Written on the Plane - Overview of Trip

Welcome to River’s travel blog. This blog is a way to keep in touch with my family and friends when I might not have time to correspond in other ways (although, the offer still stands: if you write me a letter, I’ll send one back to you!). I’m super pumped about many new experiences as I stretch my legs and explore the Midwest and East Coast.

My itinerary for the next two months:

- August 12: Departing Phoenix for St. Louis – visiting Grampy and Karen, and their bird who shits every time you walk by him, apparently. That’s probably what I’m most excited to encounter at the moment. I don’t really know what to expect when visiting Grampy, but if anything, I’ll get to watch Big Brother with Karen and sit by the lake surrounding the house. This place is out in the country…a big change from Phoenix life, maybe not too far of a stretch from what I’m used to at camp.

- August 15: St. Louis to Akron, OH – chillin’ with Bam at his dad’s abode. Plans include roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, going out for mounds of sushi (droooool), tumbling for hours, and CUDDLEZ. I’m very much looking forward to spending some time with Bam…it’s been long overdue!

- August 19: Akron, OH to New York, NY – I’ve been planning every detail of this trip for too long (just ask Gonzo…she’d wanna watch a movie or hang out during a break at camp, and I couldn’t get my nose out of the subway map). Now that the date is coming closer, though, I’ve resolved to bring my overly-detailed itinerary, but to just go with the flow. Tentatively, Friday is shopping day. I’m hittin’ up the 5^th Avenue and SoHo districts, which includes FAO Schwartz, Free People, Top Shop, and a vintage jewelry store. I’m also excited to explore the Public Library and look out from the observation deck at the Empire State Building. Saturday is museum day. My whole day is dedicated to the Met, Central Park, and trendy vegan eats. Sunday is musical day. I’m seeing La Cage Aux Folles!!! A musical about drag queens?! Yessss please. That isn’t until 3pm, so I’m contemplating another museum, or possibly a ferry ride to Ellis Island. I’m staying with my friend Kim, who lives right in the middle of EVERYTHING. Although most of my trip will be only with good ‘ol me, my long lost friend Fischer and I might go out for a night on the town…I would really love to break it down in a New York club! Eeee! There is so much to do…I’ll need to come back for another week, I’m sure about it.

August 23 – Taking the Amtrak north to the Hudson Valley to my new home, Omega Institute for Holistic Studies. There, I will be living in a tent, enjoying 3 veggie meals a day (let’s see if I can NOT feel like I’m going to pass out every day, like my experience this summer at the very carnivorous Camp Maripai…heh), hanging out with cool people, and participating in a wealth of staff programs that I hope will teach me something. I’ll be working in the children’s program, basically doing camp like activities with kids 4-12 while their parents do workshops at Omega. Hallelujah, I may not have to deal with homesickness! :D

Currently, I’m on my first flight (one of three on the way to Omega) to St. Louis! I will be picked up by my Grampy, whom I haven’t seen in over 10 years, and his wife Karen. I’m looking forward to a few relaxing, boring days before I head to Ohio to visit Bam. This has been a pretty relaxing flight…I wish it wasn’t so bright out…I like to look out the window. …I took a little peeksy out the glass, and we are surrounded by agricultural land…I wonder where we are? And it looks strange, too. Big square plots that have an almost-as-big circle inside them. Any wisdom into why there are circles, and not just squares? I feel like such a Phoenix kid…

Tiredness is beginning to hit me…I only got four hours of sleep last night! Maybe I shall rest my eyes until we land. Wish me luck in Illinois!!