Fun at the Health Department

So my future posts will not be this boring but I'm on the computer and felt like writing something.

I got my immunizations this morning:

Typhoid, Yellow Fever, meningococcal, tetanus, polio, and Hep A. I also got some anti-Malarial drugs (side affects include hair loss, hallucinations, and psychosis), a few Z-packs, some sinus medicine, and some stomach meds. 5 shots...my arms are sore as hell but I feel like I'm invincible!!! Now watch me break a finger in Laos and get some kind of weird infection (touch wood).

Anyways, I am leaving in 21 days!!!

Chicago

I guess I failed to mention that I quit my job a few weeks ago and will be traveling the country before I travel the world. We just got back from Chicago and it was amazing! I recommend this city to anyone who is trying to see one of America's large cities on a budget. Don't get me wrong...we did drop some money. However, transportation is easy on the train, which is cheap, and a lot of the food and alcohol was priced about the same as it is in Raleigh.

Kara and Ryan (two of my best friends in the world) and, Zach, Brianna and I spent 3 nights in a downtown hotel. On Friday, we checked out downtown. The city was surprisingly empty compared to the other huge cities I have been to. I was never overwhelmed by crowds of people. There were huge buildings everywhere but for some reason the city seemed to feel smaller that it actually is. It was very clean, and the people were polite and weren't moving as fast as they do in NYC. I think the architecture was the most amazing thing about the city. All of the buildings seem to complement each other very well. The Sears Tower was amazing and the view from the top is indescribable. There was a lot of public art throughout the city as well.

On Saturday we went to Wrigley Field and...well if you are a baseball fan all you need to know is that we saw a game at Wrigley. If you're not then just know this...it's the second oldest stadium in the US and it the best place to see a game. From the relatively cheap beer (Old Style is the official beer of the Cubs) to the fans climbing up the fences to get a better view, Wrigley is the perfect picture of old school baseball. There is room everywhere to stand and talk to the locals, and of course, there is the ivy that covers the outfield fence, and the amazing Chicago skyline behind one of the only hand operated score boards in the world. and THE CUBS WON!

On Sunday we went to Day 3 of Lollapalooza. Pearl Jam headlined the show and this was the finale and highlight of the trip. The show was at Grant Park, in downtown Chicago, on the shore of Lake Michigan. The park is beautiful and is a great place to see all of the music of Lollapalooza. We saw Amy Winehouse, Blue October, The Wailers, Modest Mouse, Kings of Leon, My Morning Jacket, and Pearl Jam. The night ended with Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper and the rest of Pearl Jam performing Rockin' In the Free World while about 40 fellow performers and celebrities dancing on stage. At one point Eddie was atop Dennis Rodman's shoulders.

The trip was amazing...a great way to spend time with four of my favorite people right before I leave them all for a while. Some pictures are on here...the rest are on my Facebook page.

The beginning

OK so I just moved out of my house in Raleigh...into my parents house. I leave on September 4th and it's finally hitting me that I am going to be gone for a LONG TIME! I am going to miss the World Series, The Superbowl, and the entire college football and basketball seasons. I will be in New Zealand on my little brothers 21st birthday and for Thanksgiving. I will be on an island off the coast of Thailand for Christmas and New Years, and I will be in India when most of my friends are on college spring break (or working, wishing that they were still in college).

At this point I'm still trying to figure out if it's even worth it to have a blog since I'm sure no one is going to read it. Anyways, if you are reading this, you're one of the lucky ones! Keep reading as I'm sure that I will have much more interesting things to say.