Tell The World That I'm Coming... Home

Alright sheaps. We are here. Day five. 

Last night was amazing. I saw my sister, we had deep dish pizza from Lou Malnatis, tried beer from Chicago, and David got to spend time with someone other than me, and vice versa. 

Seeing more family made it easier to be across the country. Plus we hadn't seen each other in over a year, minus a small visit during last Christmas. 

My sister moved to Illinois about four years ago, met the love of her life, and married him two years ago this week. Even though she doesn't like Chicago, I mean we are Oregonians, and let's be real, we all like rain and sun. Two seasons, she still loves her husband, and they love where they live. 

They are ten hours from our new home, so visits will be easier. Weekend visits, and so forth. 

Cooper loved being out of the car, although I was afraid because my sister has cats. There is Gretel, the fattest and grumpiest cat. Then there is Khajii, the awesome cat who acts like a dog, then finally Felix, the cat who I have decided is a British Jewish kitten. 

They all were up all night because they did not like the fact that a giant dog was invading their home. Really though, Cooper just wanted to be their friends, and after all, he hadn't seen animals for three days. 

We celebrated my sisters birthday, stayed up until it was midnight, and then played some birthday songs, until we all became very very tired, and went to bed. Then this morning we got ready, and armed with coffee and cake, made our way out. 

On our way out, we drove through Gary, Indiana and it was barren to say the least. I couldn't imagine the population was more than a thousand people. Almost everywhere was closed down, it was definitely a solve where you know not to get out of the car. 

Now we are about to cross over to IOWA, and that makes me very very happy because I am ready to not ever ride in a car again! 

We have run out of podcasts, the music won't play, we are at each other's throats, and just want to be home already. Six more hours to go!

Operation Maximize

Well, here we are. 

I do not reside in Portland, Oregon anymore. As I set out on my first night, across Idaho, I was watching the cars go by and a panic set in my chest as I realized, "This is it. I am no longer home. I don't have a home right now" 

And then I looked at the man beside me, and the poke-dog behind him, and I knew I was not alone in this endeavor. 

Saying goodbye was hard. Probably the hardest thing I have ever done, but I also didn't realize how much strength I had to get in the car, and drive away, with my mom sobbing in the rear view mirror. 

But when I got to Burley, Idaho the first night, I was so exhausted I couldn't be emotional.

The second day of travel we decided to add another day to our travels to alleviate the stress of driving twelve hours everyday, and no stopping. We already had to kick out idea of roadside attractions. I was extremely disappointed. When we got into Laramie, Wyoming, we went to a brewery and watched the Timbers play on our phones while also watching the red bulls on the television. I had an amazing salmon burger and iced tea there, and then we grabbed wine and watched a documentary on bats. Which was hilarious because I had just found a bat in my horse's stall. 

We then went to bed, and woke up around ten, to me sneezing, a tired and upset Cooper (the poke-dog), and to hunger.  We went to this place called Cool Creek Coffee, and got caffeine and bagels, only to find that Wyomings definition of bagels are Kaiser rolls. But the veggie cream cheese was killer.

Now onto Cheyenne, which we only drove by, but that is fine, because we have a timeline to keep, and on to Grand Island, Nebraska, where we will go to a place called Noodle House, and get pho, because my friend whom I miss very very much, had her first pho last night and I feel the need to celebrate. 

Our stop tonight is Des Moines, Nebraska. I have family friends here, but they are too far north. I also think they will be gone when I am here. 

More to come along they way, follow me on Facebook, Shelby Peabody. 

My Instagram is Isthislove8 

And my snapchat which is always live is pandagirl3. 

Love you all! Sorry this is horribly put together, I am currently in the car and on my phones version of Google blogger. 

Until next time! 

To Good Health

This is going to be a short one my friends.

I am going to be real.

When sad things happen, shootings, bombings, etc. I am overwhelmed with emotion. But that does not mean I am going to post my feelings or opinions to the internet.

It continuously makes me sad when my social media sites are flooded with nasty comments that are full of false facts, and rage/hurt-fueled messages and posts. I may not understand everything that I see, but it hurts me to see people start to tear each other apart.

What we are supposed to learn from these incidents, or what I thought we were supposed learn was to work together and communicate, not fight each other and start pointing fingers.

This is why I have always and will continue to stay on the sidelines on my social media when these situations and things happen.

I was always taught to treat others the way I wanted to be treated.

I really wish that people would start remembering that. If I lose followers, then oh well.

I just want people to remember to love each other and stop hating or pushing blame.

I am going to go drink coffee and cuddle my dog.

Do something today for yourself, even if it is just going for a walk, or doing a headstand for a minute.
Take you time.

Love you all.

Six Days Left

This week has been interesting.

I fell off of my mother's horse, I got very intoxicated twice, I went to hood river, explored five breweries, and realized that in less than a week I will be living somewhere else.

All of reality has really started to hit me.

It is strange, because when I announced that I was moving away, everyone commented that they wanted to see me, that we should get together, all of these things. But here I am, less than 6 days away from moving, and the only friend I have seen in a week is my upstairs neighbor. Not that I am complaining, She is amazing, I am honored to know her, yet sad to leave her.

Anyways, while I am sitting here, eating whole radishes as a lunch, and wondering what I am doing with my time here, I am shallowly breathing because my ribs still hurt from falling off a horse. Long story, but really, everything still hurts.

