I have made it New Orleans!

After a month of training, I have finally made it to the "Big Easy."

Snazzy Uniforms

Hey I thought I would post a few pictures of me in my uniform. The one is me kicking it in my steel toe work boots, tucked in shirt, and pants about 4 sizes too big for me. The other ones are me in my safety vest that I must wear for when I am on my duty nights, running for PT, and vacuuming up my room (jk)...safety first!

East Coast Road Trip

I have been up and down the east coast twice in the last 3 weeks....eeeks

The day before my birthday, Sept 18th, I hopped into my Aunt Dee's car and we drove down to South Carolina to visit my cousin's new baby. Maddie is six months old and so incredibly adorable...my little land guppie! I spent 4 days at Doug and LaDonna's house spoiling my new "niece." Celebrating my birthday in a nice subdue way was very much appreciated since it was the big 2-3 haha I just dislike celebrating my birthday. I love celebrating other peoples' birthdays, just not mine...silly I know.

My sister then drove up from Florida to pick me up in South Carolina. The family went for dinner and then Ann immediately turned around and we drove down to Orlando. As a result, we got into my Aunt Connie's house at 5 am and I ended up sleeping until 3 pm! The week I was in Florida was very chill. Ann and I went to some of the Disney Parks and very much enjoyed drinking 'around the world' at Epcot center.

I flew back to Harrisburg on the 28th and threw a campout at my house the following evening. I really enjoy roasting marshmallows! I had a few days off to relax and try to organize some last minute details for Americorps before heading up to Hughsville to visit my dad's side of the family on Thursday. Then the next day, my mom, dad, and myself, drove down to North Carolina to visit my Uncle Dale and Aunt Louise at their condo at Lake Lure. It is unbelievably gorgeous down there and amazingly relaxing. We just chatted, swam, and canoed the whole Columbus Day weekend. Now I am back in Harrisburg preparing for my leave to Sacramento.... oh so soon

European Vacation with Tootles

I had a wonderful time spending three weeks running around most of the U.K and jetting off to Denmark with my mother. We spent some time in London at the British Library doing research for a book my mom wants to write. Then we zipped to Denmark for a long weekend. Denmark was an interesting city... I guess I would describe it as sterile. It really was not what I was expecting at all. The historic shopping streets were lined with shops that you could go to anywhere in the world (H&M etc), so that was slightly dissapointing. It just felt so modern and there were little historical places to visit. We did see the Queen's palaces and a few museums, but in general, the city asthetics were not quite as quaint as I had imagined it to be.

Once back in the U.K, we chugged back and forth around the country to visit all our relatives. I very much enjoy visiting with my relations for it makes me feel so much closer to my grandparents and there way of life before the came to the states. It was definitely a somber visit for me, however. Since visiting last year, I could see a dramatic shift in health for most of my older relatives (my grandparents' brothers and sisters). I just hope that this was not my last chance to be with them...

Some highlights of this trip had to be drinking at the Carlsberg Factory in Denmark (woot Tootles was drunk!!), finding my mother's long sought after daffodil teapot, showing my mother Aberystwyth, riding in the "London Eye", and of course family dinners. I love Europe- can I go back now????

I am off on an adventure

I survived the road-trip back from Wyoming with a van full of undergraduates...way to go me!haha I had a very hectic week though and I truly felt like a chicken with its head cut off. I had to create my GIS map using the GPS coordinates taken while in the field in Wyoming. Also, I had to pack up my apartment- which it turns out I missed a lot of things! Of course I also had to go to the mid-night release of the 7th Harry Potter book hehehe I have waited too many years (7) to not find out how it all ends!!! J.K Rowling is such a tease

I got back here to Harrisburg Saturday afternoon and we celebrated Taylor's 21st Birthday. My uncle Rob and is fiance (who seems really nice!) were here as well so it was great to get the chance to see them both. That evening Gwen and I took Taylor out to celebrate in style- the Eagle Hotel HAHAHAH Which actually turned out to be the best place to go because the bartender kept giving him triple/quadruple shots each time we ordered a single. It was hilarious because Taylor got absoulutely plastered. By the time we got him home (after a brief stop at Kokomos to make it a bar crawl) he was incoherent and kept wanting to give everyone "precious hugs"- therefore he woke up my mother to bestow one upon her! It was great...

Well I am off this evening for the U.K and will give an update while over there.Lots of Love

Prairie dogs...my new favorite thing!

My trip to Wyo was a success... well I didnt get everything I wanted in regards to field data, but I had a blast. The landscape is incredibly beautiful and it amazes me how vast and different this country is in regards to its varying landscapes. Being from Pennsylvania where there is plenty of green growth and a plethora of trees, it was intriguing to be where the plains seem endless and the mountains you believe are only 10 mins away are actually hours away: Your sense of depth perception is totally mocked.

I loved tropping around the fields "ground-truthing" the Pitt property and finding out whether the land was marked clearly for the students and staff to distinguish between BLM land, State Land, and Private property. This is important because even though Pitt can walk everything within its borders, it needs certain permits if the parcel of land they are on is BLM or State. The GPS-ing went smoothly enough and I loved being given this opportunity to experience this program during its first year. The best part about it all was that everything was paid for, but I had to be one of the cross-country drivers haha. I loved it though and the trip was easy enough. Cornfeilds in every state from Nebraska all the way to Ohio....eeeeks

One of the highlights was getting to see Angie for a few hours when the group stayed overnight in Toledo- AWESOME!I wish I had had more time out in Wyoming, but it was a great introduction to being outwest....

so little time

Yeah, I leave tomorrow and have I done anything that needs to be done before I leave?? NO!! I still have to do my laundry, pack my bags, finish my map (very important), make sure I have everything in Pittsburgh wrapped up and finished (no where close!) and still find time to finish my research internship and sleep (not likely). Too much to do and just not enough time hahahaha it is a good thing I work well under pressure... I hope

Leaving Pittsburgh

Well this is the end my friends. I am leaving Pittsburgh this week and flying out to Wyoming for a few days of GIS field work. I have enjoyed my life in the city for the past 4 years and will greatly miss the friends I have made and the atmosphere of this place (as in a large city with a small city feel... not the grimey air hahah).

Lots of Love and I hope we meet again....