Billy and Jenelle's Excellent Adventure: Day 2

Day two started at about 10:00. Our drive to Oklahoma City was set to take about 8 hours. After the 12 plus hours we spent driving on the first day we thought we deserved to sleep in a bit. After a little bit of packing, and a yummy continental breakfast we were all set and ready to go. Of course, we needed to stop at Wal-Mart (again) to replace our dysfunctional walkie talkies. I didn't mind though, because it gave me a chance to refill on snacks! Once our walkie talkies were in tow we were ready to go!

Ready for day 2!! 

Our only planned stop for this day was in Amarillo, Texas. Home of The Big Texan where the 72 oz. steak challenge lives. Of course.. we didn't actually plan on eating this massive steak, but we sure were going to make sure we ate there to see what all the fuss was about. That, and the possibility of seeing SOMEONE attempt this insane challenge was also somewhat enticing as well. This was also day two of being in 3 states in one day. When discovered, I thought this fact about our trip was pretty neat!!! Day 1: California, Arizona, New Mexico. Day 2: New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma. 

I must admit... driving in my car, by myself, across the country was NOT something I was looking forward to. Don't get me wrong, I am a HUGE fan of road trips, but a road trip where each person is in a different car was not really my idea of exciting. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how fast the time went, and how comfortable I became in my new "home." It was almost soothing. I had so much on my mind in the weeks leading up to our move, not to mention the emotional roller coaster ride I rode on the day we actually left, that it I found this time alone extremely therapeutic! I was able to listen to calm or hyper tunes depending on my mood, and I also had time to reflect and think about the major life change that I was currently embarking on. Of course, the walkie talkie's also helped :)

Driving into Texas from New Mexico was a trip! I had never been to New Mexico before, but I was surprised by its beauty, well the little of it that I was able to see anyways! However, once that boarder was crossed I could immediately tell I was in another state. The scenery went from beautiful, colorful desert rocks, and wide open endless sky to a desolate desert complete with tumbleweeds. It seriously felt like I had just stepped into a western movie. *cue The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Western Theme Music*





Arriving at The Big Texan was much more interesting and exciting that I could have imagined. Although, they do say everything's bigger in Texas, so I guess I should have been prepared for big! However, what I got was not only a restaurant... It was a restaurant, a hotel, a limo service (complete with longhorn horns on the hood), a mini theme park, and a general store! Inside, the decor and the ambiance was as to be expected, just as "big" as I had noticed from the outside. I didn't care! I was in Texas, and I was a tourist! I was allowed to embrace the tourist trap attractions! Unfortunately... The Big Texan was just that... a tourist trap. I had a great time taking photos, and acting silly. But my lunch was mediocre if that. The steak was so heavily seasoned that the flavor was terrible. The side dishes only added to the overly dramatic flavor of the steak. Did I still eat over half of my meal... of course I did! LOL, I was hungry, and I love food too much, even bad food.... to let that much of it go to waste :) Also, I think I was still on a high from the over the top everything that this restaurant had to offer, that at that point, I didn't even care!

We Made It!!! 

Ready to eat at The Big Texan! 

Side of the building, I'm Ready! 

Almost the front.

Ready for FOOD!!!

Big Cow Outside

My 24oz. Steak with backed potato, and Man n Cheese. 

Enjoying our food

Everything's Bigger in Texas

Playing in the arcade

Our 8 hour trip would have landed us at our hotel in Oklahoma City at about 6:00.... between 8:00 and 9:00 if you account the time spent getting gas, and eating at The Big Texan. However.... we arrived at our hotel at about midnight, again. All of us more tired and exhausted than the day before. The exit for our hotel was closed due to construction, and when we got off at the next exit it was almost impossible to find where we were going. We ended up driving around for what felt like an extra 2 hours, but what was actually probably only 30 minutes. During this time of endless U-turns and backtracking, a police officer caught on to our mysterious driving habits and decided that Billy was the right person to tail for a few miles before ultimately deciding that we were harmless. At about 1:00, we were settled in bed, and ready for a good nights sleep, because the next day would be another 11 hour drive not including any stops. Day two of our adventure was officially over, and we were that much closer to our new beginning in North Carolina.

Billy and Jenelle's Excellent Adventure: Leaving California

Okay, Okay, I know this post has been long awaited by many of you, well I finally feel like I have a free second to sit down and give everyone a little update. I will be posting our journey as a series, sharing a little at a time. But... digging deep to share all the details with all of you :)

For those of you who don't already know... Billy was offered an amazing opportunity with an aerospace supply/manufacture company, in North Carolina. Very exciting!! So, we took a GIANT leap of faith, and relocated across the country.

Last visit to Stone

Getting yourself prepared and organized to move so far away from everything and everyone that you have ever known is not an easy task. For the first few weeks the decision felt surreal. I knew I was moving, but the fact that I would be leaving my family, friends, and life behind did not seam real. Aside from the phantasmagorical feelings I was having, the reality was that in just a few short weeks (3 to be exact) Billy and I would need to be prepared to move.

Going away party love from
Heather

A lot went into our move. We needed to find a place to live, decide how we would get all of our belongings there, purge, pack, organize important documents, budget, etc. And among all that we were busily trying to make sure we spent quality time with all our friends and family before we left. In the weeks leading up to our move, I felt extremely lucky to be able to spend so much time with all the important people in my life. Billy and I realized how supported we were by our families and friends, and I for one really felt the love!! We planned many outings, dinner's, and were even thrown a going away party (Thanks to all our amazing parents for pulling that off so quickly)!! A serious thank you to everyone that made us feel so important and loved before our big move!! You definitely did not make it any easier to leave you all!!

