What to Write About When You Can't Think of A Topic

I'm still trying to figure this one out. I will have to find some good articles on this topic to share with you. ;)

But in the meantime, here is a picture of all the delicious food I've eaten this week:

OMNOMNOM

I Found My Heart In The Back of A Pet Store

Two months before the end of my 22^nd year on Earth, I was in my car, driving (as I often did), but this time it was different. I didn’t have to be at work in the morning, or classes on Monday. I had 25 hundred dollars in my bank account, a paper map in my hands, and a bed made in the back seat of Mia, my beloved 2005 Kia.

This was it, I was really doing it. I was taking a cross country road trip by myself and had an entire two months to do it.

I had quit my jobs at an escape room place, and as a test administrator, and personally assisting an author and journalist, as well as assisting an embedded system consultant. I quit my internship at the YWCA. I took my last class of my undergrad career online so it could be on the road with me. I broke up with my boyfriend, and loosely cut ties with the guy I had started seeing shortly after. I didn’t renew my apartment lease, and had packed all of the belongings that wouldn’t fit in Mia’s rear end, away in a storage unit.

I had worked hard for this. For the last four years, I had juggled multiple jobs, yearly unpaid internships, countless relationships, 18-21 semester hours, many mini-mesters, and a cumulative 4 point 0.

I had no job waiting for me when I got back, and no long-term plan. But I didn’t care. All I could smell was freedom…  And roadkill.

The first stop of my epic journey was an organic farm in upper Wisconsin, where my cousin worked. He got me room and board for a week, in exchange for my daily commitment to working on the farm.

That was the most exhausting, bug bitten, sunburnt… and rewarding, week of my life. I went to bed every single night too exhausted to regret quitting a comfortable life, and woke up every morning, too late pressing snooze (a few times) to even consider the other ways I could be spending  the summer right after college graduation.

On day seven, I took the last shower, did the last load of laundry, and ate the last healthy breakfast I would have for a while. I packed up my car, said goodbye to my cousin, and the new friends I had met, and hit the road.

Onward to Minnesota, then Iowa, then the dreaded Nebraska drive, and to the Colorful Colorado, with only my audiobooks, journal, and crappy virgin mobile phone to keep me company.

The first time I caught sight of the snow-capped mountains, I let out a literal gasp. Never, in my life had I ever witnessed such massive nature-made magnificence.

I bee-lined to the mountains, which as anyone that has been near these mighty landscapes knows… can actually take a while. Apparently the mountains in your eyesight are further than they appear.

By the time I had arrived to the horseshoe mountain in Fort Collins, the sun was casting shadows on everything around me, and I was too exhausted to do anything but park my car and climb into my backseat for the night.

The next day I awoke to the rising sun, reflecting on the body of water that surrounded me, almost completely. I had driven right into the valley of the canyon, engulfed in the beauty that only the mountains can offer.

Where I Woke Up

I let out a laugh, took a video, and prepared for the unknown day ahead.

I was getting a little lonely. All of my Colorado friends, family, and friends of friends and family had fallen through on me. Either busy or not answering my calls.

While on my way to the Rocky Mountains for another solo cruise, I saw a pet store in Loveland. I drove passed it, trying to ignore the strange pull I felt in my heart. There is no way I needed a ginnypig, hamster, puppy, bunny, or snake to keep me company… That would be absurd. Two months on an unknown, largely unplanned adventure with another creature? No way.

But for some reason, my brain failed to communicate this logic to my body, because suddenly I was making a u-turn in a gas station parking lot. I drove the two miles back to the pet store, parked and stepped inside.

I browsed around, eye balling the hamsters and smelly ferret, when I heard it… The unmistakable sounds of whimpering and squealing newborn puppies. My heart leaped and I wondered toward the sound, like a zombie sensing nearby brains.

The first picture I
 ever took of Rocky.

