Blogs from Omaha, Nebraska, United States, North America

(Please note that this is an extract from an authentic 19th century diary. There is no intention to offend anyone with the content.) Had top bunk and did not care for it – too springy. Stopped at Grand Station at 8 for breakfast, which was middling only. Bread good. Much warmer. Going thro’ extensive plain, partly cultivated. Stopped at Fremont at 1.20 for dinner – pretty good, 75c. In some places Niggers wait, in others girls. Here girls have a very peculiar complexion. Some time before we got to Omaha, a man came round to check the luggage on to where its owner wanted to go – sent mine to Chicago. Omaha is a large place with a good sized station. Engine bells going all the time as they are used when they cross a road ... read more

It was nice being able to leave the house at 6:20am and not need a jacket. The driveway showed signs of a rain sometime during the night but the forecast was not calling for rain. The cooler was filled with cheese, mayo, onion, 12-grain whole wheat bread, mustard, and a couple of jugs of Nestle iced tea. The sun was already up when I left the house and drove to the highway and headed north to Omaha. For personal reasons I had cancelled my appointment with the Henry Doorly Zoo but the issues had been resolved late Friday night and I decided to continue with the trip. About an hour south of Council Bluffs, IA, I realized that in my haste of getting everything ready to go, I had neglected to pack the deli cuts in ... read more

It's 1:56 a.m. as I write this post. Why am I up so late, you might ask? Because you all mean that much to me! That's right folks, I have put making sure I keep in contact with YOU ahead of packing. Did I mention I leave in two days? But that's the fun about a trip like this. I have spent 12 years of my life planning, organizing, preparing, studying, swimming, and generally working my butt off. Now it's time for me to just BE. While I'm in New Zealand, I'll work 4 days, then have 3 days off to travel and experience New Zealand outside of Wellington (where I'll be staying). A shout out to Grandma Wise for the quote of the day: "Wherever you are, make sure you're there." I fully intend on ... read more

Anna--THANK YOU! Your flags were awesome, and we wholeheartedly appreciated the "Happy Honeymoon" and "Best Wishes" on our drive down the lane. Love. Well, Iowa is beautiful. It may have a lot of corn and I might have been passed by several hog trucks on the highway, but it is still insanely beautiful. It is the "greenest of greens" as Zack would say. --JD Kicked the day off with a "Momma's Pancake Breakfast" from Cracker Barrel, with my momma and Jenn's momma-in-law. Stopped by dad's work and said goodbye to him, and then hit the interstate 80 way. First song of the trip was "I Will Possess Your Heart" by Death Cab for Cutie. Listen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVNAljC2kKM Quickly followed by the entirety of Weezer Blue...great start all around. Side note--don't go on the "Nature Trails" in ... read more

To Nate Duggins: They call it India. I guess it's a country. For my cousin and our good friend Eric Jones and to Everyone else: Picture yourself in the living room Your pipe and slippers set out for you I know you think that it ain't too far But I, I hear the call of a lifetime ring Felt the need to get up for it Oh, you cut out the middleman Get free from the middleman You got no time for the messenger Got no regard for the thing That you don't understand You got no fear of the underdog That's why you will not survive I wanna forget how convention fits But can I get out from under it? Can I cut it out of me? It can't all be wedding cake It can't ... read more

Oliver went on his first roadtrip! My mom, dad, and I left Denver on Wednesday evening and made it to Omaha on Thursday. The baby did so well. He cried for maybe an hour total. He met and loved Julie (as well as her French bulldog, Arthur) and Andy. On Friday, we took him to the Omaha Zoo! It's a very large and beautiful zoo, and we didn't get to see the whole thing. I look forward to taking him back one day. Here are some photos from the zoo trip. People kept saying Oliver looked like a teddy bear, and my dad would say, "He's not a teddy bear. He's an escaped bear, and we're taking him back." ... read more

I leave on Monday for Phuket, Thailand. This is a video illustrating what I am leaving.... read more

With this Monday being the week-away marker and this weekend being consumed by last visits to friends (though I will be coming back, I swear!), I'm finally starting to feel the pressure of getting ready to leave for the grand land of España. I'm dealing with things such as realizing my credit card expires in November, the headset I started shopping for at the beginning of the summer still hasn't gotten ordered, and I still need to buy that extra camera battery I keep telling myself I need. Oh yeah, and that whole packing for four months abroad thing. It's quite possible that on this, my third study abroad, I'm actually LESS prepared than the previous two times. Actually, it's probable. No matter! It will get done, I know this. Soon I will be climbing into ... read more