Blogs from Virginia, United States, North America

So I have finally begun packing, yet still it's challenging not to do the usual wait till the last night to get everything done routine. I probably should have done a little more research and planning, o well I guess I'm going to stick with my original plan to just wing it. I have 90 days to stay in the eu so Im going to have to make my time there count... And just head to Asia a little sooner that I had planned. All part of the adventure. So the plan as of now (everything is subject to change ((the whole winging concept))) is to begin my trip by flying into Belgium for the first 2 weeks of June and spending a little time with mamma Taylor. Then I head to Amsterdam to eithier watch ... read more

With yet another day of severe jet lag and suffering from the time difference, I spent the day at Arlington National Cemetary. What an amazing experience! I was to touched, honored and inspired by this hallowed ground. Speechless from the stretches of white tombstones, I think every American should visit this place. I took the easy way out and opted to purchase a ticket for the tram. With very sore feet from the day before, I was grateful for the tram ride. The first stop was JFK's gravesite, on the bottom of the hillside below Arlington House and marked by the Eternal Flame that Jackie and RFK lit at Kennedy's funeral. It was a solemn, peaceful, and reflective place. So much lost. I immediately thought of my dad and all my years of him remembering the ... read more

Bah, humbug! (Informational) Irene is still giving me fits. The route I uploaded had me driving all the way to the Prince William Forest RV Campground in Dumfries VA on non-Interstate roads. The first thing Irene did was take me to an I-64 onramp. I might have to call Garmin. Tuesday, April 10, 2012 was a beautiful day, but the wind was miserable. Gusts really made me work behind the wheel – especially when an eighteen wheeler passed me. The aerodynamics on those babies is such that the Pilgrim gets shoved around quite a bit even on a calm day. I really would rather have been where the semis weren’t. The trip itself and setup were uneventful, but the wind continued to blow pretty steadily through the evening hours. Wednesday was overcast and cool so I ... read more

Getting started... Well, folks, I am taking a moment to set up what will become my summer blog where I will post pictures and updates about my time in Arusha. This may be an obvious attempt to ignore the prospect of impending finals, but it is also going to be where I will try to create some sort of cogent account of my experiences as the summer progresses. I will probably start posting in the week or so leading up to the trip as I attempt to get ready to go and I will try to post at least once a week while I am gone (with LOTS of pictures).... read more

This will be my first trip alone in a few years. It has come full circle, since my first solo adventure to Trinidad in 2001, ending with the devastating tragedy of 9/11/01. Months ago, I decided that Sri Lanka would be the best place to buy a gem for an engagement ring for my then current girlfriend. While watching Globetrekker, we discovered that Sri Lanka was one of the biggest exporters of precious gems. Thus the seed was planted. Since I don't support the diamond industry, it made sense. I made it clear from the get go that diamonds should not be expected because of the way in which they are mined and controlled. However, precious gems like rubies, pink sapphires, and emeralds were all fair game! She wanted love, not jewelry, so she excitedly agreed. ... read more

I laid out my route from Wanchese NC to Williamsburg VA on MapQuest and downloaded it to my Garmin so I could avoid the freeway congestion around Norfolk VA. All was going well. Although the backdrop was rural interspersed with small urban pockets, the drive on April 3, 2012 was relaxing and enjoyable. (Informational) Irene was taking me on the route I had planned. I wanted to exit from I-664 onto US 17/VA 626 and take US 17 over the James River via a bridge (where I could enjoy the skyline and the river activity) instead of using the Interstate route via a bridge/tunnel. Since I had been advised that RVs must turn off propane tanks before entering the tunnel, just as must be done on the ferries in North Carolina, I had turned off my ... read more

Tegen de tijd dat we aankwamen op het Cranwell International Center (net buiten de campus), had ik er maar een paar uur geslapen, maar zou het nog maar een dagje uit moeten houden. Na een kleine check-in procedure, waarin ik contactgegevens in geval van nood moest invullen enzo, kon ik aan een lange checklist met dingen beginnen die ik moest regelen. Met een motel op een minuut of 30 lopen van de campus vandaan als uitvalsbasis (werd gelukkig elke ochtend opgehaald met een busje) was het een drukke week, waarin ik heel snel veel vrienden wist te maken. Huisvesting Belangrijkste – en meest verwarrende – punt was natuurlijk huisvesting. Ten tijde van mijn aanvraag had ik aangegeven dat ik graag op de campus zou willen wonen. Niks meer van gehoord, maar ik weet dat de aanvraag ... read more

De universiteit bevindt zich in een klein stadje in het westen van Virginia, aan de oostkust van de Verenigde Staten. Blacksburg heeft in totaal slechts 40.000 inwoners, waarvan zo’n 25.000 studenten. Toch heeft de universiteit totaal geen moeite om de meer dan 66.000 plaatsen in het footballstadion te vullen, aangezien de Hokies één van de favoriete college football teams zijn. Helaas vinden alle wedstrijden tijdens het herfstsemester plaats en loop ik dat dus net mis. Het leven is rustig en iedereen is ontzettend vriendelijk, typisch voor het Zuiden van de VS. Met een stuk of zes bars, wat kleine winkels en restaurantjes zijn er niet echt veel dingen te doen, maar iedereen weet zich hier toch prima te vermaken. Mijn leven hier bestaat vooral uit studeren, sporten, feesten/uitgaan en hier en daar een beetje de toerist ... read more