Making a List and Checking It Twice

It won't be long now!  In a few short days Melissa B, Mollee, Will, Ian, and I will be crammed into my car and ready for our adventure!  

This week I've been keeping a to do list of things that need to be taken care of before we leave. I've scratched off a great number of items, but it seems like for every ONE task I complete, I think about five more that need to be taken care of. Sad day!  

I was talking to Mollee earlier today and I realized that I really don't have THAT much camping experience. (I guess if you consider and overnight to Girl Scout camp "camping"...)  Ian and I did it once or twice in Japan, and that's really the only experience we've had. So I think this trip will be quite an experience for us.....especially considering that the night time lows in Yellowstone have been hovering around 35 degrees each night. Brrrrrrr!!!  Another thing that has me slightly worried is WiLd aNiMaLs!  We don't have the big and scary creatures like grizzly bears, buffaloes, elk, etc. I don't know that I've ever seen these critters (let alone in THE WILD!). Here's to hoping that no one reads about a couple from Kentucky who were attacked by charging elk or something!

And so it begins....

EEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!  I'm so stinking excited about this adventure that we are about to embark.  This all started over a year ago.  Ian and I realized that we should do something for our fifth wedding anniversary.  We talked about doing a couple of different things, but we both agreed on a road trip.  We have so many friends out west now, and we thought that our anniversary was a good excuse to have an epic road trip to visit them.  Although the trip started as just Ian and I, somewhere along the way we invited a couple of friends to join us. The Kuma goonies are back and ready TO TRAVEL.  Melissa B and Mollee (for some weird reason....) agreed to pile into one tiny car and ride for hours upon hours with the Reeds.

So where are we going?  Google maps tells me that this will be a 71 hour journey if we drive straight.  We're starting in Paducah and beginning our journey by going to Chicago.  Then, we'll head to Mt. Rushmore and Crazy horse.  Next up is camping in Yellowstone!  We'll round off our first week of travel in Washington to drop off Melissa.  We'll begin our second week by driving down to the Salt Lake City area and spend a few days.  Next is Douglas, WY.  Then, we'll cross the cornfield wastelands of Nebraska and Kansas for our final stop in Concordia, KS to see the world's largest ball of twine!  Our last day of travel leaves us back in Paducah.

It's been a while since I've blogged, so this might take a minute to get back into the habit.  I had so many friends and family members tell me how much they enjoyed my blog that I wrote in Japan (plus it became a journal for myself for future reference).  I love traveling.  I love journaling.  What's a better way to combine these two passions?  BLOGGING!

I'm not going to lie.  Our schedule for this trip is PACKED.  Therefore, I won't be able to write as much as I did for my Japanese blog.  I'm not taking my computer, so all blog updates will have to be through my phone, and in many places I won't have a reliable internet connection.

Ian and I are both SO.  FREAKING.  EXCITED. about this opportunity and CAN'T WAIT