**Written in the car while driving from Lauren and Kyles place in Arkansas back up to Wichita **
Well we're on the road again. Just left Lauren and Kyles place after a fun few days in Rogers, Arkansas.
We arrived in Arkansas around dinner time on Tuesday and after the obligitary cup of coffee we got to Lauren and Kyles. Becca, Maria and Catherine came over and Kyle started to BBQ some food which promptly started a grease fire a few minutes later. Papa Johns it was :)
We had a few beers and played some catchphrase which started out as a very fun and light hearted game but ended up in an all out boys vs girls war. Needless to say the boys clinched it... Everyone was pretty wiped out so the girls went home and we had an early and relatively sober nights sleep.
While lauren and kyle were at work the next day we drove the 30 minutes down to the bar district of fayetteville for a few games of pool. We met a few old timers down there who had some stories to tell, reminded me just how warm and friendly the people of this country are. I guess the same holds true the world over though, no matter where you go you'll find honest decent people just making there way on down the road. We said our goodbyes at the bar and headed back up to Lauren and Kyles place to get cleaned up and go to Olive Garden for dinner. After having a meal that thankfully consisted of no meat at all we all drove back down to Fayetteville to meet Becca and Maria again. Few games of pool, few beers and a couple of Irish Carbombs later we called it quits. It was a same that we caught them all on a "school night" as im sure fayetteville would have been a riot during the weekends. Next time I suppose.
The trip is now rounding off and before long we'll be on our respective flights home, somehow I think we'll be back though. I count myself very fortunate to have been able to come back for the wedding and have the opportunity see some old friends. We've managed to pack quite a fair bit into what was a respectively short trip but it's hard not to feel kinda sad that we're heading home already, its like the Sunday night blues you get before you go back to work but a good 10 times worse.
***
Just up on our last morning here. After a quick shower and some breakfast Iain and I will start our 26 hour return trip, 6 hours of which spent as a layover in Chicago thankfully :)
Really dont want to leave these people behind, We'll have to think of an excuse to come back soon :)
Until then, take it easy guys.
Friday 19 November 2010
Tuesday 16 November 2010
Kansas City and crazy hillbillies!
We are now in Kansas City! We arrived around 5pm last night a little worse for wear, and met up with the one and only Adam Streit.
Long story short we met up with some Adams friends and hit a few bars. Good times all round. We also had some more BBQ for breakfast today and after getting cleaned up at Adam's we're going to head down to Arkansas to visit Lauren and Kyle again!
Anyway, i better go before the hangover kicks in and we start to vegetate...
Pictures to follow!
Long story short we met up with some Adams friends and hit a few bars. Good times all round. We also had some more BBQ for breakfast today and after getting cleaned up at Adam's we're going to head down to Arkansas to visit Lauren and Kyle again!
Anyway, i better go before the hangover kicks in and we start to vegetate...
Pictures to follow!
Sunday 14 November 2010
The morning after the night before
Well as hoped the wedding was fantastic. Beautiful ceremony followed by a fun reception with lots of friends and family. For the few of you who may be reading this I'll stick a post up later with some pictures which pretty much speak for themselves. We had quite a hazy morning after quite a few Shiner Bock's, a love for which we have rediscovered!
We have a car again although at quite a cost (circa $500 for 5 days :P) so we'll be heading up to Manhattan for a bit to meet Kalen and Rachel again.
**update - I thought I'd posted this yesterday but evidently not. We are now in Manhattan and I'm writing this from Kalen's place. We went out last with Kalen, Rachel and one of Kalen's flatmates Viet to have some pizza and a few beers. Being back at Gumbys was pretty surreal, in fact just being back in Manhattan itself was mental! We hit a few bars and met up with Will Engels, a friend of Kalens that we met last time we were over, but being a Sunday it was pretty quiet. Managed to stay out till around 1 then just called it.
