Nashville, Y'all!

Today, I visited Nashville for the first time. It was one and a half streets of bars and boot shops. It was also very hot and humid. I stopped in Lebanon to see a friend I'd met on a cruise last year and she took me into Nashville to show me the sites.

We had lunch and beers, walked through the shops, and stuck out our tongues.

From Nashville, I'll be heading out to Orlando, to Disney! With many a-stops on the way to have all the fun I can.

Here's to tomorrow and fourteen more hours of driving!

Bonus picture of me and Cynthia :]

Embarking

Today is my last day in Ohio for a month. I've packed and repacked and tripple-checked to pack again my suitcase and backpack. I have music, snacks, Monster, and bottled water for the drive. I have pillows. Neck pillows. Blankets. I'm ready.

A few things: Yes, I'm going to be sleeping in my car most of this trip. No, I am not afraid. Yes, I have people and places to stay along the way when I don't have to sleep in the car. Yes, I have AAA. And of course, I will check in.

I'll be heading out tonight on my way to Tennessee to see friends and then off to Disney! From Disney, I'll be traveling through New Orleans and Texas (Hamilton's Pool!). From there, Arizona, Havasupai, and seeing my friend Max. Off to southern California from there. Salvation Mountain, north to San Francisco to see friends and off to Roswell, Nevada to hang with some out of this world locals. Utah is my next destination, Zion National Park to be precise. Then off through Colorado and home to Ohio (probably).

This is going to be an amazing trip and a lot of driving. I can't wait to get going. Four more hours of work, a trip back home to pack the car, and off I go.

See ya in the funny papers!

Cabrewing!!

Memorial Day Cabrewing was a blast! I went out with some friends and had a nice, long, hot canoe trip. We drank, we accidentally swam, and we laughed. Oh, how we laughed. I'm pretty sure my friends tipped their canoe a grand total of five times. Amber and I tipped once, and we barely registered it happening until we were sinking into the bank next to us. We were wet, wild, and full of summer spirits (get it.. spirits??) :)

Here is a before picture - there could be no after pictures, we were too sloshed to stand still.

We left early and ended up at the launch site around 11am. We cabrewed straight to 6pm and came back dehydrated and intoxicated to have dinner. A great way to start the week of my own launch.

We all made plans to do this again and again this summer. The day after I return, out we go! This, plus my hiking book club (oh yeah), is going to make one hell of a summer. Not to mention my road trip that starts in less than 24 hours.

So here we go!

Blood Splatter! *no one was hurt during the making of this blog*

To add to my list of random adventures before leaving on the biggest I've ever attempted - I saw a musical last night in an old house that doubled as a bar and a theater.

When you first walk in, there is a stairway that leads up to a hallway lined in black trash bags. To your left is a family room that had been converted into a bar. Mermen hung from the walls, lit up like a stream of oceanic Christmas lights. A sign sat behind the bar that read GLOWIN' GUMMIES and boasted gummy bears soaked in 80 proof vodka. A very peppy man, shirtless and rocking jeans, cut off at the calf, ran behind the bar as he took orders and handed out cups of the glowing gummy bears. Obviously, I wanted a cup (or a few).

Once properly sloshed by copious amounts of gummy bear cups and fireball shots, a line had begun to form at the bottom of the dark staircase. I noticed an open door at the end of the hall and went to investigate instead of waiting for the line to file up the stairs. Outside of this tiny house was a wide, open backyard full of chairs and tables and various 'backyard' games strewn about, Corn Hole - for the Ohioans. (waves)

It was a fantastical place that I was glad to now know existed. And up the stair case I went to the Evil Dead Musical production!

To the left, bathrooms. To the right, oh to the right.. was a dimly-lit bedroom that had been converted into a playhouse. The sound box was to the upper left, sitting on a make-shift platform that I would have been terrified to sit on top of with all of that heavy equipment. To the right of the doorway sat three white benches in front of four tables toward the back of the room. I took the table nearest the far wall. I would later regret this.

The show began, funny jokes were told, then the first person lost their head - and I lost my shit. I was drenched in blood, as it squirt from the neck of one of the demons. Now, the group of people in white with goggles on made sense to me. I should have known. But this wasn't on the site anywhere! I was gleefully amazed at the sheer horror that was happening around me. This was fun.

Another awesome experience in the books! Now, to go cabrewing Monday before leaving on Wednesday!! :)

Nine Days To Go!

Nine days and counting...

I'm about to embark on a cross-country expedition of wonder and growth and whatever else I may get into. And I'm taking all of you along for the ride.

As is my pre-vacation tradition, yesterday - I took a dive out of an airplane. 

From here, its all road and all me, for an entire month. Yes, that's right.. I'm going on a six thousand plus road trip on my own. Just me, Liam Nissan, and the road. Oh, and a few stops. Disney (for the first time), Hamilton's Pool, maybe a little New Orleans, the Grand Canyon (Havasupai!), Salvation Mountain in SoCal, Zion National Park, Colorado, and home. If I even want to come back :P

So stay tuned.. Lots to do before I leave, more training with a 32lb pack, canoeing on Memorial Day with some friends, and a musical version of the Evil Dead. *whoops in the distance*