Kelly's Knob - Bypassing the View

        Have you ever had a specific plan that went completely awry but because it went so wrong the experience was even greater? Well this applies to the first time I hiked Kelly’s Knob last spring (April 2013). My friend Christian and I decided to drive out to this hike located off US-460 and we wanted to hike the entire trail instead of just one side which is generally how people tackle it. So our plan was to drive separately, park one car on the south end, and then drive together to the north end. Sounds foolproof right? That’s what we thought too. Turns out we were completely wrong. And it was fantastic.
        The morning of our adventure had arrived and there was one thing that already threw us for a loop – one of Juan Carlos’s tires had been replaced by a spare the day before. The thing is, with a spare tire on, you’re only allowed to hit 55 mph max. Well, US-460 has a 65 mph minimum speed limit…this was going to be interesting. I wasn’t going to let this stop us from going so we decided to continue with our plans. As we departed my apartment complex, everything was going well. However, I was very nervous to hit 460. We eventually merged onto the major roadway and I hesitantly hit 55pmh and held it there. Cars were zooming passed us. It was really embarrassing. I wanted to rev up to 65mph so badly but I knew that it could result in my car being on the side of the road. I decided to be patient, which is a trait I often struggle with, and be the tortoise of road. Thank goodness Christian was following me and giving me support because I was getting tired of people giving me weird looks as they drove by. I became one of those drivers that I always complain about. It was horrible. There was the occasional honking as well. I just kept telling myself that this happens to people who have a spare on all the time and not let it get to me. Then, my tire light came on – meaning the tire pressure was not what it needed to be. FFFFF. I decided to ride it out until we reached the road we needed to turn on. Thankfully, we made it onto the side road and since the parking lot for the trail was not much further, I decided to continue driving. This provided another problem because we could not find the parking lot for the life of us! We kept doubling back to see if we missed it. Finally, we stopped at a church that was labeled close to the trailhead and asked where the lot was. The lady was very nice and enthusiastic to meet hikers. She told us that the lot was just down the road but many hikers just park in their lot and suggested we do the same. We took her up on her offer and then checked my tires to make sure they were ok. The tire indicator must have malfunctioned due to the spare tire because each tire was fine. PHEW! We parked Juan Carlos at the church and then departed for the other lot together.
        You’d think that this trailhead would be easy to find considering it is a more published hike. We followed our directions but came across an unsuspected fork in the road. Straight ahead was a dirt path that led into the woods while a paved road was to the left. We figured since nothing was mentioned about a dirt road that we turn left. Well that assumption was incorrect. We drove for a good while and realized the road name was still the same so we figured we were on the right track. Eventually, after driving way longer than the directions entailed, I pulled out my GPS to see what the heck was going on. Our little blue dot was telling us that we were going in circles. Being very confused, we drove up to a large house and asked for help. The local told us not to fret, many people pull into his driveway for help. Such a great guy. I wonder if he enjoys the constant company. He told us to go back the same direction we had come from and to travel on a dirt path. AHA! Therein lies our mistake. We traveled back to the path (de ja vu) and drove onto the unpaved trail. About 20 yards in, we saw a sign for Appalachian Trail! Woohoo! However, the trail was nowhere in sight. Another sign popped up with an arrow so we continued on. This road was very iffy. There were ruts and fallen trees all over the place. Not to mention no guardrail. That put me on edge. Eventually, we came across two cars parked in a small clearing on the left of the road. We looked to our right and Voila! Kelly’s Knob trail. However, the clearing on the left was only big enough for two cars…we decided to continue driving and that was a bad idea because it went downhill and the road was very narrow so to turn around would be near impossible. After about a minute of driving we ran into some people loading cut trees into the back of their truck. At this point we needed to figure out how to return to the trail behind us. We contemplated turning around very carefully but soon negated that idea because we would fall off the side of the mountain. So Christian worked up the courage to drive in REVERSE up the mountain in his little Honda Taurus. It was a slow process but we made it back to the top! We turned around in the small area in the clearing and parallel parked on the side of the road. FINALLLY we could begin what we came for – the hike!
        We began climbing up the mountain and it was SUPER DUPER steep. Oh my goodness they should have bright neon warning signs for this stuff! I was not mentally prepared. It was probably the steepest incline I’ve experienced on a hike since Tinker Cliffs. It only lasted for about 0.5 miles (THANK GOD) and then it started to flatten out. The trail was very pretty because the flora was growing right up along the path. As we hiked, the area started getting clearer but there were no signs indicating we had reached the top. And there was no view. We trekked on. After about another mile I started getting worried that we missed it. It was only supposed to be 1.5 miles from where we parked. We discussed going back and seeing if we surpassed it, but we then decided that there would have been a clear-cut sign. About another mile later we came across a shelter which is located after the view on the map….WHAT! This was terribly upsetting. Sure enough

we had passed the view. We looked in the Traveler’s notebook at the shelter where hikers can write notes or thoughts and someone else had passed the view as well. I believe it said this verbatim: “Where the hell is Kelly’s Knob? We completely missed it.” We contemplated turning back and finding it but that would have added an extra 2 miles to our hike…we weren’t feeling it. We continued the rest of the hike and actually came across some beautiful scenery that made up for it. We walked along a tranquil stream and came across

a very serene and secluded lagoon. Little waterfalls were being created from the rock formations – it was wonderful. During this hike, there was still snow on the ground from a recent snowstorm which made the trail all the more beautiful.
        We eventually reached some open farmland and had to climb a few wooden staircases in and out of people’s property. The hills were cascading upon each other and you could see for miles. The only way it could have gotten any prettier was if the grass was green instead of brown. The trail continued through some farmer’s land and I was wondering how this was okay with the owner. I guess the trail was there first? We finally reached the church parking lot and our adventure came to a close. Well, not quite. We still had to retrieve Christian’s car form the starting point which was on that gravel road from earlier. Juan Carlos with a disability was not happy. He struggled a little to get up the hill while avoiding the potholes. In the end, we made it safely and returned to Blacksburg.