Long story short, when my eyes connected with the oldest, ugliest, and least pure bred dog there (appropriately and cruelly named Monkey Face), my heart did a 360 flip and promptly melted in my chest. That was the day I met my trip companion and soon to be best friend, Rocky Road Trip Slevin.

My little companion and I.

We spent the next two months crashing on the couches of friends and family, sleeping in the backseat of Mia, visiting national parks from Wyoming, to Washington, California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah, picking up a pine cone in every state we stopped in, making friends with nearly every stranger (and stray) we met, and saying yes to (almost) every opportunity that was presented to us. I learned how to surf, went deep sea fishing (getting pinched by a crab, that I promptly revenge ate that evening), and discovered who I wanted to be a little more every single day I was on the road, and every single journal entry I wrote. The formerly abused Rocky learned how to love and be loved by her adoring owner (ahem, me) and by every passerby that looked upon her little scruffy face.

My anchor. <3

This pup taught me that sometimes logic doesn’t prevail, sometimes the biggest adventures arise when you just follow your gut.

I found myself while traveling cross country on an epic road trip, because I found my heart in an unlikely place… in the back of a pet store in Loveland, Colorado.

~~~

Given As My First Toastmaster's Speech on September 22, 2016.

Why I wanted to go to Jury Duty..

Yes, it's true, I wanted to go to Jury Duty this week. Once I realized I had been picked, it felt like I had won a lottery of sorts. No, it's not just about the idea of being apart of one of those juicy court hearings that you see on tv (admittedly that WAS in the back of my mind). It wasn't about being able to miss work, although I did look forward to catching up on some research and reading I've been meaning to do. It wasn't about being able to step away from all my stressful day-to-day thoughts. 

I was excited about Jury Duty because it is one of the reasons why I love this country.
Now, I don't want to give the impression that I am a huge patriot and I ignore all of the injustices taking place daily here, and I'm not trying to romanticize all of the terrible, tragic things that are happening to undeserving people.
But, regardless, there is a lot to love about America.
To me, Jury Duty represents democracy, justice, and freedom of the people.
Of course it could be implemented better, of course! Everything could, really. But there is something so beautiful about looking around me and seeing people of all different races, ages, education backgrounds, classes, opinions, wealth, and opportunities sitting with me as peers, getting 100% of the same say as one another.
Isn't that just a little beautiful?
Okay, so it is scary that all of these strangers might have totally different morals and biases than me and we may be deciding on very serious consequences for someone, but it all comes back to what makes America so wonderful.
Who's to say that my one option is correct or that my individual bias, or education has given me the right answer in a specific case? Nothing. But with 12 minds, morals, backgrounds and options working together, we can reach the most balanced decision possible.

It's a beautiful thing.

I don't really get to see how my individual vote changes an election, or how my tax dollars really make a difference, but when I sit in the chair at the courthouse with all my peers, I feel like I am making a teeny difference in what makes America a democracy.

Each of us will probably have to serve on a jury at one time or another, why not change your perspective about the whole thing and instead see what an instrumental part you get to play that week.

An Explanation and Recap of My Journey So Far

Welcome to Summer's Epic Journey! This is a photo and video blog about my epic cross country solo road trip.

Let me introduce myself. I am Summer Slevin, a 22 year old from the Midwest with a gypsy soul... Here I am right here:

I graduated from Illinois State University in May 2015. I graduated with a degree in Broadcast Journalism, although I still have two classes to take online and get back credited to my degree. 

Before I graduated I was working four jobs and interning while attending school full time.

I also maintained a cumulative 4.0. I'm a hard worker. I've held more than 15 jobs and 5 unpaid internships through college, never taking a minute break.

