Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and TEXAS

August 7-8

We left Georgia around 8 in the morning... we really didn't know how long it was going to take us to get to Texas, but we really didn't care.  We knew it was going to be a long journey but we were together away from everything else and just enjoying each others company.  Even though I had driven the whole 15 hours to South Carolina, and the 3 or so hours to Georgia, Haley insisted that I drive out of Georgia... I was ok with it, but I was getting tired of driving and it wasn't even day four of our trip.

We drove out of Georgia pretty quick and landed smack down in the middle of Alabama.  The south is so different from the north.  No matter what anyone says, the north and south are completely different from each other.  The food, cost of living, cheap gas, the people, the attitudes.  Haley and I were mesmerized by our new surroundings.  Also, the culture was so different too.  The people actually wanted to know how you were doing when they asked "how are you?".  They showed a different type of American spirit.  It was the spirit of the old south and even though years had passed since the great American Civil War, these people wore their southern honor on their faces.  Signs for pro life littered the empty, vast highways, and voting for the conservative congressman or conservative President was the only way to preserve the south and the REAL AMERICA.  I'm tell you, it was completely mind blowing for me and my sister.

Mississippi and Louisiana were so different from Alabama and Georgia too.  You could still feel the essence of the old Creole families still locked in the small towns and cities.  Moreover, Haley and I couldn't help but notice there were still different attitudes towards blacks and other ethnicities.  That was something that Haley and I were defiantly not used to.

After many hours driving (Haley and I both lost track) we had landed our selves in Texas and were only so many miles away from Dallas, the city of my dreams.  I love the Dallas Cowboys and for as long as I can remember, I have wanted to go there and see the stadium where the Cowboys had played.

Thanks to Jack (Garmin GPS)  we drove around for an extra 10 minutes trying to find a hotel that had been replaced with something else.  We were both sick of driving so we decided we didn't care where we were staying as long as it was safe.  The Courtyard Marriot looked promising, and at 930pm, we checked in, relaxed for a few and then went out to try to find dinner.  Haley took me to Mexican and since I don't fair well with Mexican food, I was kind of sick after we ate.

We went back to the hotel, showered and prepared our selves for Dallas Stadium, and New Mexico.

Georgia

After spending two days in South Carolina, and having never dealt with the southern humidity and sun, Haley and I had to move on.  Today, we were not going for 15 hours but only about 3 1/2 to Alpharetta, Georgia to our cousins house. (My cousins are in their 60s.....)

Until this day, Haley and i had ever met these cousins.  We had heard a lot about them and when I graduated College, they sent me a gift which was very thoughtful.  As Haley and I make our way into Alpharetta, we notice that this town was starting to become a huge town.  There was construction and remodeling  all over.  We both look at the gps to see how much longer we have, only 10 minutes left.... where are we?  We enter a "community" and it looks like something out of the Stepford Wives.  We turn onto Cutty Sark Way (..... just a weird name for a street) and there is the house of our cousins... it's pretty huge and awesome.

We get out and go to the door, and there is cousin Diane.  It was her birthday and had turned 61, but didn't look a day over 50.  She looks us down and then she has us sit down and calls over her 2 best friends.  They come over and just start telling us about their lives and what we should expect from men and that whatever you do: don't get fat, don't listen or try to talk to men about emotions and keep your friends and family close. (Not bad information to keep in mind).

So we hang out in the pool, take a nap, get to know our two older cousins and in the morning, we woke up and started our journey to Texas.

only 15 hours until South Carolinia

I recently was accepted to Monterey Institute for International Studies in Monterey, California.  Up until that point, I had never been farther then Chicago... this was going to be interesting.  At first, I thought I was going to fly there, but I opted to take the longer route and drive from the east coast to the west coast with my sister and as much of my stuff that my chevy aveo (not the hatchback) allowed me to stuff in there.  

Where was I going to stay?  How long would it take me?  I didn't care.  I usually just do things on a whim and hope for the best.  So I left at 3am on August 4th to South Carolina where I would stay with my horcrux, Lindy Bunch.

I drove the whole way, with my sister right beside me.  We beat all the tough traffic spots and saw major cities and areas of the US where no one would dare to put up a house and live.

Finally after 15 hours with 3 stops we made it to South Carolina where I was united with my bestest Lindy!

Lindy was determined to show me the dirrty south and all of its glory:

Smoking inside, faster food, beer beer and more beer, southern belles, chicken fried chicken, Zaxbys and most importantly, cheaper prices.

If you want things to be cheap and im talking gas is only 3.20$ go live down south.

My pics will be posted sometime, somewhere, if you want to see them, contact via email and ill give you the link to my facebook.