the beginning

Every blog has a beginning, whether it started the moment they decided to write a blog or years ago when blogging was an unknown fantasy for future generations. I may only be 23yrs old, but I have a mind of an 80yr old sometimes, lol, and things that should come easy to me takes a while to figure out. So please bare with me.

I have seen many LTTs- Little Traveling Treasures all my life as my mom loves to travel. LTTs aren't the big things that you see, like big cities, landmarks, and amusement parks, but rather the hidden little secrets each town has. The stories behind something as common as store front or light pole.

Sometimes those stories can only be revealed to the world after your own story unfolds and you see the beauty inside it. So here is my story that opened my eyes to the little treasures that surround us everyday, even in the darkest times...

Sept. 24, 2001

I saw history, first handedly, 13 days ago. I had been heading to the Newark, NJ airport, rushing to catch a plane back to my mom in AZ. We were driving along the Hudson River, listening to Oldies CDs, and clueless as to why the bright blue sky was becoming filled with dust and dark billowing clouds. Clueless as to why these idiots were parking on the side of a major freeway, causing horrible traffic jams. I couldn't understand it! It was just a power plant right? Or at least that was what my dad told me at first. A few moments later when my father's girlfriend turned the radio on we found out what was really going on. A Terrorist Attack on American Soil. My dad was happy to say that I saw history with him that day, but he also wished it had been something good rather than the day we all know as 911.

Now, 13 days later, my brother and I were leaving my father in NJ and making our way on a Greyhound bus to AZ. It took us three whole days to travel cross country. As a young teenager, I thought of this as an adventure. In the middle of the first night crossing through Ohio or Indiana, I saw fireworks erupting from a small town near by, celebrating something only they knew about, and it was wonderful to watch.

Our second bus driver was one of the coolest ladies I've ever heard and watch the back of her head. As she took charge of the bus and headed out she had some rules on board, one of those rules were, "If you got stank feet, and you know you got stank feet! We don't wanna know that! Keep your shoes on!" That made me smile all day :) Her husband was just as cool, and was our third driver. He checked in at the place he had to check in at and then took the bus to a decent shopping center to get something to eat.

The second day we spent 2 hours at the Largest Truck Stop in the World! The Iowa 80 truck stop was awesome! I'd actually loved to go back 'cause I never saw the whole thing. There were two arcades, three fast food places, a museum, two stores, a barber shop, dentist, and etc. If you need it, you can get it there!

The second night was a little crazy, as was the bus driver. He nearly left someone behind, drove 20 miles over the speed limit through the Rockie Mountains on a stormy/ hailing night, pulled over in the middle of nowhere and took a major dump in the bathroom. I felt bad for the poor souls sitting right next to the bathroom in the back, they couldn't breathe for an hour or so. The next day this driver stopped in good old Beaver, UT, I think, and told us to eat at the diner he parked at... This diner seemed like it was out of the movies, you know, like The Roadkill Cafe. I still remember the menu saying "Roadrunner Stew" and "The Coyote Burger." That kind of grossed me out, and then I saw a lady bring food out for a trucker at a table nearby and it was so greasy I nearly puked right there. My brother and I ran out side, only to see someone picking up a dead animal across the street. We ran three blocks to a gas station and bought ourselves some hot pockets to fill us for the last leg of the drive home.

It was a long journey home that week. Some of it was sad, funny, cool, amazing, and a little bit disgusting, but I saw America in a new light during that time. My eyes used to only see the big picture, but now and then I find fun little details I think everyone would be interested to know. so stay tuned for future posting of My Little Traveling Treasures...