I'm back out West!

I'm back in Utah.  It feels as if I've never left this place!

I'm happy.

I had the best road trip a girl could ever ask for.

I was so, so worried about not being able to survive that.

It was the most peaceful experience ever!

I listened to a 9 1/2 hour-long audio book and my, how time flew by.

I was almost irritated when people would call and interrupt my book-listening...But then I remembered that those people love me and wanted to keep me company, so it was okay.

New York -> Pennsylvania -> Ohio -> Indiana -> Illinois -> Iowa -> Nebraska -> Colorado -> Utah

5 new states to cross off on my list of never-have-been-to states.

Illinois was my least favorite to drive through.

In Iowa, we visited the largest truck stop in the world.  We met a trucker who was playing with a remote control car.  He was from Buffalo.  Let's just say, after the stories he told us of sliding sideways on the freeway in the snow and how awesome it was, I will never trust a truck driver for as long as I live.

World's Largest Truck Stop: The museum.

In Nebraska, we visited the Great Platte River Road Archway, which stretches across and over I-80 in Kearney.  It's a $64-million dollar archway.  The people who invested hired Disney World theme park designers to make it one sweet, sweet museum.  It made Nebraska bearable.

Platte River Road Archway:  The entrance to the museum.

Platte River Road Archway: The first room in the museum.  The walls/ceiling changed weather.  Pretty cool.

In Rifle, Colorado, I finally (so long-overdue- try 4 years) got to meet my friend Kari and her daughter Piper.  It was SUCH a fun visit!  We walked around town and just enjoyed each other's company.  It seriously felt like we had already met, we know so much about each other.  She was so kind to invite us into her home.

(Can you believe I didn't get a picture of this?!?! - so upsetting!!)

Burt was a trooper and drove the whole entire rest of the way from Chicago...And I didn't sleep once.  We had too much fun for me to sleep!

I'm now sitting in my old roommate's living room.  So happy to be back here again!

BONUS ROUND:

Pictures/video of cats and dogs to make you smile.

My mom's cat Frankie got bored when we were cleaning out the basement.  He decided to climb the pipes and posed for me.

Taz on a field trip to PetSmart.  Apparently he was a fan of the guinea pig.

I miss my boyfriend, Taz.  This was what I got to watch all summer:  He is quite the avid hunter.

Until next time.