Shimmying on Up to Chicago

-This is a post that I wrote on Thursday as we were on the road; I just failed at posting it until now. Go me.-

Thursday, July 29, 2010: And we’re off to Chicago today! Well, technically, today we are headed to Indiana where we will meet up with my beloved Grandma QQ. QQ stands for “Quack Quack”. No, she isn’t “quacky”, she just has always loved ducks! Therefore, my sister and I used to call her that when we were younger. The name stuck… as any name as cool as that would. But I digress… the point is we are headed to see Grandma QQ. We will see her for awhile tonight, and then we will spend the night at a hotel. That will be wonderfully restful sleep considering Travis and I got to bed past 1:00 am and then had to wake up at 5:00 am this morning! We did, however, get some rest in the car. We also watched two movies: Ice Age (an oldie but a goodie) and Spirited Away (yes, Japanese Anime- don’t judge us; it isn’t like we watch Japanese anime on a regular basis). I also did some crocheting, and Travis did some reading. Trips such as the one today are always so easy because we don’t have to drive! It isn’t that we wouldn’t; it is just that Dad never asks us to drive.

In other news, I was relatively decent on my diet today- finally. It is so difficult to stick to a diet when you are traveling and when you are not “home”. Don’t get me wrong, home is where the heart is, and I love being with my parents, but it is easier to stick to a diet when I am the one deciding on and making the meals for Travis and me. Travis is an adaptable man- I am grateful for that. If I am eating a healthy meal, he is fine eating that as well… on the other hand, if I eat a fattier meal, he will eat that, too. Therefore, when we get settled in New York and buy stuff with which the two of us can be content.

While I am thinking about it, this would be a great time to plan some cheap foods that we can live off of while we are living in New York on a budget:

1. Rice
2. Pasta
3. Canned goods
4. Bread for sandwiches
5. Cheap sandwich meat
6. Chicken
7. Beef
8. Soup
9. Beans (this will have to be just for my meals because Travis hates beans!)
10. Potatoes There are so many different meals you can make that include these things.

Unfortunately, many of the items mentioned are starchy items (rice, pasta, and potatoes, duh!). Therefore, I will really need to focus on portion control and exercise if I plan on staying fit on a budget. I think they price should be directly proportional to calories! :D The higher the calories, the higher the price. Then we would be more encouraged to eat fresh fruit and veggies rather than Little Debbie’s pastries. Oh well! That is just my humble opinion! I guess the problem with that would be that you “get less for your money” in a sense that if you are in poverty, you need more calories to live. So for less money, you get more calories, but on the flip side, the caloric benefits are cancelled out by the unhealthy nature of the foods. What’s your take?

Anyway, I am done rambling about food… on to the topic at hand. Travel. I am excited to be seeing my Grandma QQ tonight. I haven’t seen her in far too long. You see, she had to have surgery around the time of my wedding, so I really want to see her. Especially since we are moving to New York soon. It will be nice to see her before we go. Then, on Friday, we will be attending Alyssa’s rehearsal dinner! I am jazzed about that! It will be so nice to reconnect with her and her family and to finally meet her beau! :) Saturday is the wedding, of course, and then Sunday and Monday we will hang around Naperville. Tuesday we will head back to Tennessee, and then… 2 weeks! :D

Well, all I can say is that this summer has been full of travel and continues to be so, but I haven’t and won’t regret traveling this much during my last summer as a “kid”- A.K.A. my last summer without working! I have enjoyed the travel, and though it isn’t what I would consider a “lazy, relaxing summer”, I didn’t want it to be that way. I wanted my last kid-like summer to be packed full of fun… and it has been! :) Well, that is all for now. Byeeee!