Packing up!! 

Before we knew it, it was time for the actual move! So scary! The morning was a giant blur. Obviously I didn't get ANY sleep the night before, and we woke up bright and early to get our moving van, and get it all packed up. I was so surprised all of our belongings fit into our two Honda Civics, and one van. It wasn't until we were giving goodbye hugs, to our family, getting in the car, and driving away from the house that it hit me that I wasn't coming back. No longer would I be able to hang out with my parents/sisters whenever I wanted, or take Bella to the dog park with Kristina, or plan sibling outings, or eat dinners with my parents, or just simply drive home through the same streets I have always driven on. Of course it wasn't the last time I would ever be there, but I felt this sense of maturity and sadness come over me in that moment. No longer was it my house but it was now my parents house. No longer was I a resident of Carlow court, or Rancho Cucamonga, or even California.... And, shortly I would be building my own home with Billy, in the beginning stages of that "next step" in our relationship. There was so much I was afraid of, and so much I was excited for all mixed into one cluster of emotions that came crashing down on me right at the moment I was waving goodbye to mine and Billy's families as they watched us drive away.

Just about to leave.

Leaving that day was the hardest thing I have ever done. Good thing I was driving behind the carpool, because I was extremely emotional. It took me about 30 minutes to calm back down and focus on my driving. I was in my civic, Billy in his, and Billy's dad and Stepmom, Bill and Lil driving our moving van. We all had walkie talkies to keep in touch with each other during our long journey. I was so glad for this, it helped me feel less "alone" while I was driving. Which was good since we were driving all the way to Albuquerque on our first day... 12 hours away.

Flagstaff, for dinner.

Well the plan was that we would drive straight through until we absolutely needed to stop for gas. However... we stopped in Devore (about 20 minutes away) because we saw some black smoke coming from the van's exhaust pipe. We didn't notice anything serious, so we let the van rest a bit (the cajon pass is a big giant hill after all), and then it was back on the road. We stopped again in Barstow, then again in Needles, and in Flagstaff, and probably a few other places before we finally got to Albuquerque past midnight. The drive wasn't too terrible. I for one HATE driving long distances, so I was very worried that I would need many breaks but it wasn't until it got dark, and I couldn't really see anymore (I broke my glasses) that I asked Lil to drive the rest of the way. Of course, we had a hard time finding our hotel... but we finally made it and had NO trouble at all falling asleep for the night.

Crossing the Arizona Boarder

Crossing the New Mexico Boarder

Some other pictures from our last weeks in California:

The pig trough and Ferrell's for Billy's Birthday 

Hanging out with some of my besties! 

Silly Faces!!! 

Ladder Ball Champions

Dad and Bro

Love Stone!! 

Billy and Johnny

Aaron and Sarah

Climbing the stone and Stone

Love you!!!!!! 

My first encounter with my new baby cousin, Troy!

Bella, love of my life! I miss you soooooo much! 

Love this kid!! 

Miranda and I at Stone

The whole gang at Stone

Life Update: There's no place like home!

My last few blog entries have been about a positive and healthy self, despite my demanding situation and being more financially responsible. I have to report that I have in fact made a big decision that will affect (hopefully) both of these areas. I am going to move home with my parents for the summer, and part of the fall.

In taking an extremely close look at my finances, I have a very clear picture of what I can afford at this point, and what is too much. It has been determined that living in my apartment is causing me a very large amount of financial stress. I love my apartment, and I love the town in which I live, but when I moved in, in true Jenelle fashion, I did not take the proper steps to make sure that I was going to be able to afford it. I was so stubborn. Loved ones in my life told me that their was no rush, and to stay at home as long as possible... but I wanted to live on my own, I thought (and still think) I was too old to be living at my parents house, and I wanted to live closer to my work, to cut down on the commute.

So in looking at what I wanted out of moving out, here is what is true. I have lived on my own for almost a year now. I am proud of myself for being able to do this. It is not easy! I have learned that I am NOT as much of a neat freak as I always thought I I am too old to be living at my parents house, but I think it is important for me to suck up that pride, and do what is best for my future. I enjoy living with my parents, spending time with them and just being there gives me a sense of calmness I never got while living alone. I also succeeded in cutting down on my commute. Living 15 minutes away from work is conducive to pushing snooze at lease three times each morning,  and causing Billy and I to have to drive quite a distance in order to spend time together. I found myself driving home (commuting if you will) about 2-3 times per week. Does this not almost defeat the purpose of cutting down on my commute?

was, that I enjoy and relish the peacefulness that comes with living by myself, and that I get very lonely. I can say that I have had the experience, and I am proud of that fact, but I'm ready to move on from that experience. I still believe that

All in all, I am glad that I got this I have to move out right now! mentality out of my system. I learned a lot about myself, and even more about what it means to be responsible. I have given this decision a lot of thought, and I am excited to be moving back home. I miss my parents, living close to Billy, and more than anything I miss my Bellatrix! I will miss my apartment, and being a Sierra Madre local, but my home is calling me back, and I am excited to indulge this opportunity.

With that being said, I AM moving back home with a plan, how long I will be there, and what I need to do to ensure the success of moving out when planned. I am not planning on just inevitably mooching off my parents.