1st of November: We walked from the IICD Campus to the close by road M-62, from where we started Hitchhiking towards Cleveland, so our goal was app. 420miles. The first ride we got from an afro-american lady, who spends her time with lots of volunteer work to Elkhart, INDIANA. From there we have been picked up by a guy named Hans Heintzelman, who has Irish forefathers. He and his little son took us to Angola,IN. Kent, who was driving us to Oakshade,OH gave us the experience of driving in and old big american Buick. After we got stuck for a while [View Full Entry]

---

---

The flight to Cleveland was exciting. I hadn’t seen Kazzy in over 5 months by this point so I was pretty anxious on the plane. I didn’t realise but for whatever reason, the connecting flight from Chicago was actually different to the one I booked online. Don’t know why the airline did this but it meant my transit was longer and poor old Kazzy was stuck waiting at the airport for 2 hours longer that she should have. Sorry Kazzy. It meant I didn’t end up getting in till about 11pm but who cares, I made it. Was great to finally [View Full Entry]

---

---

So far, so good. We made it to the outskirts of Cleveland, OH. We thought about going farther, but all the graduation debauchery was catching up to us. Pizza is on the way and we're settling in for the night. Some day 1 highlights: - We left at 2:48, Sarah's eyes closed for the first time at 3:17. - Diana likes to inform the other drivers that we are, in fact, pulling a UHAUL!!!!! - Sarah is allergic to Pennsylvania. - We received a crash course in toll booths....our 5lb change purse will do no good when it costs $10-20! - [View Full Entry]

---

---

8:00am - Planned departure time 9:05am - Actual departure time 9:07am - Second official unplanned scenic detour So we are finally back on the right road (thank goodness for iPhones!). Our ultimate destination for the day is Rochester MN with a couple fun stops in between. We are hoping to get in about 11 or 12 hours of driving and at least a few chapters of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. More later and hopefully some pictures at some point. [View Full Entry]

---

---

Hey gang! The Travel Blog is back! :) I'm not going to be on the other side of the globe this time (though that trip does need to be repeated eventually...), but I'm going to have a completely different cultural experience this summer. (For my new readers: During Summer 2007, I chaperoned for the Oberlin Choristers trip to Sydney and New Zealand... and played the piano in the Sydney Opera House (AMAZING.) ... those entries are still attached, if you're interested...) My graduate program here at KSU requires several internship experiences before graduation; we are also encouraged to [View Full Entry]

---

---

Hello Interwebz, Have you seen the weather report? Apparently, there are a line of storms between Cleveland and Newark. I only slept 2.5 hours last night and an hour at my grandma's house. I'm hoping I sleep for most of the 7 hour flight between Newark and New Jersey. I'll talk to you soon. May not be able to update in New Jersey because we'll have to rush to the gate. -Kristen [View Full Entry]

---

---

This past Wednesday, Somali pirates captured the Mearsk-Alabama; the ship carries the flag of the United States. The ship, which was carrying twenty crewmembers, is now a FBI crime scene as a result of the ordeal. Apparently the courageous crew risked their life and limbs by fighting back; one crew member successfully stabbed a Somali pirate with an ice pick. The heroic captain selflessly gave himself over to the pirates so that his crew would be left unharmed; the pirates left the ship to the crew and boarded a covered lifeboat with their captive. This brave soul, Captain Richard Phillips, a [View Full Entry]

---

---

We drove to Cleveland on March 31st. We will leave April 13th for New York. [View Full Entry]

---

---

On March 4th, an Ohio man, twenty-eight year old Kile Wygle (that is his real name), was charged with a DUI after he crashed his motorized bar stool. The contraption was basically a barstool attached to old lawn mower parts; the man had added a steering wheel and used it to cruise. Kile ended up with some injuries, which is not surprising considering he told the police that he had consumed 15 beers that day. He also told police that his motorized barstool could go up to thirty-eight miles an hour! You can avoid having to DIY and getting a DUI [View Full Entry]

---

---

Obama is asserting his strength to the automakers with a push to make changes in the auto industry in exchange for bailout funds. The automakers would have to agree to make big changes in their industry in order to benefit from billions more in bailout funds. With bankruptcy looming over their heads, company leaders may have little choice in the matter. This comes after the ousting of GM Chairman and Chief Executive Rick Wagoner this past weekend. Experts say that if bankruptcy, which is a last resort option, does occur, court proceedings could be used to separate the automakers’ failin [View Full Entry]

---

---