Greyhound #2: Big Spring, TX

When you do not take an express bus, you make a lot of stops in small towns on your route to pick people up or drop them off or whatever. Katie and I did not take an express bus, so we stopped in Pecos, TX and Midland and Big Spring and Sweetwater and Abilene until our driver who got on in Abilene said we wouldn't stop again till Fort Worth. Anyways, by the time we got to Big Spring, Katie and I had fallen asleep, but were woken up when the bright overhead lights came on and the bus driver shouted where we were over the PA system. We woke up and after everyone got off the bus for their smoke break, we stood up and stretched for a bit. We had no intentions of getting off because it was 10PM in a sketchy part of a small town and also because of the truck in the picture. It's not a great picture because I took it with my phone through the bus window, but this truck had a sign on the side of it that listed different food products for sale and a single flashing yellow light. Oh yea, and if you wanted to order food, you had to go into the truck where there were no lights. Are you kidding me? I believe that is the definition of sketch! On top of that, the truck operator had a PA system of his own and was shouting, "Hamburgers! Hot dogs! Tacos! Burritos!" over it. The whole thing was so ridiculous and I was so tired that all I wanted to do was go back to sleep. Finally, everyone got back on the bus and we were off to Sweetwater.

Moral of the story: Avoid sketchy trucks that try to sell you food. Especially at 10 o'clock at night.

Greyhound #1: El Paso and Border Patrol

Recently, I had the pleasure and honor of being in a dear friend's wedding in South Carolina. How I got there was a totally different story. My friend Katie and I decided to take a Greyhound bus to South Carolina because it was by far the cheapest route. The bus was $189 for a round-trip from ElPaso, TX to Charleston, SC while everything else was $400 and up...including the train. So on Wednesday, December 15, we departed from El Paso on the bus heading to Charleston. These next few blog posts are about all of the crazy characters we met and events that took place on the 2-day bus ride there and 2-day bus ride back.

We left El Paso at 12:40PM on the 15th and it was a trip from the beginning. Katie and I got our tickets then headed into the terminal to wait for our bus. Keep in mind that we were both in sweats with our hair all wet because we had just showered. All of a sudden, this guy starts hollering at us. "Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey!" We ignored him until he came over to us. "Hey, so, uh, we just were wonderin' if we could take a pitcha' with y'all because we just wanna have some proof that we know some models." Katie and I looked at each other and I wanted to roll my eyes so badly. I mean, we seriously looked like crap and this guy is saying we're models? Please! So I laughed and told him no thanks, then he says, "Come on girl! We need the curls!" I laughed again and said no thanks, then we decided to go back out to the parking lot and wait in our friend Tori's car. Our bus finally got there and we loaded our luggage underneath then got on the bus. By the time we got on the bus, everyone had taken their seats and there were no double seats left. So Katie and I made our way to the back looking for some seats and a guy asked us if we wanted to sit. We got excited until we realized that he was moving over so that one of us could sit there. I didn't think it was a big deal, but I wasn't thinking about the fact that we would have to sleep next to these people we didn't know. Don't worry though...Katie was thinking about it. There was one girl sitting in the 3-seater in the back so we decided to just sit with her because at least we'd be together. However, she told Katie she was waiting for someone. This is how the conversation went.

Katie: Hey, we were just wondering if the two of us could sit back here with you.

Girl: Oh uh well I'm waiting for someone. Uh, I think he's in the front.

Katie: In the very front seat on the right?

Girl: Oh yea tha's him. You can send him back here.

Katie: Ok, what's his name?

Girl: Psh, I dunno.

Katie: (makes her way to the front) Hey there's a girl in the back who says she's waiting for you.

-Guy looks to the back. Girl in the back waves and yells, "Heeeeyyyy!"-

Guy: (turns to Katie) Don't touch my s***. (Heads to the back to sit with the girl)

So finally, Katie and I are able to sit in the front together and relax. Our bus driver then began to make his announcements which included announcing that there would be no smoking, no drinking, and no sex on the bus. Definitely a good way to start the trip.

Now for the next part, I have to give a bit of a back story. While I was packing, I decided to lock my suitcases while on the bus. I already had 2 luggage locks, but I didn't have keys for them. So my roommate, Olivia, and I looked up how to pick a luggage lock on the internet. We made a makeshift key out of a paperclip and I decided to use it on my backpack that I would be carrying onto the bus. I bought 2 locks with keys from the store for my other 2 bags. As we're heading east in the bus, we were stopped by border patrol. Two officers came on the bus. Apparently a lady in the back of the bus got up because one of the officers firmly yelled, "Sit down ma'am! Everyone remain in your seats." They walked through the bus, got off, then came back on and asked to see everyone's ID's and tickets. Unfortunately, I had decided to take a nap before we were stopped and stuck my wallet with my ID and my tickets in my backpack, which I locked and was planning to unlock with the makeshift paperclip key. Of course, for the first time on the trip, the makeshift key decided not to work, preventing me from opening my backpack so I could present my ID and ticket to the border patrol officer. I looked up at the officer in front of me and asked if he had anything that could pick a lock.

