The Big Trip

Be here now

Okay, let’s level. I have been on The Big Trip for 6-weeks now, and in the midst of having a blast, today is the first day that I have had to remind myself, “You are having fun. No really, this is a GOOD thing. You are happy and doing well. Believe it.” I am having…

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A real live racer

Hearken back to May, when I wrote about just a few of the dreams and goals I have for my life. Scroll down, down, down, and you will read, “I want to run in a race.” I am proud to announce that today, that dream became a reality. Guess who just ran a 5K? [thumbs]…

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A Tennessee delicacy

Tonight, I ate a Ritz cracker topped with cheddar cheese, yellow mustard, and red onion. And then, I ate another one, and another one, and another one. And I liked it.

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How to write a country song

1) Be born with a melancholy spirit. 2) Go out and get your heart broken. Love deeply and without reservation, and do not brace yourself for the inevitable pummeling to follow. Do this as many times as it takes to completely crush your spirit. 3) Withdraw from society. Solitude is best; however, a few companions…

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Nashvegas, here I come!

So far, The Big Trip has been an odd experience in that everyone that I meet asks, “Where are you from?” And I cannot reply with a one-word answer. I take a deep breath, wind up my motor-mouth, and commence with my convoluted autobiography. I don’t really know where my home is anymore. In the…

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Lawfully wedded Wards

I’m sitting outside a Midas in Redlands, CA, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. AAA has once again come to my rescue, replacing a flat tire with the spare this morning. On the day after a “party like a rock star” wedding and two hours of sleep, car issues are the last thing in the world…

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Love me some Lone Star

At slumber parties, you never want to be the one to fall asleep first. Whoever succumbs to slumber first runs the risk of her pals deviously dipping her hand into warm, and then immediately following, icy water, causing the victim to wet the bed. That was Austin. Today is October 1st, and yet the temperature…

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Our homeschool heritage put to the test

“Did Thomas Edison invent the light bulb or the telephone?” “I don’t know… both?” “Or did Albert Einstein invent the light bulb?” “Maybe.” “I can’t remember.” “I think that Thomas Edison invented both… but then again, Annie, I’m not very smart.”

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I-35 South

Here I sit, in a Red Roof Inn in Austin, Texas. I am here with my sister Becca and her adorable puppy dog Gabe after an 11 hour drive south from Kansas City. On Monday, Becca will have her first day of dog training school at Triple Crown Dog Academy. If thoughts of “dog training…

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Lest I get a big head

It’s hard work to be a model. I should know. My sister-in-law, Ashley Parsons, generously took an entire Sunday afternoon to help me out with a photo shoot for, well, “my career,” I guess. I have to be honest and say that when it comes to “packaging” myself, I am severely uncomfortable. I have never…

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