so please bear with me...

I love our life. We get to live where other people dream about visiting (or not...in some cases...lol). Our journey started in NC. That is where I met the love of my life and future best friend. It is, and will always be, home-base.

And the Journey Begins:
Our first move...12 hours away to Michigan. This is where our little family expanded to include our 1st child. For that reason alone, MI will always hold a little piece of my heart. While we were in MI, we explored Detroit, finding an awesome Ford Museum & zoo, and very little else. We also crossed the border into Canada a couple of times and explored Niagra Falls.Very Cool...

From there, we went shortly down the road to Toledo, Ohio. This was proably our least favorite place to live. It does have a cute zoo & it is where I completed my Associates Degree...so, again I leave a tiny piece of myself behind. This is also where we lived when 9/11 happened...I watched the 2nd tower get hit from my bedroom TV in that little apartment while my infant son slept. Words cannot describe & I know I will never forget...




Toledo, Ohio from high in the sky

 We left Ohio with fire at our tail and headed back over to the eastern seaboard and to Virginia. Not only was this much closer to home, it was where we bought our first house. Deposit: another little piece of my heart. In Virginia, we loved Nauticus, playing on the beach, & even got to experience a Hurrincane. (Isabel) I say "got to", because we are slightly weird and LOVE severe weather. Lol

Waves crashing on the shore of Virgina Beach

We moved up the road a little after that to Washington, DC. To date, it has been the most favorite place that we have lived. Our daughter was also born there...right in the hospital that the President of the United States gets most of his care...how cool is that?! Another deposit made here. <3 We got hooked on Starbucks here and enjoyed countless weekends exploring the Mall and the Smithonians. You really can't beat all the wonderful things to see in DC for FREE! DC vibrates with power and culture and we will probably continue to visit as long as we are able.

Father/Son moment in Arlington Cemetary @ the Iwo Jima Memorial

The end of our tour in DC had us heading to NYC. NYC has been our longest tour and is wrapping up this summer. Like the physical streets, NY has been a series of bumpy roads with some amazing sites & experiences along the way. There have been so many adventure in The Concrete Jungle, that I'll devote an entire blog just for it...really, there is just no place like NY. This brings us to the present time.

Brooklyn Bridge as seen from the water

Through all of the moves and travels, one thing has become apparent. We are Gypisies, Nomads, Travelers...we are a Military Family. We "bloom where we are planted". Sit back and enjoy the ride with us...