Come home, TomTom

All I can think about today is my missing TomTom charger. Which means all I'm going to write about today is my missing TomTom charger.

Here's the deal. That TomTom and I have been through a lot. A few summers ago, I made an epic road trip from good ol' Michigan to Seattle. Coast to coast. Alone. Did I mention I planned this road trip in oh, two days?

The first day was brutal. I stopped somewhere in the middle of Illinois after getting on and off the same highway exits for about 45 minutes (Literally. When I realized I was just going in circles on the same clover-shaped highway exit paths I broke out in instant tears.). I pulled into a CVS and called my boyfriend at the time, sobbing. Straight up sobbing. 

"I can't do this," I blubbered, "Everything is really hot and fuzzy and I don't feel good and I just feel like I'm gonna pass out. And I'm clammy. And I have a fever. Oh my god I think I'm sick. Oh my god. How can I do this?"

"Autumn," he said calmly, "Is your AC on?"

Oh. Remember that summer? The great summer of country-wide heat wave when the electric companies literally shut off power for a few hours each day because they were overheating their machines? You know, that one. I had been driving in that god-awful heat wave (97 degrees at the time?) for four hours with no AC. 

Once I got the AC on, I made my second mistake of the day by hitting the 'refresh' button on my iPhone map. Insert fresh round of sobbing when my map and directions completely disappeared because I was in the middle of nowhere and not connected to the right network (who goes on a cross-country road trip with just their iPhone?!?!?!). This time, I called my parents sobbing who insisted that I stop at the next major town and get a real GPS. The next major town: Hannibal, MO. 

Every stereotype you have ever heard, and more. I pulled over at a gas station and interrupted the female cashier (missing four teeth, leather skin, smoker voice) and a nice young man (missing one tooth, freckled skin, cowboy hat) chatting.

"Excuse me," I said. "Do you have a Best Buy around here?"

"A what?" she said.

"A Best Buy? You know...like a technology store." She stared. "I need to buy a GPS? I'm taking a road trip?"

"Ohhhh...no we ain't got one of those anywhere around here. But we do have a WalMart. They should have most everything you need."

I took down some directions from her and was about to leave when she literally jumped up on the counter, reached over, and grabbed my necklace "Wellll lookeeeee here!" she shouted, "That right there is a real pretty necklace! I've never seen such a thing before!"

Now I don't know about you, but after driving for four hours with no AC, getting lost countless times, and pulling into the world's sketchiest gas station in America's most poorly named city, the last thing your heart needs is some woman you've never met grabbing at your necklace. Surprisingly, she genuinely did just want to compliment my crucifix (praise Jesus!) and send me on my way with well wishes. In the end, I got my TomTom and everything after that was relatively smooth sailing.

The point is, TomTom, I went through a LOT to get you, and I can't quit you even though sometimes you try to be a straight up biatch and send me into the middle of nowhere Wyoming (still hatin' on that, yep). And now, you're gone from me. I have a road trip this weekend across four states, and I need you. I need you, boo. I can picture you shivering, alone and cold, in my ex-boyfriend's mother's car. I hope she treats you right. Do you hear me calling for you TomTom? Do you think we could organize a trade? Bottle o' wine for my TomTom? We could have a nice little chat and bitch about our mutual hatred of PTLs? TomTom, come home. 

Sentimental Seattle

It's true, the Bachelor made me sentimental this week. I could barely focus on Sean catching the fish because I was too busy jumping up and down on the couch screaming "I've done that! I've done that!" And, since Wednesdays are allowed to be completely random, I've decided to reminisce about my time in Seattle. Sometimes I forget how lucky I've been in life and how many cool things I've actually gotten to experience so far. I get so busy harping on myself for the future, I forget to congratulate myself for the past.

 




So, without further ado: Seattle Favorites. 

Favorite people in Seattle: The housemates I found on Craig's List two days before driving across America by myself.

Instant kindred spirits who supported my constant desire to see how long I could go without grocery shopping by always making heaping pots of food, showering me with love and pissing me off by playing fooseball 24/7.

Elliott - who never thought it was weird that I wanted to climb into hobo tents we found on the beach, and made sure I never sat in my room alone in a strange city for one day. Though he promised he'd show me seals...and he still hasn't.

Favorite weekend trip: traveling up the coast to Ruby Beach

Camping at Ruby Beach. I saw a small child climbing the rock in the right and kept demanding "Where is your mother?!?!"

 Favorite view: From the top of Rattlesnake Ridge

 Favorite spot downtown: Pike's Place Market (but then again, who doesn't love this spot??)
I can still smell the gyros, pastries and flowers now. I love the crowds, the happiness of everyone and the mad chaos.

Favorite street performer: this guy. At one point he balanced the guitar on his chin while playing AND hula hooping!

Favorite place to tan: Mt. Rainier
First of all, I didn't see Mt. Rainier on the horizon for nearly a month. And then out of nowhere I saw it. I went into work and was like "guys, what is that huge white thing?!?" Either way, a few of my fellow interns and I decided to go on a day hike there (a blog post in itself). We were completely unprepared (read: I was in leggings and tennis shoes and the boys were in shorts), but we were determined to play around on a mountain we could only see once. We were Midwest kids finally in our comfort zone: snow. We spread out a tarp, took a nap, and for the first time all summer...woke up tan.

 Favorite fireworks: over Puget Sound.

 Favorite random friends: my coworkers. My friends tell me I have a knack for meeting the oddest people, and suddenly forming friendships. These women, immigrants from Columbia, were no different. We quickly became friends and they taught me all about boudoir photos, hula-ing, immigration problems and Colombian pregnancy myths. I was there when the one in the middle renewed her vows (she had originally threatened her boyfriend that if he didn't propose she would get deported, and always felt guilty for not having a big celebration), dancing the night away on a harbor with a pink sky and mountains in the background. Oh and I won $8 from the lottery ticket she put at all the center pieces because they were "lucky in love." First time I've ever won money from the lotto!

Of course, I could go on and on about my favorite places: parks, restaurants  coffee shops, dive bars, grocery stores where creepy 40 years old men hit on you, and restaurants specializing only in buffalo but...gotta save something for a rainy day ;) Thanks for reading! Where are some of your favorite places?

Random Wednesdays--what's your random?

Road Trip Adventures in Hannibal, MO

Interested in reading more? Then hop on over to The Simplicity of Being Curious, where I am guest blogging for Kimberly while she takes her own road trip across country! Learn some of my favorite road trip tips and tricks, as well as some more unreal stories about my cross-country road trip. Trust me, they are...unreal...because I am awkward and adorable all at the same time.

Thanks for visiting, and of course, a huge thank you to Kim for letting me take over her blog for a bit! =)