HOME!

We'll we're home. After a relaxing couple days in Cheyenne with our extended family and a short but sweet visit to Chicago.. we actually made it home.
Chicago was a great city and maybe the perfect ending to our 2.5 months. My dad came down from Wisconsion and drove Nadeen and I into downtown while my car got its last oil change of the trip. We went to the main tourist spots like Sears (now Willis) Tower, Navy Pier, and Millenium Park. We also had the opportunity to go see Americans Pasttime (thanks to my dad). Chicago Cubs Vs. LA Dodgers in Wrigley Field was amazing!!! Nadeen's first Major League game and second baseball game in her life and she got to experience it at Wrigley.. how awesome is that? A coke, hot dog, and soft pretzel and we were set for the night, the only thing missing was a win for the cubs. Apparently they aren't the strongest baseball team in the league but they hung in there and had the fans clinging onto hope up until the bottom on the 9th.
In Chicago we stayed with Nadden's friend Rafi. He made us dinner AND dessert before the baseball and we truely appreciate him providing with a place to stay and food to eat.

Now all that was between us and home was a 14 hour drive with only 3.5 hours of sleep the night before. All Nadeen seemed to be thinking about were the people waiting for her at home and some Bojangles. And as for me, I was thinking about Bryson and Sydney and how I couldn't believe I had to work the next day. What was I thinking?? Haha

First things first we had to go see my new niece Sydney and the Big Boy Bryson before bedtime. It was great to hear Bryson calling for me and so eager to play, and Sydney was even more beautiful in person. As Nadeen sat there holding her while I got in a good amuont of time with Big Boy I'm sure she grew more and more anxious to get home and away from me :)

Next stop: Araina!! Well Daniel's to be exact. Araina was so happy to see Nadeen and I was sad to say goodbye. The trip was over? Where did the time go? Why exactly did we have to come home? There were a lot of emotions running through me at that point but we said goodbye and for the first time in 2.5 months (78 days) we were going our seperate ways. Nadeen was off to surprise her brother and mom and to see him puppies and I was headed in the opposite direction.

The trip for me was an awesome experience. I still don't feel like it was real. It's hard to describe but I have to look at pictures to remind myself that it actually happened and we actually visited all those Places. It's weird to think I won't be stopping at a gas station at least once a day anymore, there won't be anymore peanut butter and jelly or turkey sandwiches, I can do my laundry at home, sleep in my own bed, and won't be seeing Nadeen everyday. I learned a lot on this trip about our country, other people, and myself and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything in the world, nor would I change anything about it. Sure Nadeen and I had our bad days.. days where we barely talked at all but that just made the good days that much better and out friendship that much stronger. I can only hope that I can have a friend like that forever.

Thank you Nadeen for going on this journey with me, for putting up with my nonsense, for hiking in the desert to absoluntely nothing, for zip lining over waterfalls, for pulling my mom's four wheeler out of the sand dune, for giving me directions and making my lunches, but most of all thanks for a lifetime of memories and an awesome friendship!
I love you and I miss you already

Amanda