So after a decent kip we're waiting for Iain to surface, again, and come back to Kalens. Just like old times. He stayed at Wills last night to get a decent couch as the last availble one here was a 2 seater. I did offer to take it but to no avail.
Anyway, I believe the plan is to get some lunch and head up to Kansas City to see Adam and a few other folk. After that we may head back down to Manhattan or before getting back to Wichita on Thursday for the trip home on Friday.
Its been a quick weekend but an absolute cracker and one we'd all do again in a heartbeat.
Heres a quick selection of pictures from the trip so far. I'll stick them all on facebook when i get some time, probably at the weekend at this rate.
We have a car again although at quite a cost (circa $500 for 5 days :P) so we'll be heading up to Manhattan for a bit to meet Kalen and Rachel again.
**update - I thought I'd posted this yesterday but evidently not. We are now in Manhattan and I'm writing this from Kalen's place. We went out last with Kalen, Rachel and one of Kalen's flatmates Viet to have some pizza and a few beers. Being back at Gumbys was pretty surreal, in fact just being back in Manhattan itself was mental! We hit a few bars and met up with Will Engels, a friend of Kalens that we met last time we were over, but being a Sunday it was pretty quiet. Managed to stay out till around 1 then just called it.
So after a decent kip we're waiting for Iain to surface, again, and come back to Kalens. Just like old times. He stayed at Wills last night to get a decent couch as the last availble one here was a 2 seater. I did offer to take it but to no avail.
Anyway, I believe the plan is to get some lunch and head up to Kansas City to see Adam and a few other folk. After that we may head back down to Manhattan or before getting back to Wichita on Thursday for the trip home on Friday.
Its been a quick weekend but an absolute cracker and one we'd all do again in a heartbeat.
Heres a quick selection of pictures from the trip so far. I'll stick them all on facebook when i get some time, probably at the weekend at this rate.
Saturday 13 November 2010
The day of the Wedding!
Good morning!
Its the day of the wedding and we've all just surfaced! Having a coffee and some breakfast then its time to see Lauren and Kyle getting hitched! Yeeehaw!
We had the rehearsal dinner last night which was great fun, everyone now knows their place and the general plan for how things are going down! After the official business was taken care of we retired to a room just between the chapel and the reception area for some more BBQ and beer! We'd already had some BBQ and beer for lunch that day while all the girls were out getting their nails done but we managed to keep some space for the evening of meat!
Rumours were flying with regards to our undergarment situation and I was even physically acosted by "Aunt Bobby"(70+)! Needless to say I'll definitely be on my guard this afternoon!
Well its about time to start getting showered and into our Kilts as we're leaving for the church in about an hour! I'll update the blog later on to let you know how it goes. I'm pretty sure its going to go smoothly though and be a very succesful start to what will undoubtedly be a long and happy life for Mr and Mrs Carlyle...
Its the day of the wedding and we've all just surfaced! Having a coffee and some breakfast then its time to see Lauren and Kyle getting hitched! Yeeehaw!
We had the rehearsal dinner last night which was great fun, everyone now knows their place and the general plan for how things are going down! After the official business was taken care of we retired to a room just between the chapel and the reception area for some more BBQ and beer! We'd already had some BBQ and beer for lunch that day while all the girls were out getting their nails done but we managed to keep some space for the evening of meat!
Rumours were flying with regards to our undergarment situation and I was even physically acosted by "Aunt Bobby"(70+)! Needless to say I'll definitely be on my guard this afternoon!
Well its about time to start getting showered and into our Kilts as we're leaving for the church in about an hour! I'll update the blog later on to let you know how it goes. I'm pretty sure its going to go smoothly though and be a very succesful start to what will undoubtedly be a long and happy life for Mr and Mrs Carlyle...
Thursday 11 November 2010
The Wedding
Well a long story short, we're back for Lauren and Kyles wedding!
After setting off around 7:30am on Wednesday from Glasgow and after numerous canceled flights we finally made it to Wichita at 10pm central standard time (4am GMT!).