This last year I interned at the McLean YWCA and I was sure that I would be able to get a full time job there after graduation. I had a meeting with the CEO and submitted a detailed job proposal. Three weeks later, just days before graduation, I received an email back stating that they would be not be taking on any new employees due to the governor's recent budget cut proposals.

This email left me with a feeling of hopelessness. I had quit all of my other jobs and turned down an alternative full time position in hopes of working at a non profit and making a difference in the world. I had not signed an additional year lease on my apartment, just in case, and my lease was up May 8th. I had also recently broken up with my boyfriend and was not completely unattached.

What now? 

May 8th came, I walked across the graduation stage with tears in my eyes and my family proudly cheering me on.

This was the next stage in my life. I have been going to school for my entire life, and now what?

I moved my things out of my apartment the day after graduation and moved all of my belongings into a storage unit. My friends offered their beds and couches to me, but here I was... A jobless, homeless, single college graduate.

My grandparents passed away in January at the age of 94 apiece and their memorial was in late April. That's when the idea started.

I love my family more than anything. The Slevins are amazing. All very intelligent, hilarious and motivating, but located across the country, making our visits short and infrequent. 

It had always been a dream of mine to visit them, and most of my cousins and aunts had offered me a place to stay if I did.

My cousin Drew was the first to spark my idea. He mentioned working at an organic farm in upper Wisconsin. I sprang at the option. "Could I work there, just short term?" I asked. He told me that he didn't see why not. It was a community farm and they had visitors and volunteers all the time.

This lit fire to my imagination. 

The idea did not start to become a possibility until I got that email making me aware of my unfamiliar situation. 

I had some money in savings and I didn't have to start paying my student loans back until 6 months after graduation.

This Could Work. I thought.

So I started to plan.

I gave myself a leaving date. June 1st.

I would stay at friends' houses until then. My best friend Elizabeth loved having me stay with her, and we had a blast. We drank beer and swam and watched Netflix.

Another close friend, Brittany, made me a copy of her house key and while she was out of town, I had the place to myself.

I have the best friends one could ask for.

So I planned and reached out to relatives and friends, giving them a tentative itinerary and requesting temporary hospitality. 

The plan was falling into place.

This was going to be an epic journey.

I would start in Osceola, Wisconsin and work a week at Philadelphia Community Farm with my cousin, volunteering in exchange for room and board.

Then I would head west. 

I would visit my cousin in Denver, then head up to Seattle, where I've always wanted to go. I would stay with a friend in Portland, an Aunt in Fort Bragg, a cousin in Davis, friends in Houston and Charleston, and family in Massachusetts. 

I put aside $1,000 for gas and $1,000 for miscellaneous needs. I kept $2,000 in savings for bills and emergencies. 

And then June 1st came, and I went!

I said goodbye to my beautiful best friend, Elizabeth and hit the road to Wisconsin.

I had to make a pit stop for cheese in Wisconsin, of course!

I decided to use paper maps for my journey to make it about the ride, not the destination
and to take away some of the distractions of technology.

Day one after a long day of working the fields and hiking the woods!
Namaste!
Feeling satisfied with where I am... And no, there were no trains coming.

I arrived at the farm at 9:30pm on Monday, June 1st.

Here are some of my farm adventures below:

The farm donkey, Burrito. 

Burrito is pretty affectionate. Here he is laying his head on my chest.
Its okay that he's filthy... I'm pretty dirty myself.

Burrito is all smiles... I think he likes the attention.

Here is the farm dog, Namo. He's a great guard dog, 
but an even better cuddler.

Everyday we had amazing farm fresh homemade meals. 
It was probably the best I have ever eaten. YUM!

One of the farm interns, Yingqi, and I got 
some vines from the greenhouse to wear like Peter Pan. ;)

We are helping the peas grow by untangling them from one 
another and putting them against a fence.
This may not seem like fun (and it's really not) 
but with good company, anything can be a blast!

On Thursday, my cousin and I made dinner for the house, 15 people in all!
We made my favorite go-to meal: spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, and cookies.
Top it off with coffee and Spotted Cow beer, and you've got perfection!

