One Week Down....

Well, folks, 987 miles later, week one of travel is complete. Along the way I talked to so many great students and their parents about Simpson, and, well, in all honesty, I discovered a great deal about "life on the road." For that reason, I would like to shed a little light and dedicate this blog to the many lessons learned in only the first few short days.

*Don't skimp on the cost of conditioner. I bought an extra set of "bathroom stuff" so that I wouldn't have to transfer it from my bag to my bathroom and back and forth for the next couple months. Well, I thought I would be smart and save a couple dollars...bad idea. Any money you thought you saved will then be spent on the ibuprofen you have to buy to make your head feel better after ripping your hair out with your brush.

*Subway is NOT the easiest fast-food to eat in the car. Although it might seem like the health-friendly option, driving and trying to eat your 6 inch lettuce, pickle, black olive, cucumber and turkey filled sandwich is quite a feat. Although, if you don't mind dried lettuce stuck to your clothes, rock on, "eat fresh."

*That clerk at the gas station looks at you funny when you put a 32 ounce fountain pop on a debit card. I had no cash, and I needed my Diet Mountain Dew. If she knew that my heart ceases to beat without the DMD she might have looked at me differently. I probably should have told her that... *so you all know, DMD is Sara's lingo and I stole it from her! :)

*That hair you found in your sandwich wasn't really there. Dispose of it, and pretend it didn't happen. You'll be a lot happier that way.

*The hotel gives you two beds so that that big bug can crawl between the sheets and die. With a second bed, you can let it rest in peace, and sleep in the other one.

*When hurriedly putting on your nametag, you should check to make sure that it is right-side up. If you were to talk to several families with an upside down nametag, well that would just be embarrassing. I'm not saying that happened, or anything...I'm just saying. Okay, that was a shining moment.

*I didn't think it was possible, but after nearly 1,000 miles in the car, and listening to the RENT soundtrack 525,600 times, it DOES get old!

*Following an oversized vehicle that is driving less than 40 mph along the no-passing-zone hills and bluffs and winding roads of NE Iowa can better be described as pure torture.

Well, that pretty much sums up my week. It was awesome to get into my territory and explore the towns and cities along the way, but after a week out on the road, it was nice to come home for a while. All of my lovely readers in the Mason City area, I'll be visiting you next week! And certainly, there will be more experiences from my life as a "Road Warrior" in the days to come. Until next time...