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from big city to the green of the poconos

Pennsylvania welcomes me!

As I zip through PA on way the the Finger Lakes on a great sunny day, my concerned ripped/fit/hottie pal Sean has sent me a message via Facebook concerned that I’m keeping “balance” as I travel. Perhaps it’s because I write about stuffing my face all the time and drinking liquid chocolate Sean? Rest assured my cutie friend; Before Max Brenner yesterday there was breakfast, later a snack of a granny smith apple from Whole Foods and this morning before I left the city I went on a sprint run along the Hudson River. I’ve tried so hard before to be one of those girls that doesn’t like to eat, but we all know that’s going to happen. I say run, run, run, soccer, roadside yoga, fruits, veggies and a chocolate a day. That’s what keeps the doctor away!

Thanks Sean. I’ll wave to Canandaigua for you as I pass through!

“i think i found your old homework diane”

That’s what the email was titled from a friend who sent this to me yesterday:

“When I was in grade school, they told me to write down what I wanted to be when I grew up.
I wrote down happy.
They told me I didn’t understand the assignment.
I told them they didn’t understand life.”

– Unknown

Love it. Thanks G!

133,811

That’s how many miles were on my always reliable Honda as I left Richmond, VA this morning. We shall see what the odometer reads by the time I get to the Land of the Midnight Sun. (Honda should totally put me in a commercial considering this is about the 5th time I’ll be going across the country in one of their cars that has over 100k miles on it. Honda? Hello?…)

I’m about to fall asleep at the home of my new friends; Blog Followers Gabriela and Phil. I’m all safe with a stuffed belly in their lovely little NJ abode. Arrival couldn’t have gone better. Tonight was a feast fit for a king with a Brazilian twist, great company, perfect weather, and a pesky raccoon.

I’m road tired and heading into the Big Apple tomorrow, so need to rest up. More story on new friends and that pesky raccoon along with some photos to come!

here goes nothing. by that i mean everything…

Last minute packing and officially leaving the south on my trek. I am so excited and cannot wait for the stories I’ll pile up to share.

I have to get my behind out to door and up I-95 towards Jersey and the Big Apple, so I am off for now. Just wanted to say THANK YOU to all my friends, family, readers, and amazing intern for helping me prep for this trip.

I have never been happier in my life and have you all to thank for that.

Tonight I meet Gabriela, my email/pen/reader pal and her husband for dinner. How fun. Stay tuned for more!

Here’s to adventure, doing the things you love, and spending precious time with the people you love.

age smage

For the past few years I have a terrible habit of calling myself an old lady even though I’m only 31. (Considering I feel like I am about 8 this confuses me too.) I’ve often called my younger friends “kids” when talking about them and I’ve made comments about “people your age” as opposed to “people our age.” I’ve had several of them point this out to me and tell me it’s a bit offensive. They are right. I get annoyed when someone calls me a kid or tells me to grow up and be an adult.

What does being a adult mean anyway?

My opinion is whether we’re talking about dating, being a good friend, co-worker, mom, mentor or other, it ultimately doesn’t mean poo how old you are. You’re adult if you’re responsible, independent and take care of yourself, if you can old your own in any crowd, and if you’re respectful, reliable and aware.

Of all people, I am sure I’d seem like someone that would never take age into consideration for any reason. Well, I’m guilty as charged for being an age judger at times. I don’t know what I’ve been thinking. Recently I’ve met some people that have made me aware of how I was judging. They’ve helped me change my thoughts on this subject. Saying this. I will extend an apology to anyone I have ever offended in conversation. I have to say I love it when I am proven wrong. The result is always positive growth even if I’m stubborn about it. It’s nice to be blindsided with lessons from people you’d never imagine them coming from too.

