Road Trip Mind Dump :-)

Things I learned from my road trip this week:

1.) Cincinnati is a ridiculously gorgeous city.  I have never been through there before, but this trip took me through there and, honestly, far too quickly! I was disappointed I couldn't stop and explore. It's beautiful, compact, and I want to go back.

2.) Kentucky is one of the most beautiful states I’ve ever been in.  And I’ve been to 38 of ‘em so far. From the rolling hills to the white-picket-fenced horse farms to the sunrises and sunsets there? Beautiful.  I’ve been through before, but not on this route. Stunning.

3.) Lexington, Kentucky was not as blue as I had expected it to be.

4.) Knoxville, Tennessee was totally as orange as I thought it would be.

5.) Tennessee highway drivers are the most obnoxious drivers ever*. 

*Now, let me clarify this for my Tennessee friends: I was on the Interstate, so most of the folks around me were not actually *from* Tennessee.  (I checked license plates.)  For some reason, drivers going through this state do stupid-ass shit like cut you off, or brake for no reason or decide to drive up your ass when you’re already doing 80 in a 65 mph zone.  Ugh. I feel for you natives who have to put up with folks just driving through.  It was obnoxious.

4.) Columbus, Ohio people are ridiculously friendly!  I have never had so many folks open and hold doors for me, step aside on the sidewalk to let me by or even apologize when I was in *their* way instead of vice versa. Dang. If it didn’t get so cold there in winter, I’d seriously consider moving there.

5.) Every road trip I take, at some point I will end up in stand-still traffic on the Interstate in the most random, out-of-the-way places.  Please, people. Can we please stop bumping into each other?

6.) Driving through the mountains of Tennessee freaks me out, especially when it’s raining (like it was on my way up). Driving through the mountains of Tennessee freaks me out a little bit less when it’s sunny and blue skies (like on my way down), but still had me gripping the wheel in fear.  Too many curves and mountains and crap. Ugh!  I have no idea how you folks out west do this with mountains x2 the size of these every day.

7.) Black coffee + Pringles + Twizzlers are all you need for energy to get you through a 9 hour road trip. Your body might hate you the next day, but at least you’ll have a body the next day.

8.) There’s nothing like going away.  But there’s also nothing like coming home.