I did get two days of relaxation in Hood River, the Boy, pooch and I drove out there and spent two days by the river watching sunsets, eating amazing food, and soaking up the sun for the fourth. It was romantic as heck, and also just so reminiscent of what we are going to miss.

We visited five local breweries within thirty minutes of each other, and that I will miss. Good food, good drinks, great company, and beautiful mountains.

But I am so happy to be moving to my man's home where I can learn about his childhood.

I think we often take where we live for granted, thinking that if we have to drive an hour that it is too far. But when we leave, or if something happens, we realize all we have missed from our excuses and busy lives. So if you take anything from this rambling of a post, it would be to just live out each day and explore as much as you can. You would be surprised at how much you're missing when you are only looking at your phone and thinking about what it would be like to go to Europe or [insert here].

Until next time,

Live, Laugh, Love, and make sure you are happy with yourself.

I know I am still working on that one. XoX

Operation Lompoc... Or was it Laurelwood?

Alright. Now onto the hard part of the trip.

The last part of the trip is saying goodbye to everyone I have met here, and hoping that I will get visitors, or messages, or calls and FaceTime calls.

This is the part that makes me saddest.

During the time that I have lived in Portland, I have grown, and made my own friends. But, like people all sadly learn at some point in their lives, friends come and go like clouds in the sky. "Change is the only constant"

I would rather pull out my teeth than have any more change at this point!

But I have made some really amazing connections while living in Portland that I intend to keep from the other end of the states. And if that doesn't work out, then I am sure going to a new university will help me too.

Now, on to a small tangent for a second. I don't know if this is how blogs work, but I think I am going to pick Fridays to publish a new blog, that way we can review the week together. Or if there is something happening like traveling, news like the Turkey attacks, or a Timbers game, because to me everything is important. Then I will post on whatever day I feel it is necessary. I think it will take some time, but I will find a consistency.

It is the next day, and I am sitting watching soccer, drinking coffee, water, and eating yogurt with granola and honey peanut butter.

It is nights like last night that make me sad about leaving portland. After the Timbers match, which we sadly lost a horrible 0-1, we went to Mcmenamins and then decided to walk home. We walked through awesome parts of town, and over a bridge which was super fun, because I love seeing the city reflecting up from the water.

But it also made me sad to leave. I am going to miss so much about Portland. It is my hometown. But, my family is still here, which means I will be back as often as possible, and to watch Timbers matches, and blazers games.

What is that cliche saying? "You can take the girl out of her home, but you can't take the home out of the girl"

Until next time...

Operation Rogue

Alright Portlanders, here we go.

I went to New York to celebrate my boyfriend's brothers graduation from West Point.

We had previously moved our moving date from November 2016, to September 2016.

The reason we were moving in the first place is because my boyfriend's father has a company that he would like all of his sons to run eventually, which means they all need to live on the east coast.

So with that mindset, we embarked on our trip to New York. The third day we got there, we all headed back from the city to his dad's home, where the real talk of moving would begin. He had his formal interview on a Tuesday, and then came back to the house and told me that the possible move date had been pushed up to August 1, depending on how I felt. I couldn't really say no at the time, being surrounded by this loving family, with not much left for me career wise in Oregon. So I said "Yes," and we moved on.

The trip became immediately more intense. More planning, my boyfriend became more alive each day. I could see how much his heart was here in his home. Each day he wanted to show me new places and tell me the history and share childhood memories. I hurt at the thought of leaving.

Which all came back around when the next day he said "What do you think about moving here in July?"

I couldn't process it. The thought of leaving my entire life in one month was too much for me.

I went into our borrowed room and cried.

The rest of the trip is a blur, it was planning. I knew it would happen. I knew it would be good for us. But I needed to go home. I needed a clear mind to think things over.

Which leads me to our planning.

As soon as we got back I wanted to tell our awful roommate that we were leaving him and how miserable he was. But I knew we had to wait. I mean we had already found a three bedroom house, a stall for my horse, everything was set.

I was set for school, I needed to transfer my papers, but that was it. This was my chance to bloom like my boyfriend had always told me I would. I could feel this.

The plan became that we would leave the day after my father's birthday, that way I could spend some time with him, drive to Utah, then Nebraska, then Illinois, visit my sister along the way, and end in New York.
Doing it National Lampoon style! Roadside Attraction list acquired!

Now it is all details. Every day is a whirlwind of information and planning even though we can only do so many things at once. I have always hated playing the waiting game.

More to come down the road! Literally. I am planning on writing a three-to-four part blog at our different stops along the way. Be sure to keep up!

Seventeen

Hello, how are you?

I was about to quote Adele, in some dry humorous way, but I decided to not lose what small amount of followers I have!

Although, this blog is not solely for people to follow and for me to be famous someday, anonymously or otherwise through whatever whimsical nonsense I throw out on this page. I would have stopped a long time ago.

this is for me to put out there what I am going through, and for others to know they are not alone, while my feelings are put poetically somewhere other than inside my own brain, stewing until one dayI have a breakdown the size of Manhattan, (or so I am told).

Meanwhile, during the time I have been away, so many things have happened that I could be writing a book to you right now.

Seventeen days.

Seventeen days until I relocate to the east coast.

If anyone is reading these still, I live in Portland, Oregon. I grew up here, and have lived my entire life in this town or around it. Until last year when I met the love of my life whom I am now relocating with.

Syracuse New york, here I come!

More to follow. There is too much information, I have to organize it all!