Border Patrol Officer (BPO): Why would you need to pick a lock?

Me: Well, I don't have a key for my luggage lock on this bag so my roommate and I looked up how to pick a lock on the internet last night...

BPO: (looks at me questionably)

Me: Ok this is coming out poorly. My wallet with my ID and tickets is in the bag which I locked with a luggage lock. My other 2 bags have locks with keys, but I needed one more lock for this bag and this lock was on another bag and I didn't have a key for it. So I picked the lock with a paperclip and put it on this bag and it has been working all day until this point.

BPO: (looks at my luggage tag) And your wallet is in here?

Me: Yes.

BPO: (takes out his knife and pops the lock off my bag)

Needless to say, the lock was broken after this and I did not lock this bag again. After this happened, I was able to get my wallet out and prove that I was who I was and show him my tickets. After that, Katie and I could not stop laughing.

Moral of the story: Sometimes I'm smart and sometimes, I don't quite think things through...it's generally better to be smart.

This is only within the first few hours of the trip. I'll try to keep the other stories short, but be prepared for some interesting and entertaining stories and maybe a few pictures!

Just remember to stay smart and don't lock your luggage when you don't have a key!

Hello, my friend

Oh my! As of today, I have neglected this thing for 4 months! I guess part of it is because I don't feel like I have anything noteworthy to write about and also, this is the first chance I've had to just relax for the past 4 months. This semester has been crazy, exhausting, quick, hard, busy, and full of ups and downs. As of Wednesday afternoon, all that was finished, and now, I officially have one semester of college left! I cannot believe it's almost here! This is something I've dreamed about for so long and now I'm actually making plans and getting stuff all figured out! I know that in the end, it'll be really bittersweet, but now, I'm just flat out excited!

The plan is to leave this beautiful place I call home and venture into something totally new - a city. I was born in Plano, moved to a small town in Maryland when I was 6, and moved to Albuquerque when I was 14. After 8 wonderful years in New Mexico, I'm packing up and moving to Dallas. Why? I'm not quite sure. It's a fresh start and it's familiar, but the unfamiliar part is that I'll be on my own. I'm excited to start planning everything over the next six months and pumped to see all that God has in store. He moved me to New Mexico for a reason and has taught me so much in my time here. It is strange to think that in just six months, I will leave the place where I truly grew up - physically, mentally, and spiritually. He has given me a fantastic group of believers as friends who are so passionate for the Word and some of them are already living in Dallas! I'm heading out there for spring break to visit and I cannot wait! I am thrilled to start this new chapter of my life with Jesus leading the way. He truly is my Rock and my Light and I cannot imagine life without Him. I am so thankful for all of the lessons He has taught me and all of blessings He has so graciously given me. His love and mercy and grace have pulled me out of the pit time and time again. He is so good.

I am currently praying for a roommate for when I go out there. I honestly have no problems living by myself in a studio apartment or loft somewhere just outside of the city, but I also know it would be easier financially and socially if I had a roommate. I am just about as social as they come, but it would be great to have someone to go out with. I would love to bring my current roommate with me, but unfortunately, she has one more semester of school left after I graduate. I am dreading leaving her because God placed her in my life at the perfect time and she has truly become one of my best friends. We know each other so well and I'm going to be so sad when I don't live with her anymore. Anyways, if you're reading this, I ask that you would start praying for a roommate for me for Dallas. I want to move at the end of May/beginning of June, so it would be great if I found one before then. I am also super pumped to attend the Village Church in Dallas and to start getting involved there. God is doing great things through the Acts 29 movement and it will be so neat to be able to experience it first hand.

Before any of that happens though, I still have one more semester. I have 3 classes left for my major and the rest are workout classes. I'm taking jazz 2, ballet 2, beginning weight training, and pilates. It's going to be great! But even before that, I have my Christmas break. On Saturday, I'll go to Tuscon with my parents, come back on Sunday, then stay in Las Cruces until Wednesday the 15th. On that day, I will leave for Charleston, South Carolina on a Greyhound bus. I know it's going to be quite an experience, so I'm definitely going to blog about it and post pictures! But get this-!- they have wi-fi on the bus and plugs! At least I can update this thing right from the bus! After 2 days on the bus, I'll arrive in Charleston for my friend Nicole's wedding! I'll get there on Friday morning, get ready, hang out all day, then do the rehearsal and the dinner that night. The wedding will be on Saturday and I am so privileged to be a part of this special occasion. I'll leave Charleston on Sunday night and get back to El Paso around noon on Tuesday. Then, I'll drive back to Las Cruces, pick up some things, and will FINALLY be on my way home to Albuquerque for the break! I'll spend the holidays with my wonderful family, and on New Year's Day, I get to celebrate my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary! Then, after 2 more weeks, school starts again on January 13th. Bleh! I don't even want to think about that right now! I am, however, looking forward to this much needed break from school. I'm excited to talk theology with my mom and football with my dad, to shop with my sister, and to (hopefully) see my brothers and their band perform! It is going to be a jam-packed, but phenomenal, winter break.

Until next time, remember to eat a little something out of all of the food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup.