About Me

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I'm Kassandra an Oregon girl at heart. Attorney at Law. My parents are both U.S. army veterans and continue to serve in the military in other capacities. I have four brothers (two older, two younger) and three sisters (all younger). I love each of them for all of their individualities and their commitments to the examples set by our parents. Aside from my family, I have several friends who mean a great deal to me. Notable are my best friend from high school and my best friend from college, I'm strong in analytical thinking. I am able to process things from several viewpoints simultaneously. I'm open and honest. Note: I'm interested in receiving feedback on this blog, but I request that the comments pertain to the actual blog itself, and I do not approve anonymous comments.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

loving lincoln!

actually, i'm loving the area about 15 minutes outside of lincoln, nebraska. i arrived at the airport very early last thursday and have had the most wonderful several days with my grandparents on dad's side.

we've had two big barbecues the past couple of days, one at their house and another at my aunt and uncle's house. many of my cousins here are close to my age and it's been amazing meeting them, many for the first time in person. before this trip, the only cousins i've really met repeatedly are my uncle Mike's (dad's brother), who live in southern california.

it's a very surreal feeling knowing about these people and having heard their names, yet not ever actually meeting them. it was the same thing with my cousins in new mexico. it's been a real eye opener of the people i've been missing out on. i hope this propels me to improve and continue these 'new' relationships.

early monday morning, my grandparents, an aunt, a cousin and i are taking a two-day road trip, which could take us through as many as five states.

we're starting out going south into kansas, then east into missouri. knowing that i've already seen the rio grande river when i was in new mexico, my grandfather feels it only appropriate that we continue through missouri to the mississippi river. i actually am hoping we can make a quick run across the river into illinois (just to say i've been there)! from there, the plan is to head up to des moines, iowa. my cousin, Stacey, lives there and has promised to put us all up for the night.

on tuesday, we'll head back into nebraska. we've mapped it and there's about 10 hours of driving time monday (we're leaving at 5:30 a.m.), and about three hours on the way back. i'm told this is a relatively quick trip around the block, so we should have some time to stop in each place and take a look around.

something i'm also doing is taking a dirt sample from each state which i've visited. it started with hawaii, and continued during the first leg of my vacation. it strikes me as very strange that by the time i'm finished this summer, i'm going to have dirt from 13 states -- and that's just this summer.

this vacation is very special to me, but i'm very much missing my own family. i've video chatted with them several times, but there's nothing like being there. when i get back, i will only have a few weeks before i go off to college. that thought -- and the feeling of missing them -- continues to grow in the forefront of my mind. my family is very special to me and i fear i'm not handling the impending separation from them very well. i shall attempt to address that in a future blog.

for now, i'm looking forward to the next couple of days!

~ Kassandra

16 comments:

  1. Quick trip? There is nothing quick about 13 hours of driving. lol. But to hit that many states i guess it is. As i stated before, the dirt is strange but super cool and unique. Glad to hear you've got to chat with your family while you're away. you'll handle the separation great. it will be hard but i think you'll transition well. well have a good little road trip!

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  2. well, only 10 ours of it is today. we've made really good time and right now we're about two hours from illinois, and the mississippi river. i'm really looking forward to that. ahh, loving the mobile internet! if you think the dirt is strange, then you should hear about the water from the rio grande and the mississippi rivers! lol

    ~ Kassandra

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  3. whoa whoa what? you collected water too? haha that's priceless. mobile internet? are you posting from your phone or is it one of those wifi phone company sticks?

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  4. relax; it's only two viles of water! well, NOW it's two lol! the mississippi river is friggin huge! omg it's totally amazing! i'm doing this from my phone. i have my netbook with me, but along the road, it's the phone. we just got into des moines. it's cute. we're going to have dinner, then Stacey is going to take me and my other cousin to a club she likes (says there are lots of cute guys there!). we didn't go through kansas today; my grandma told me we'd go and have lunch in marysville wednesday before i go to the airport to head to california.

    ~ Kassandra

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  5. well ya it's huge...it's the Mississippi lol. but that's sweet that you're doing it from your phone. that means i still get to talk to you, which is pretty awesome :) I've never been to des moines. i have a friend who is from there and i've heard it's a pretty good town. clubbin?? uh oh. you never know how that will turn out. I hear Iowa's club scene is crazy..HAHA.

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  6. damn boy, you could have told me about those iowa partiers earlier! the thing is, we only went to one club, but it rocked! totally hot midwest guys and, being a lady, i probably should say no more. ot was cool because there were four of us hirls (me, my cousins Stacey and Rebecca, and Stacey's roommate, Constance). hmmm ... i may just have to blog about it later. at least we weren't drinking which means i'm only tired, not hungover! lol

    ~ Kassandra

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  7. haha well that's good to know. at least you were smart enough not to drink so you were hungover on your trip lol. so what's this about being a lady and midwest guys? haha. you are so crazy.

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  8. i'm not crazy (uh hum ... at least that's not in My username! lol). i'm a good girl with an occasional wild side. i'm not going to talk yet about it, though i don't think anyone would call me a lady if they knew what really happened lol! we figured it wouldn't be a good idea to stumble into Stacy's apartment at 3:30 in the morning all drunk with my grandparents and aunt there! lol

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  9. or not to stumble in all drunk because you are a good girl and want to enjoy your summer trip lol. but do i really want to know what really went down?? hmmmm...kinda lol. you can email that info ;) anyways, where are you now? and when do you head back home?

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  10. it's not that big a deal that i may have hooked up with a guy the night in des moines, i'll probably mention it in another blog. i'm in lincoln. we skipped kansas the other day, but my grandmother and i are going down to marysville today for lunch and shopping, then she's going to take me by some of the bigger farms around this area. (my request). i leave late tonight for my brother's in san francisco where i'm going to stay through sunday morning. my appointment with my counselor at school is friday. should really give props to my mom who helped me schedule everything so efficiently!

    ~ Kassandra

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  11. Yea I'll say! Your schedule seems to have been spot on. Well sounds like today will be fun for you. G-Ma time! Have a safe flight tonight!

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  12. it's really simple actually. we set the counselor appointmet first, then backtracked it from there. no problem at all. my flight leaves in a little while, so thanks!

    ~ Kassandra

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  13. hey, working from the end to the beginning is brilliant! you're welcome. enjoy san fran!

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  14. i don't know about brilliant, but we did have leeway from my grandparents' standpoint. so it worked. i don't know if we're doing anything in san francisco, though maybe Brian, his fiance and i will do something. flight boards in 40 minutes! ooh, i just realized i'll be in minnesota after all. that's where my layover is! i need to fins a way to get some dirt!

    ~ Kassandra

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  15. haha you'll leave the terminal just to get that dirt! you don't care if you have to go through security again lol.

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  16. lol i am going to try and get some from a planter just outside some door, if i can. yes though, i will go through security again if i have to! :P

    ~Kassandra

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