A warm welcome from Lauren and Krista awaited us at the airport and then another from Rich and Elaine when we got back to the house. Felt like we'd never left :)
Not long up from a good sleep after a nice evening with both Lauren and Kyle's (The groom) family. Stayed up till the wee small hours (11pm... hey, I was travelling for a full day :P) eating chilli and drinking beer! Good times all round.
Today we're having leftover chili for breakfast, a BBQ for lunch then a nice sit down meal with family and friends after the wedding dress rehearsal! We also need to contact America Airlines about our return flights, looks like they may be cancelled like our London to Chicago flight was on the way over!
Anyway, have to get a shave and get ready for all the guys coming over for this BBQ!
Adios for now.
After setting off around 7:30am on Wednesday from Glasgow and after numerous canceled flights we finally made it to Wichita at 10pm central standard time (4am GMT!).
A warm welcome from Lauren and Krista awaited us at the airport and then another from Rich and Elaine when we got back to the house. Felt like we'd never left :)
Not long up from a good sleep after a nice evening with both Lauren and Kyle's (The groom) family. Stayed up till the wee small hours (11pm... hey, I was travelling for a full day :P) eating chilli and drinking beer! Good times all round.
Today we're having leftover chili for breakfast, a BBQ for lunch then a nice sit down meal with family and friends after the wedding dress rehearsal! We also need to contact America Airlines about our return flights, looks like they may be cancelled like our London to Chicago flight was on the way over!
Anyway, have to get a shave and get ready for all the guys coming over for this BBQ!
Adios for now.
Wednesday 8 July 2009
Reality
Its all going so quickly...
Its now almost August of 2009 and a year on from our trip. In the months after coming home we all settled back into life as we'd known it. Iain started working with Buro Happold, Stu got a job with Comet and I was destined to be job hunting for a good few months :)
Fast forward to the present day and Iains unforuntely been made unemployed, Stu's still working away and I've been in an IT job with the NHS in clydebank for a little over 3 months. Alot of the people we met in the states have graduated and moved on in their own ways which in itself is quite sad. I liked to imagine that they were all still in the same places doing there thing and that if we wanted we could go visit them at any time! But thats life.
Hopefully in the near future we'll all get the oppertunity to go back or do something like it again, guess we'll just have to wait and see!
Its now almost August of 2009 and a year on from our trip. In the months after coming home we all settled back into life as we'd known it. Iain started working with Buro Happold, Stu got a job with Comet and I was destined to be job hunting for a good few months :)
Fast forward to the present day and Iains unforuntely been made unemployed, Stu's still working away and I've been in an IT job with the NHS in clydebank for a little over 3 months. Alot of the people we met in the states have graduated and moved on in their own ways which in itself is quite sad. I liked to imagine that they were all still in the same places doing there thing and that if we wanted we could go visit them at any time! But thats life.
Hopefully in the near future we'll all get the oppertunity to go back or do something like it again, guess we'll just have to wait and see!
Wednesday 15 October 2008
Close
And so after 10,000 miles by car, 8 Flights, 5 Trains, 3 buses, countless subway systems, seemingly endless Econo Lodges, couches, spare beds, pullouts and the occasional hard wood floor for good measure the journey is over.
From East to West back again and all in between we’ve seen pretty much as much as physically possible with the time afforded to us by the good ole US government. As I write this we’re actually over the Atlantic maybe an hour or so from
As much as I hate to follow the clichéd path of describing this trip as the “incredible adventure that we’ll never forget” I’m helpless to resist! This really was one of those trips and we really won’t forget it! Haha! And while I’ve read travel blog’s and stories with similar cringe worthy summarisations like that of a bad movie I cant help but smile to myself as I follow suit.
I guess I view those endings with a different mind now though, a mind that forgives the childlike eagerness of the writer as they try to convey their euphoria of their experiences.
“All that noise all that sound, all these places I have found”
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