A lot of people have mixed feelings about school. Some people have a wonderful time where you make tons of friends, you have an amazing boyfriend or girlfriend and you make good grades without a problem. You do trips together and you get to enjoy your adventurous life as a teen without interruption. Then there's the other side of the coin where you are unsure of who you are, what you want to do, you are sad, bullied, or depressed and it's hard to get through the day. Now some are in the middle of those two groups depending on where you stand in the social status of the people around you or depending on the extracurricular activities you participated in. 

Nonetheless, everyone was treated the same when it came to drills. Fire Drills, Tornado Drills, active shooter drills, and of course back in the day the bomb drill (or maybe the special hurricane drill if you lived somewhere like Florida). It didn't matter your status, what group you liked to be with, who your friends were, or who your mom and dad were. In the end, WE ALL had to do those drills. I remember a few times we did an active shooter drill. It wasn't a common one like a fire drill but once a year we did have this performance acted out and it was funny at the time. Of course, by saying it was funny, I mean that in a "were kids and this would never happen to us" kind of funny but in today's age most kids are not so lucky. 

In school, I was always aware of how serious these drills were, mostly because of my education in the art form of firearms. I knew the safety precautions, I knew how dangerous they could be, and I knew that you NEVER EVER Point it to anything you don't want to "kill" or harm. By the time I was twelve we had them in the house and I started shooting all kinds of guns. from pistols to an AR 15. Whatever my dad had I learned to shoot and whatever I shot I made sure to follow the rules to the best of my ability as a twelve-year-old. 

Most kids in school don't know what a gun is capable of and I think most of this is this soft age were living in. Were scared of vaccines, scared of germs, scared of weapons and making our children "monsters", scared to eat dairy for the cause of bloating, and scared of anything that moves. It's outrageous how our society has gotten to this point. We have gone soft on the kids with language and with sheltering from the big bad world. If children knew what firearms are really capable of I think that would solve most of the issues we have with them taking up weapons as a result of being depressed or as a form of rage. If we stop lying to our kids about the reality of our world and really tell them what's going on instead of sprinkling it with "pixie dust" it would really give them an insight into what they may face not only as children but as an adult and maybe just maybe more people would take action instead of sitting on their hands and wondering when the right time is to "help" so they don't get shot when that time does present itself (if ever).

Who knows. Maybe someday people will get their **** in order. Who really knows, only one can hope. 

The saying goes "As the cookie crumbles" and man does it crumble. 

It's been a day of working and I can already tell you changes that need to be made in this setup. First and foremost I need to set up a cooling pad for the floor. This heat is ridiculous nad even with me switching the van on and off to help with battery life for the fan we installed it is H.O.T. Now, most of you are probably thinking, well just open the doors, let the air innnnnn. Yea the issue with that is noise. I can hear it all around if I even open a crack. So you have a sweltering sauna while you're talking to people on the line. 

Second, I need something to help out with this "desk setup". Currently, I'm using a cooler for my computer and mouse and then I am leaning back against the bed frame to have some support for my back. I'm thinking of a foldable piece of wood that will be on the passenger side so I can have a desk-like area useable for everything I need including "work". Of course, it would be useful for also the coffee that I need to consume since I have to be up early for the hours I'm currently scheduled for. Coffee is always a must to deal with the crazies that come on my phone line. 

Third and last. I need to add in a second bug screen on the passenger side to help manage the nasty buggers in our ecosystem and to also help with future airflow. I think in the end it's just going to make travel life that much easier. As well as get the window screen installs configured so that I have the ability to let air in while we sleep without being eaten to shreds. 

Only two days in and I'm learning so much already. I'm hoping by this winter this van will be 90% finished. It's amazing the way it is now but you can always improve as they say and I am ready to get my hands dirty and make this setup even more fluid than it already is. 

Yesterday afternoon I started the drive out west. First, though I do the infamous thing called "working" which I put in air quotes because yes it's a job but also not a good paying one. But nonetheless, it will pay something which I will take over nothing. Of course, with that start of the journey, there is always the final task that you have to accomplish before you really go off into the distance. Grocery shopping. Some people go before, some people eat on the road not even bothering to buy other foods, I prefer to do it the day of Why you may ask. The reason being is that I think better the day of. I usually have an idea of what to expect, my route is planned out (or most of it anyway) and I prefer to really have that be a start of the trip excursion. 

