So I made a big mistake the day before this trip, and I continued it this morning. Shoes. That's right - new shoes. Specifically new hiking boots. I bought them because, well, I plan on hiking through a good bit of jungle during the next 10 days, and I thought some waterproof, high durability, high top shoes would be the best option. I was wrong. Or partly wrong. If I had had time to break them in, or if they weren't oddly constructed, then maybe I wouldn't have massive blisters in at least 4 spots on my feet. At least 2 on each foot, maybe more, but only time will tell. Alas, that made part of my day in Chicago (one of my favorite American cities, in spite of the so-called carnage) more miserable than I ... read more

One of the greatest experiences in the history of college football is the Cotton Bowl, and now I can say I've seen it live. I started my master's degree in Science Education at Western Michigan University back in September. I had no idea that they would do as well as they did; few people outside the program itself probably had any inclination that the team would go undefeated in the regular season, win their conference championship, and then play in the Cotton Bowl. That was a pipe dream, but it was as good as anyone could hope for. And now, here we are on January 2, 2017, and the WMU Broncos did all of those things. Last year was the first bowl game win ever for the program, and this year they break through and go ... read more

I had heard about this town in numerous media - songs, TV, writings, etc. So when I saw that it was a great stopping point on my way between the Liberty Bowl and the Cotton Bowl, I decided to take the opportunity to explore. I've visited Kansas City, another city that's split between two states, but I think Texarkana - as the name implies - embraces that dual identity better. The city seems to be centered around State Line Ave, a street that literally divides the town down the border between Texas and Arkansas. The Post Office is also right on that border, and it's a great tourist trap for photographers. They've set up a "photographer's island" in front of the Post Office just for that purpose, so that you're not in the middle of the ... read more

I've made it back home now, after driving over 4500 miles in the past 19 days. I enjoyed the slower pace of the past 48 hours. Once I got to the Cincinnati Reds game on Tuesday night, the trip really became a leisurely affair. Isn't that how vacation should be? I guess we tend to try and pack as much into our off-time as we can, and sometimes that makes us even more exhausted than when we left. I was glad to have the time over the final two days of my trip to wind down and feel a bit more relaxed. Now that I'm back in Athens, I have a lock-in with the youth group tomorrow night from 6PM-8AM and then have to be on call for Sunday School the next day at church. So ... read more

Another day of driving and baseball. I've hit the home stretch of this trip, since I'm now back in America and every place I visit brings me closer to where I started - Georgia. I woke up in Canada but was back in the US before noon. It's been a 3-state-and-1-province day, and I now find myself in my first hotel room since my first night in Canada. And only the third of the whole trip. I've never seen this part of Ohio before, but it really does look like most of the rest of it. Checking out of my dorm this morning was a painless process. I was out of the parking deck before 8AM and heading south towards Niagara Falls. I've seen the falls twice before, once from each national side; the Canadian side ... read more