2012 Best of the Road Rally

it’s results day!

That’s right! In just a matter of hours, Mom and I hear whether or not we were chosen for Rand McNally and USA TODAY’s Best of the Road Rally 2012!!!

A few special shout outs and thank you’s:

1.) Thank you to Sean, an old high school friend who’s been an awesomely supportive follower of Blue Lollipop Road. Sean sent me the link for the Best of the Road Rally a month ago, to which I jumped all over to sign up for the first second I could. Thanks Sean! Without you Mom and I might not even be in the running!

2.) Thank you Mom. We both know we have given this portion of the rally fun our all, so no matter the results, we are already winners because went for it!  Thank you for jumping right in and being as excited as me to be the other half of Team blue Lollipop Road! Thanks for being that parent that is unconditionally loving and supportive of the dreams we all have.

3.) Thank you Rand McNally and USA TODAY! What you are promoting with best of the Road, is what Mom and I, and Blue Lollipop Road are all about; The incredible amount of delicious, fun, beautiful, history, people and lessons in every nook and cranny of America. We are so happy there are organizations encouraging curiosity, exploration, and travel- to uncover the amazing people, places and things that are on the “back roads” all around us.

What a fun few weeks. We can only imagine how much of a blast the actual rally itself would be!

We are so thankful for all our family, friends, coworkers and neighbors for voting, spreading the news, and “rallying” for us. We have definitely felt the love and it’s been humbling.

Here’s to anticipation and running fast and furious to your passions. Life is short, so Team Blue Lollipop Road says GO FOR IT!

guest blogger mom again

Another note and a thank you from Mamma Peacock- my Team Blue Lollipop Road Partner in crime:

It certainly has been a fun journey so far to be a team vying for a finalist spot on Rand McNally/USA Today’s Best of the Road Rally 2012. This past few weeks has sparked engaging and exciting discussions with friends, neighbors, and coworkers. Each person I have talked with about the possible upcoming trip, has exclaimed “I’d love to do that!” It’s as if all curiosity and adventurous spirit comes alive inside again when people let themselves imagine trekking across America. I’ve had many conversations with my students about the USA and using maps. Even with all the technology that’s available, kids get so excited when you bring out a trusty paper map or atlas. All those states, lines and symbols spread in front of them makes them dive right into lessons. They boast with pride about pointing and sharing where they are from. Such enthusiasm in the young and old around me has been a welcomed part of all this rally energy. Faces light up on everyone any time I share stories about my travels or participation in this contest. Who knew there would be all this fun even before the actual road tripping starts?!

Thank you to everyone for the interest, the votes, the caring enough to be a part of the Team Blue Lollipop Road adventure so far. Lets keep our fingers crossed that we are chosen as a finalist team so Diane and I can show you best of the road!  

thank you for your votes!

Hello Team Blue Lollipop Road fans!

We want to thank you for all your votes and support during the first phase of the Best of the Road Rally. We ended up with 790 votes and in 2nd place. From today through 5/23 is the Finalist Team Determination time, so the “rallying” for us isn’t over yet. We will be posting here regularly as usual to keep you in the loop of what’s going on so stay tuned and stay with us. We so appreciate you!

Mom and I have had such a blast thus far. We’ve “met” some super fun and cool fellow travelers/competitors through social media, and we’ve learned about many more fantastic American towns/places/attractions we want to see!

Can’t wait to see what happens in the next few days…

at home on the road

If you have followed here for any amount of time, you know I live for the road. No matter what comes in an out of my life- when I am on the road I feel most at home and most alive. I’m soon to be 34 and have had fielded questions for years about when I am going to “grow up” or stop my “traveling hobby.” I suppose what might be hard for some to understand is that as I just stated above, I feel the most at home when I am on the road. I am grown up, and this is not a phase or some trend for me. It’s simply a way of life.

In my about me page, there is a line that I wrote that says “I believe everyone has a story.” That is so true. The best times I have ever had on any of my trips are with complete strangers that I would otherwise never meet. Every single person (even the ones that think they don’t) has a story: Things and people they love, hopes and dreams, triumphs and tragedy and then some. I love spending time sitting at a diner, in a park, or at a dinner table listening to someone I might never see again sharing their life story. It never fails that even with the most different looking, aged, or demographic of a person, I always find common ground and see that we are all very much the same. I love those moments and I want Mom and I to help bring those moments to you.

I never went to college. (As in university.) My adult education has come from the people and places around me. It’s come from travel, allowing myself being curious, not being afraid to ask questions when I had them, and those times I’ve just jumped in the car and and taken off down the road just hungry to learn and experience everything possible. I believe travel is the best education and investment in yourself. It makes you flexible, resourceful, aware, open, independent, confident self-reliant, and well-rounded. These are all the foundation pieces I feel it takes to make us all our best. These are also the things my Mom did an amazing job teaching me to growing up. My Mom was married at 15 years old and was too busy raising us 4 Peacock kids with very little help to take time for herself to explore like I have. I’m sure this is why she has always been such a huge supporter for us all to explore as much as possible to learn all we could and follow our dreams.

I want to go on this Best of the Road Rally 2012 with my Mom because she is an amazing generous person, my friend and a perfect partner in crime to make this trip a blast. I want to share with her the kind of fantastic experiences the road has to offer that she has just started in recent years getting a taste of. My mom is the most genuine, smart, strong woman I have ever known and she’s always up for jumping into any fun. Who could be a better team than us?

My site here and Blue Lollipop Road may look fancy and all the stories and pictures I’ve shared might look like I’ve spent a huge trust fund to support it all. That is not the case. Every day of any trip I have ever been on I have paid for myself and has been on a shoestring budget. (Oh the amount of burgers and beers I’ve had to sling over the years!) I’ve slept in cars and on couches, my entire wardrobe still fits in one big suitcase, and if you heard the stories of the finagling I have done to make this all work, you’d never believe them. I’ve made huge sacrifices over the years to be able to travel, maintain this site, and share my stories in hopes to inspire others too. It’s been a tough roller coaster of a road, but a great adventure too and this means everything to me so it’s all been worth it!

Mom and I know how to enjoy good times, good food, and good company on pennies. We’d be a perfect pair for Best of the Road 2012. Please support us by voting these last few hours today, so we can bring to stories of the people, places, the beauty, and the fun of Small Town America to you!