Okay. So when we left off, I was at my in-laws in South Carolina going absolutely nuts. The whole time my mother-in-law kept trying to convince us that it was a much better idea to stay in South Carolina with them. She was positive that we would enjoy living with them and love staying in a tiny town for the rest of our days. Needless to say, we didn't exactly see eye to eye. After about 3 weeks of hearing everything bad that could go wrong in L.A. (she was convinced that we would get raped, robbed, and shot within hours of getting here) I was ready to scream. Plus, we had to leave our puppy with them.
And they were convinced that she needed to be an outside dog despite the fact that they would be shipping her to us after we get an apartment. I was not a happy camper. Then we got paid! Yay! *happy dance* After a bbq and a really nice dinner with Kerry's great uncle and grandmother, we hit the road.
It was a peaceful drive. It was a crisp fall day. The leaves on the trees were changing colors and it was beautiful. And then there I was trying to take pictures while going 80 mph down the interstate.
So there is only one presentable picture, because the rest were just too blurry. Our first stop was 2 hours down the road at the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. Kerry's uncle told him that veterans can get a free one year pass to any of the national parks, all we had to do is stop at one and get one. Since this was the first one we saw, he decided to go ahead and get it over with. 45 minutes later, we are just hitting the mountain. We drove up one side and down the other on this little slightly graveled track at approximately 15 mph because if you went any faster you were going off the edge of the mountain. I was squeezing my frog for dear life with one arm and holding onto the handle with the other hand. Every once in a while I would let out an involuntary squeal because there was no rail of any sort between you and old man mountain. Then we finally hit the park, with a real road, beautiful scenery, and no cell phone service of any kind.
No plumbing either. (Kerry was horrified when we found the bathroom and it was a plastic toilet over a hole in the ground. ) We drove around for a while and it was just enchanting. Finally we found a park ranger to ask about the pass. While I was sitting in the car waiting, an elk walked out of the trees. It was pretty incredible. (It wasn't until later that we found out that the elk had been imported. )Well it was a no go on the pass because the Great Smokey Mountain National Park was a free park and only accepted donations. So back down the mountain we went.
We drove through Tennessee to Memphis that night. By the time we stopped we were so tired there was no way we were doing anything besides sleeping. So of course we end up at the hotel with people screaming at each other down the walk ways and revving the engines of diesel trucks all night long. Not one of my better nights. The next day we crossed the Mississippi River. This was the best picture I could get of it. Stupid rails.
The east side of Arkansas is really the place to go if you ever want to understand the landscape in books and stories set in the 1910s and 20s. I seriously felt like I had drifted into Grapes of Wrath if it had an interstate running through it. It's rather timeless.
The west side looks a lot like south Georgia so I was quite bored for that part. Then we hit Texarkana. I was very impressed by the lengths the Texans go to make sure their freeways look nice. I'd never seen that anywhere before. About 50 miles outside of Dallas you start to encounter many subdivisions and power stations. Which is how you know you're getting close to Dallas.
Once we got there, I got to meet Kerry's grandfather. His house is adorable and kitschy while still being elegant. (And its for sale. If you're looking for a house in Dallas, let me know.
) We went out for real Texas BBQ, had a friendly disagreement about politics and religion, and then promptly went to bed. The next day I got to see the Grassy Knoll or for those of you who didn't pay attention in history, the place JFK was murdered. It's very odd to stand there and see all that. It makes you wonder what he was thinking and how he thought he could get away with it. There are two exes painted on the freeway to mark where Kennedy was when he got hit. There's a very somber feel to it. But it's not overdone. Life still goes on all around this memorial. It's really nice.We spent one more day in Dallas relaxing before we headed out again. The landscape is flat and the sky was just so incredibly blue. The weather was beautiful.
We hit Amarillo at dark, ate at the incredible Blue Sky Burger, and went to the Cadillac Ranch. We had a blast. It's so cool to see.
Then we hit New Mexico. There is nothing in New Mexico except tumbleweeds, bad cell service, and Albuquerque. Albuquerque was nice. We did try to take Route 66 but unfortunately maintenance is based on the county and most counties didn't see a reason to maintain it beyond city limits. Its really depressing.
And then we hit Arizona.
If you ever find yourself in Arizona, do yourself a favor and visit the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park. It is truly beautiful and incredible. As you go through there you also learn that Route 66 ran right through the heart of this beautiful landscape. It's kind of cool. (Tis also the place where we found the long hunted for free veteran's pass. 
)
As we went along in the park, we saw this crow. He just walked right up and stared us down. And followed us through the whole park. All 30 something miles of it. Just so you understand the random crow pictures.
And now the site isn't letting me upload anymore pictures. We spent a little bit of time on Route 66, because Arizona is actively trying to restore it. It's pretty cool, the things you see along the way. We also went to the Grand Canyon after spending the night trying to find a hotel in Williams. That was also a bad night.
We got to California at night so unfortunately I have no pictures. But things are going well. Kerry found a job within a day of getting here and I'm still actively looking. We've been hanging out with the family and while they are wonderful they really make me wish I could speak Spanish. (I plan to learn shortly.) Kerry is enrolling at Cal Poly and I'm hoping to be at the Art Institute. I absolutely love it here. The weather is wonderful, the people are incredible and I couldn't be happier. (Well, maybe if we had our own place, but otherwise I'm happy.)
We went out for the first time last night. We checked out the Belasco's Halloween party. It was incredible. The place is absolutely beautiful! And I danced my butt off! (I have the blisters to prove it.) I was a crow and Kerry was a twenties gangster. I had a bartender invent a drink for me, I got hit on by a woman dressed as Marilyn Monroe, and I got to meet Milloux, Ackley, and finally, after waiting for so long, Kurosune!! I was so excited! All in all, it was definitely a night to remember.
Woo! I managed one more! Costume!!
Now I'm off to bed because I have to take Kerry to orientation and then I get to hunt for jobs the good ole fashioned way. Wish me luck! 
Cihuacoatl