National Parks Pass

Dear National Parks Annual Pass,
It's been a great year. You entered our lives last August when we went rock climbing in the Uinta National Forest. What fun we've had together since, and worth every penny. Sometimes it was fun to drive through entrance stations just to show you off.
I have so many memories of you and all the places you took us this year.
~Uinta National Forest: multiple times for climbing and hiking
~Lake Powell: twice
~Zion
~Arches/Canyonlands: multiple trips
~Grand Canyon
~Devils Tower
~Muir Woods
~Rocky Mountain

And many other national parks and monuments, but they didn't always make us pay, or made us pay anyway (Mt. Rushmore--free entrance but pay to park). But I proudly showed you anyway. I look forward to the next pass (although its picture on the front isn't as good as yours) because without you I would have nothing to blog about.
With love,
kp

(PS Don't let this picture fool you, my friend Brian was so embarrassed when I took this picture of the trip that the pass paid for itself)

The Ups and Down

So I've already addressed some of the perks of traveling when your mom is one of the flight attendants. Now I have to address the more unpleasant side of that coin. When your mom is working the flight, you pretty much have to do anything any of the flight attendants ask you to do. Even if that thing is trading seats with a disgruntled passenger because he was assigned to sit next to a rather...large...woman. And there were no empty seats on the flight. Now I don't want to offend any of the demographics who may read my blog, but it made for a very unpleasant 5 hour flight. The arm rest couldn't go down because she was in half of my seat, she took up all of the leg room, when she would doze off her arm would flop onto my leg, and the smell. My mom did bring me some coffee, not that I drink it, but so I could inhale it. In this woman's defense, she was very nice and pleasant and under different circumstances I wouldn't even be telling you about her.

The upside of this story, is that my mom (and all the flight attendants) felt so bad for me that when the fasten seat belt light wasn't on, my mom had made me a little seat in the first class galley from a box and table linen where I could sit enjoy a little arm and leg room. With flight attendants contantly offering me extra drinks and treats. And then they put me to work serving drinks.

Make A Wish

A few weeks ago my cousin got to go to Hawaii with her family as her wish was granted from Make-A-Wish Foundation. My cousin was kind enough to invite me along. I've been to Hawaii a few times, but it was a little more exciting this time with these kids. They had never seen the ocean! I ended up flying over alone, and getting a rental car by myself so I could also do my own thing. It was actually a weird feeling and I felt a little homesick. I've traveled a lot, but never completely alone; I've never rented a rental car. And I've never been to Hawaii without my own family. I daresay, I missed them.