Thanks Ben- I mean T.

the love of friend family

Every day I feel fortunate to have such amazing friends. I moved out of my parents house when I was 17. When I was 19 I packed my car with everything I owned, left VT and stopped off a random exit on I95. I ended up in Richmond, VA. With no research and not knowing a soul, I simply stopped in Richmond because it was the capital. Why not right? It would take years to share stories here about who I met from that day on. I can sum it up by saying that the people I “happened” to meet, live , and spend time with, have been my family ever since my car took that exit. I don’t believe in luck as most people use the term, but I do believe that everything happens for a reason. I know I was meant to stop at the exit I did, meet the people I have, and find family in them. I’m not sure what else I’d call the people who wholeheartedly and unselfishly took me in, protected me, and loved me from the instant they met me.

My extraordinary “friend” family has been incredibly supportive all these years. They’ve schlepped my stuff when I’ve moved, called to check on me when I’ve needed it, fed me, housed me, and dried tears when I have cried. We’ve shared a thousand laughs together, gone to hundreds of events, taken trips to the beach and danced drunk on tables. We have experienced life and death together, engagements, marriages, breakups and all in between. I have become Auntie Di to their kids. The time and experiences are irreplaceable. No matter where I go, where they go, or what time passes, these people remain my #1 fans and I am theirs. I often feel like I need to pinch myself as if all the love that’s given to me is some kind of dream.

One of these family members took me to lunch before this trip started and shoved this bill at me to add to my leftover half-sandwich:

This is after of course, great conversation, words of encouragement, wisdom and a lot of laughter.

I left this person that day shaking my head to myself thinking for the millionth time how I constantly have the fortune of stealing time with such good people. I can’t ever seem to come up with an answer. All I can do is thank these people, tell them I love them and hope that is enough.

Thank you S. Thank you to all in my friend family. You are the reason why I push myself to love more, be better, and pay it forward every day.

what a treat

I love the Mom and Pop coffee shops of the world, but as I have written a bunch before- I love a Starbucks too. The army of Starbucks stores have housed me for hours at a time, always provided me with clean bathrooms, gifted me free refills and 99% of the time consistent drinks and smiles. In addition to the above, I’ve met and networked with hordes of interesting and funny people I would’ve otherwise never met. (Lets face it- everyone goes to a Starbucks at some point.) I’ve spent hours in their cozy overstuffed chairs and never once gotten eyed to get the hell out already because I have overstayed my welcome. For someone that spends a lot of time on the road. This is a huge deal.

Now add a couple other bonuses:

1.) As of Thursday 7/1/10- Starbucks offers free unlimited WIFI at all it’s stores. For anyone. No registration or extra finagling required, just log on and work away.

2.) During the next few months of summer when you grab your coffee in the morning, Starbucks gives you a “Treat Receipt” that lets you come back after 2pm and get any grande (medium) sized cold drink for $2. I don’t know about you, but I rarely let myself buy the regular chocolate-mocha-frappa-yumma-sugar rush iced whatever on a hot day. Well, for $2 and any amount of extra shots, sugar and kitchen sink they can throw in that affordable price and I’m all about it.

***Don’t forget also that any day, year-round when you go in for a drink and bring your own cup (hot or cold and it doesn’t have to be Starbucks branded) you get 10 cents off your drink. They’ll usually give you free refills too, but worst case scenario they charge you 50 cents. Save dough, save the planet, get your java buzz. I like it.

team jacob

If you had asked me what this meant before Thursday this week, I would’ve thought you were talking about a company softball game fundraiser or something. I try to do my best to live everywhere BUT under a rock, but this one got me.

When my 14 year old cousin squealed and asked if I wanted a ticket to go see The Twilight Saga: Eclipse movie I said sure. I had no idea what I was getting in to. She excitedly gave me the 4-11 Twilight story not leaving out a detail so I could “understand” what was going on when we watched the movie. As she ended her lesson with me I sort of laughed and shook my head thinking about the boys I was in love with when I was her age. My walls were plastered with pix of Corey Haim and Balthazar Getty straight out of my Teen Beat Magazine. I knew the drill.

Then we got to the theatre.

As we were munching our gargantuan souvenir Twilight bucket o’ buttery popcorn, I thought it was a bit odd that 90% of the women rolling in were my age. As the movie started and I was trying to follow all the drama, twists and turns, people started talking to the movie screen. I sat there thinking- shhhhh!!! I am trying to watch! Oh but then it was officially ON. In the scene that Jacob comes in (that’s the shirtless, ripped dude in case you’ve been living under a rock in Tweenville with me) the place erupts with screeches, squeals, “Oh my god he is SOOO hot!, I love you Jacob!” and even a “Will you marry me?!”

I laughed so hard. I just couldn’t keep it in. It was the funniest thing I have ever experienced during a movie. Grown woman yelling at the screen as if Jacob would be able to hear them if they yelled loud enough. Every single time he appeared on screen there was more squealing and I love you’s. It was absolutely hilarious.

As we left and my cousin said; “UGH- Di! Isn’t Jacob SOOOOOO hot?! I mean, you have GOT to be on Team Jacob- right?” I told her sure, I’d join her team of course. After all he is a buff little cutie. I also told her I felt like a creepy old lady for even saying that. I Then proceeded to tell her that the guy I was crushing on myself the whole movie was the geeky dad. Her response of “EW! Gross.” sealed the deal that I am officially old and probably not nearly as cool as she used to think I was.

I highly recommend an afternoon at the theatre for this one if you haven’t been already. It’s entertainment all around and you’ll leave scratching your head like me wondering how you missed the boat on making billions by telling the dramatic stories of teen love and angst, mixed with vampires and werewolves.

snail mail shakedown

Want me to send you a postcard from someplace cool? Want to send me a postcard from where you live or a place you think I should check out? Lets do it!

If you’d like a postcard from me:
Email diane (@) bluelollipoproad.com, post a comment here, or send me a note in the “comments” box on my About page above.

If you’d like to send me a postcard, the Blue Lollipop Road Headquarters mail drop during my travels is:
Blue Lollipop Road
7173 Brooking Way
Mechanicsville, VA 23111
(Headquarters sounded fun and big time- had to write that. I have someone managing my mail while I am gone so I won’t miss a thing.)

Here’s to a snail mail revolution!

round and round and round she goes

For those of you who have asked, curious about my travel itinerary/plans (of course subject to change at any given second if I catch wind of some must explore place or thing that’s not on my list already.) Here is the loose version as I sit today at the beach on day 2 of my adventure.

Richmond, VA to:

*Outer Banks, NC
*Wilmington, NC (I know- this isn’t exactly the most direct route to Alaska from Virginia ,but I’ve never been the most direct route kind of girl. I’m working in Wilmington for a week and getting my car all tuned/prepped for the long haul as well as seeing some friends. Of course I also thought It’d be fun to say I drove my car to put my toes in both U.S. coats and jumped in this summer.)
*Back through Richmond, VA for a night
* NYC (I’ll be seeing someone very special to me and beyond significant to this trip and BLR. It’s been 16 years since we last saw each other. This reunion is something so important to me I can’t describe it, but am looking forward to doing my best to share stories after our meeting.)
*Upstate NY/Finger Lakes
*Toronto?
*Chicago and ‘burbs of Chicago
*Madison, WI
*???
*???
*???
*Seattle?
*Alaska
*???

The great thing about having an open schedule and living in a free country is that I can change my mind, take advantage of any opportunity that comes my way and make plans as I go. My goal to get to Alaska for the anniversary on 8/18 might not happen as it’s already 7/2 and I have a lot of places to stop, people to see and living on the road to do that is vital to this trip. I have accepted that and it’s OK with me. Safety and keeping in mind the point of all this is most important to me anyway. At “worst” I will have my time in Alaska and be ready to gift the 10% pay it forward from all donations and sponsorships by 9/30/10 if not before. I already have some dough in the account and waiting on stories from you all to roll in!

I am excited that I will be meeting one of my readers who I have become email pals with for about a year and a half after she stumbled upon BLR. She and her husband offered to host me immediately upon announcement of my trip. I’ll see them on my way to NYC soon. How cool is that? It will be like meeting a long lost friend again. The connections we can make with each other through technology amaze me. Looking forward to meeting you in person G and seeing the rest of you along the way!

P.S~ You can track my route (red line) on the map above n the Alaska page!