Another selfie with Burrito! He's all smiles.

Me on top of the beautiful water falls at Philadelphia Community Farm.
Just ignore the dirt on my butt. :P

The waterfall in all of its glory.

I got this ice cold fresh water from the aquifer right off the waterfall!
Philadelphia Community Farm needs to market this water! It is so good!

I went for a hike at Interstate National Park.
What a gorgeous place.
It amazing me how many beautiful places exist in America!

On Saturday night, the farm had Open Mic Night!
It was so cool and everyone got to jam!
There is so much talent on that farm!

On Sunday morning, Lindsey led us in meditation and yoga.
It was honestly the best yoga class I've ever taken.

On Monday morning, I got some pictures with my cousin, Drew.
Here we are being those serious farmers... All we need is a pitchfork.

Here's the family resemblance.
I had such a wonderful time!
He is such a great cousin and a hilarious, kind and hard working guy.
What a great person to look up to! :)

But alas, it was time to hit the road to adventure once more!

On Monday, June 8th at 9am, I was back on the road!

Next stop: The Great Lakes, and then Minneapolis to visit a friend.

I asked a stranger to take my picture.
Here I am on a beautiful beach on Lake Superior.
What a way to spend the day!
My toes in the sand, a beer in my hand and total freedom and peace of mind!
I couldn't ask for anything more.

This is my good friend, Waldo.
He attends a law school in Minneapolis and is completing an internship there over the summer.
We've known each other since freshman year of high school

Waldo showed me the sights, including this 
beautiful tucked away graffiti tunnel.

I loved this beautiful reminder of the temporariness of life.
Especially while taking an epic trip such as this!

We watched the sunset over this beautiful and breathtaking 
dam then went back and made dinner.
Sushi and steak! Eating like royalty!

The next day it was time to leave this beautiful city 
and get back on the road to the next adventure!

Upon suggestion, I made a pit stop at
 Zombie Burger in Des Moines, IA.

I needed this ice cold beer to go with my delicious milk shake!
This trip has brought the love of beer out of me!

Yesterday, I drove 530 miles and got bitten by over 40 mosquitos!
But honestly, this breathtaking Nebraska sunset made it all worth it.
This beauty is what it is all about!

During my drive across Iowa, the NPR affiliate in Bloomington, WGLT, gave me a call and asked if they could interview me about my trip.
They're doing a segment called "On the Road". This really got me excited.

Who knows what opportunities that will bring!

This brings me to today! 

Wednesday, June 10th, 2015.

Day 9.

Over 1,500 miles into my cross country road trip.

I have always loved cemeteries. They are so well kept and peaceful.
It is hard to feel anxious with such calmness surrounding you.
And I have met wonderful people at these unlikely locations.
Today, I went to a beautiful national cemetery in Western Nebraska.
I took in the beauty and said some well wishes to those that these fine people
left behind.

So what have I learned?

Well, for one thing, I have learned what little growing carrot tops look like and how to differentiate them from the weeds!

I don't have anything against Nebraska (besides the mosquitos)
but I've driven across the whole state, and this is what I have seen.
Nothing.

But more importantly, I learned what I am capable of.

I am 22 years old and taking an epic cross country road trip by myself!

I have worked hard and saved money and now I am doing what I have always dreamed of doing.

Anything can happen from here. I don't know what even this afternoon brings, but I know that I will make the best of it, as I generally do.

I am used to being in control, and although I still maintain a sense of control on this trip, this is the least control I've ever had. I am letting fate decide what will happen next.

I am saying yes to any opportunity

 that arrises. I am taking advantage of the peace of mind that being alone brings. 

I am meeting strangers with amazing stories.

I am sharing acts of kindness, and using my life as an example to others.

I am just being.

This is the most unfamiliar and unpredictable thing I have ever done, but I have never been more sure of anything in my life.

I am at peace.

I am exactly where I should be, where I want to be.

I am the person I have always wanted to be.

Who knows what the road ahead will bring, but I do know that it will be an epic journey of self discovery and enlightenment and I am ready!

Here's to the future!

I'll keep you updated about my travels.

Next stop: Boulder, Colorado.