In case you were unaware, we took a ROOOAAAD TRIIIIIP after graduation in a (totally failed) attempt to get our wanderlust under control before more school.
So first I'll do the trip summary- it was called the Epic Square- in numbers!!! Then, at some stupidly late hour some other night, I will write about some of the most hilarious moments.
9000: miles
21: states
2.5: Countries; we could see Mexico, like, 10 yards away once. And we went to Canada.
5: Mississippi River crossings
10: national parks
10: stories high that the spirally slide in the City Museum of St. Louis was.
4: versions of America the Beautiful we used as a soundtrack at key dramatic moments. Elvis and The Muppets were the best.
7 million: "national forests" or "scenic highways" or other things that you've never heard of that were gorgeous to drive through.
65ish: total miles hiked, not including lots of walking in the cities
8: Members Of... we saw or stayed with (Rosa, Rita, Ned (sort of), Alex, Greg, Robin, Chris, Ali)
4: bears- 3 grizzlies, and 1 light brown Black Bear. One grizzly was very near us on a trail. WE ALMOST DIED. Kind of.
3: cop cars, including some Border Patrol, it took to give me my first speeding ticket, for going not very fast on a very empty road. Grumblegrumblegrumble.
1/3: the fraction of the yearly total rainfall that fell while we were camping outside at Big Bend. In a year, it rains about 5 inches; while we were there, it rained 1.7 inches. Desert fail? We hiked in the desert and it felt like a stroll in Seattle in the fall.
1 Tornado. Yeah. The drive through West Texas, in the desert, in an unbelievable rainstorm, with a (admittedly not huge, but very real) TORNADO about 400 yards from us on a deserted road with nowhere to turn, was super exciting. w00t
2: times I left really important things in really stupid places
0 moose: great failing of the trip
There are a million stories to tell, and I'm sure we'll tell them when we see you, or, you know, next time I'm online and putzing around and want to write down stories! Everyone we met was super helpful- I think they were more protective of us because we're two girls. Lots of cowboy types telling us how we looked "too young to run around all on our lonesomes!" and other such things.
I had high expectations for the trip, but I would have assumed that at some point, something would go wrong; it seemed like it never did, except maybe the hailstorm or weather problems in the desert. It was honestly probably the best month of my life, I can't believe it's over... and I would gladly get in a car and drive another 9000 miles tomorrow.
In the meantime, I'm home for a while... and Katzman is coming to visit me this weekend! Yaaaaay friends, I'm really looking forward to having him. We will do geeky things like go for a bike ride or to a state park near here. w0000t.
Sometime soon, I'm gonna head to DC to stay with my sister for probably 10 days to 2 weeks ish. Not quite sure when, but Ned Steve Rachel and whoever else, lets hang out!!! I miss you all.
~Carly
PS- anyone else just get facebook invited to Stephanie's GREEK FESTIVAL? She's my favorite person on facebook, I think.
PPS- about halfway through writing this, I called Monica and discovered that she is also writing a blog post! Dunno if she's posted yet, we'll see! Hers includes pictures. I may add more that I like later. That was a month worth more than 2 blog posts, especially since so many of you were involved.
PPPS I hope you all like Elvis. Just saying.
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