Once I have that planned out and my food in stock I can then really focus on the road ahead. The trip really begins once you have the food and drink loaded and nothing but the music and road to guide you forward. For this trip, we started out at the Kroger not far from the house with a full tank of gas and started onward to the long road ahead. And the long road it definitely will be. 

So far we have only made it to the border of Illinois and Kentucky and I am working for a good portion of the day but once I am off I will be back on the road ready to take on the next set of miles ahead. I don't know what the traffic will be like and I don't know how long it will take to get to where we are going but I am ready. I have my coffee, my pup, and my bed all in one place. How Can I go wrong?

Well, the only way I can go wrong is with this work arrangement at the moment which is killing my behind. Hopefully, I can figure out a remedy for that after this trip is completed so that assisting guests and making money is more convenient than this current situation. But for now, onward! 

The fun of getting the van together has only just begun. In this preparation, I have had to make sure that I take 90% of the items out and put them inside to get them all sorted. The truth of the matter is that van life or travel is difficult to organize. You don't have a second car to use while you are away so you want to make sure you have everything your gonna need and that if you have to buy something its something small and not something that will make you wonder about your choices. 

For this trip, I don't really know how long I will be out. Could be 3 weeks at a minimum but even that is unclear right now. I do know that I need to make sure that all the things I usually use are ready to be put to work and charged. I also have to make sure all "small" things are ready and conveniently placed. The van is not completed so it makes storage hard to figure out but I am getting there. Really there isn't much left to do and the bigger projects are done. It's just small minor inconveniences that will need to be adjusted once I am home. There may even be a possible bed gut job/redo in store but that is just in the works of the thinking process. 

Not only do I have to think of myself but I also have to make sure Lylahs stuff is also prepped and ready (which is part of the storage problem I cant wait to get fixed) to go so that I have less to worry about in the long run. Dog food and supplies are expensive and I want to have her belongings set up and as prepped as they possibly can be. I'm sure she will be stoked to be back on the road and will enjoy every second of it. Of course with this trip, there are also formidable gas prices to also keep in mind. I'm not excited about that which is why I'm trying to not go crazy on the driving expedition of this trip. It's a lot just to get to the Tetons I can't imagine trying to drive around in other places and experience more than what I signed up for. Then again I also know that I want to get to traveling soon anyway so maybe this is just a heads up for what to expect for the time being. 

But I am excited to see what comes my way and who knows maybe It will all work out and ill be out there longer than I expected. Time will only tell with this one. 

Yesterday was my last hurrah with the good old alcohol that I love so much. My friend J and I went out and did an impromptu trip up to the huckleberry knob and with a short hike completed we then made our way down to this cute little place to eat by the river. They had a huge list of alcoholic beverages with the prices listed right next to each beverage. Immediately I appreciated the forwardness. Most places like to hide beverage prices, especially with it being a mixed drink. Glancing at the menu my choice was a lemon drop cocktail. Not only is it tasty but I know that it will get me good and buzzed. With some delicious burgers and a side salad to match my low-carb diet, I was set. Once we were done eating we sat by the river while Lylah demolished the river and enjoyed running in and out of it like a crazy person. We just watched while she enjoyed the time outdoors. After all, she grew up being outside all the time. 

Little does she know that we are heading out soon on another cross-country trip. Despite the increase in gas prices I am just going to really try to enjoy the time. I'm hoping to be able to not freak out about the price and just breathe in the fresh air and get some adventures in. I really need the time away and I need to clear my head. It will be wonderful to get the chance to enjoy what is ahead. I know the goal is the half marathon but really I am ready to enjoy everything else that is to come. Making memories that will be forever remembered is the ultimate goal. 

This will also be a test to see if I can work while I am traveling. It would be nice to know for sure if I can do my job on the road and just be out in the open. I want to explore but not be dead broke for it. So it's a mix of goals. Making memories, trying out my work, and completing my third half marathon since I started this running journey (started at 17/18) that I love (and equally hate). So many things are going to happen and it's T minus three weeks till the truth is revealed to us as to what I am capable of. 

For those that may be out in that direction for the race let us know. Im sure it will be a big party to celebrate such a feat and I am more than looking forward to the wine that I will consume.