I know what I'm getting myself in to when I share a room with three people. But does it have to seem weird that i cant sleep inthe middle of a loud bright room? really?  I can't sleep when people are talking/the teevee is blaring/ the lights are on.  I like dark and quiet when I sleep, that's NOT WEIRD PEOPLE it's normal!!!!

DINOSAURS!!!!!

Road triiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip!!!!

Currently sitting in my hotel room in Hartford, CT, drinking a vodka redbull before heading off to the venue to see a few of my favourite punk bands play tonight.  And today, just about an hour ago, I touched an actual dinosaur footprint!!!!!!!! I love travelling with Karine because instead of just party she likes to check out the area and do cool things, and we discovered last night that Hartford is the site of 200 million year old dinosaur tracks.  We walked in and I was actually shaking with excitement; I think it was one of the coolest things I've ever done.

It's funny because as I'm typing this, the television show in the background is playing 'Kokomo' by The Beach Boys, and it started the song right at the part about the Florida Keys - which is my next trip, in less than two weeks, ha!

My last three trips, this one included, have all been so different from each other it's hilarious.  A friend of mine was laughing the other day about how, looking through my photos, you see me and A on a trip, living in my car, and only two weeks later there I am in the States with my man, living in swanky hotels.  Now I'm in a swanky hotel, but the room is overtaken by punks, and one snores so loudly that last night I set myself up in the bathtub to sleep so I could shut the bathroom door and keep the noise out - seriously

I'm so happy that this year I'm actually doing what I wanted to do - I'm travelling around North America.  There is a possibility that in October I'll drive a friends car down to California from Ottawa - which means that I can stop in Utah, Nevada, and all of the gorgeous scenic places I've been dreaming about.  AND it means that my decision for next year of either doing Western Canada or America will be made: if I drive to California now, then next year will be Western Canada for sure.  And the year after that... well then, by then I think I'll have to step off this continent again :D

I hate flying.

Or more accurately, I hate airports.

Plastic knives to eat with.  $13 cocktails. Not being able to bring in my bottled water.  Sitting here, waiting...waiting...waiting... for my flight, which was supposed to be leaving in five minutes, to start boarding.  FUCK YOU AIRPORTS!

After a lazy Sunday afternoon spent reading a book in Central Park, I'm now sitting in Hell's Kitchen enjoying my last moments of vacation.  This moment includes a mind-blowingly delicious red velvet cookie, oh yeah.

I've had an amazing week, but goddamn I can't wait to get home.  Ten days away, living out of my suitcase; one week home, working my ass off; one week on the road, living out of my suitcase.  Incredible, but exhausting.  And fattening.

I can't wait to get home and wake up tomorrow with my fluffy monsters snuggled in to me.  To not have to get up and BE anywhere (well, until work, but that's not until mid-afternoon).  To go to the gym.  To COOK FOOD.  I haven't made myself a meal in three weeks.  THREE WEEKS! That's nuts.

I have twelve days of normality before hitting the road with Ashley for a punk fest in Hartford.  That promises to be a weekend of extreme fun and gluttony, so the next twelve days have to be focused on healthy eating, sleeping well, and working out.

I love that, even though I've had to keep postponing my big trips, I'm managing to jam so many incredible short excursions into my life.  As much as I'm ready to be home now... I can't wait to hit the road again.

Almost home again...

My mini-American roadtrip is coming to an end, and even though I'm on a train to my favourite city in the world (NEW YORK!!!) I'm feelings pangs of sadness, but not because the trip is ending.  I miss my man already.  These long-distance things...ugh.  I love it in a way, because when we're together I can kind of close the rest of the world out and just focus on us.  But I hate it too, because if during that time you're not feeling 100% (like me yesterday), it's hard to hide that and remain positive.  I don't want to spend a day of our limited time together feeling sick, but what can you do?  In my head I want us to be happy every minute we're together... but I guess that's just not possible. You have to decide at one point, am I going to pretend it's all good, in order to keep up this idea of being a fantasy, or are you going to admit you're grumpy/nauseous/tired and accept the reality that no one can really be a fantasy *all* the time?

Stupid reality...

It's funny how within the last few weeks I've had two such differing trips, each one so amazing.  A and I and our limited budget, stopping at every tourist attraction to take silly photos, sleeping in the car, soaking up every minute of the incredible Canadian landscape.

Then this American trip, money not really an object (although I kept telling him it should be, it's hard to get the stinginess out of me sometimes!), sleeping in fancy hotels,  eating and drinking like gluttons, trying to fuck in as many States as possible (we hit six on this trip, missed out on three though, grr!), and planning to hit tourist attractions but passing them up to spend time together instead.  American monuments just don't seem that interesting when my hot American boyfriend is laying in our giant bed.  

Normally when I return from a trip I just need to adjust my mind back into the reality of Ottawa and my daily life.  Now, I need to adjust my mind back to the reality of Ottawa and my daily life... and to try not to feel too wistful that I have to wait weeks again before I have my man in bed beside me.  BUT, mixed in with that wisftulness is the excitement and anticipation of seeing him again in a few weeks - ahhhh life.  Everything is a double-edged sword with you!

In Philly. Off to a bar where I can drink beer in bumper cars and eat vegan corn dogs (I'd say pogos, but I'm in America so I have to speak American).

Tomorrow I will ingest both a vegan and a regular Philly cheese steak.  Good thing there's a sweet fitness centre here and I brought my resistance tubes for a good workout.  In Canada, I'm able to go to Goodlife anywhere, so on my east coast trip I still hit the gym 3-4 times.  Here, I'm being spoiled and treated to gorgeous hotels, that are all decked out with fancy cardio equipment and pools.  Whoa. La.  

Now for a little American History

Will be spending the afternoon checking out Civil War monuments and purrhaps the Edgar Allan Poe museum in Richmond, VA, before spending the night in Washingon DC! Got a room right by the Lincoln Memorial, so I foresee a drunken me screaming JENNY!!!!!! like I'm Forrest Gump later.  Also gonna see the White House, Washington Monument, Smithsonian.... oh yeah!!!!

Today will also be my first time driving a vehicle other than my own car ever (well I drove Katie's car for my drivers test, but that's it), and my first time driving on American roads.  Stay off the roads, my American friends :P

Philly tomorrow and Friday, then NEW YORK CITY Saturday night!!!!