        After this trip I vowed to return so I could actually see the view! Since that day, I went back with a few friends and located the outlook. The sign wasn’t very apparent so I can see why Christian and I missed it. The view was spectacular! I actually didn’t think it was going to be very good since it’s a shorter hike and no one really speaks of it. Mission accomplished.

 

FloydFest 12 - Rise and Shine

       This will be my longest post by a long shot. FloydFest was the single most amazing event I’ve ever been to. I felt like the festival was created specifically for me. From camping, to bluegrass music, to local vendors, to yoga sessions, to speakeasies, to different concerts in different locations every hour - the list goes on and on. There was seriously music in earshot starting from 9AM to 3AM every day. It was the most incredible thing. FloydFest is tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains – basically secluded from the rest of humanity. It was like we were all living in our own little world and every single person, and I literally mean every single person, was excited and shared a passion for the event. The atmosphere was electric and not even a downpour on Friday night changed that.

       I attended this festival with my friend Jessie and we actually were able to go for free! We were officers for the Sustainable Land Development Club at VT and we (plus 3 other members of the club) were given the task last Fall semester to create an organized site map for the entire festival! About 6 months of hard work later we produced something we were very proud of and Josh (the manager of the festival) was extremely pleased with it and offered us free tickets. HECK YEAHHHHH! I’ve never been more thrilled to say I’m pursuing a career in engineering. Things we design become REAL. So cool.

Found the map we created on the last day of the festival!

DAY 1 - Thursday
       Right from the beginning I knew I belonged at this place. Every single car was unloading mounds of camping/hiking gear and everyone looked like a pack mule. Jess and I realized we
actually packed very light in comparison. There were wagons, dollies, and tattooed people

everywhere. I was getting more excited than I already was which was near impossible by this point. We waited in line for the gear shuttle and after about an hour some of the people around us stated that we could probably surpass the line to the regular bus since we had such a small amount packed. We contemplated it and since the line seemed to be moving pretty slowly, we asked a guy who was working the lines what he thought we should do. He said we could fit on the other bus for sure and that we should go for it. So we did. And people cheered for us. It was hilarious. We carried our stuff in the most effective way possible – backpacks on both our front and back. We looked fabulous. As we waited in the much shorter
         
line we had some fun conversation with the people around us. Everyone was just so darn happy and excited to be there that even waiting in line wasn't a big deal. Eventually we packed onto the bus and our destination was coming into view. It was the best set-up in the world. The mountain peaks were surrounding the festival, making it look small in comparison. It looked like a mountain resort. We unloaded and our search for the perfect campsite began. It was very difficult to stay on task because there was just so much to feast our eyes on! We tried not to get distracted by all the enticing vendors. Including PICKLE vendors. This place just kept getting better and better! We made it to the woods area and there were tents and hammocks

 galore!! Every direction you looked there was a sea of tents with hammocks intermittently spaced within. They were of all different colors, shapes, and sizes. It kinda reminded me of the Great Barrier Reef in terms of variety and vibrancy.
       We actually ended up pitching our tent in the Family Camping area which I was a little worried about because I’m not a huge fan of hearing rambunctious children. People who know me know I can barely stand kids in the first place. But it was a great location - a short walk to the Porto Johns and the main area where all the commotion took place. It ended up working out really well because we had no annoying kids around us. We only really came in contact with one (who was well behaved and whose family would become our saviors later on). Once we located a spot we liked, we brushed all the tree limbs and pine cones from the area and pitched the tent. We then strung up our hammocks next to it. It was a little slice of heaven.
       After setting up, we explored the festival grounds. It was coming alive with people and performances were scheduled to begin at 4PM. We perused the vendor tents and listened to the first performance on the main stage - Spirit Family Reunion. They were AWESOME! I

couldn’t believe I was going to be experiencing this music for the next 4 days! Unreal. It was funny because during the performance they said, “You guys look really clean! Last year we played at the end and we saw some rough people out there.” 15 showers for the whole festival will do that to ya! After they were through, we browsed more vendor tents. We then came across a community Hula Hooping area with hoops provided. Jessie quickly learned that Hula Hooping is not a forte of mine but I was determined to learn before the weekend ended! Next up was the beer garden. I had never been to one before and oh man it was GREAT. Not only were there friendly drunks stumbling around ready to have full out conversations with you, but there was also fantastic live music. We bought some nice sangria and enjoyed the scene. We stayed there for a bit and then went to the main stage to watch Gogol Boedello, a band I had never heard of before. They were CRAZY! And by that I mean I absolutely LOVED them! They had so much energy and the place was dynamic. They played strong upbeat music that got the whole crowd dancing. Some guy even started crowd surfing. I was really jealous because that’s something I have not yet crossed off my bucket list. He rode the crowd for ages! I think he went around for a whole song. Longest. Crowd surf. Ever. After this performance, the Lumineers stage crew started setting up. We had about an hour and we were REALLY close to the stage so we decided to stay and hold our ground. However, we

were so busy that day that we didn’t take time to buy dinner. We made a game plan: Jess would go grab some food to bring back while I guarded our spot. I had to fend off a few people and I was getting worried I was gonna get too squished and that she wouldn’t be able to find me. Eventually, I heard my name from a distance and frantically looked around hoping to catch a glimpse of Jessie. And like magic she popped out from between two people with a plate of deliciousness. SO happy. A nice tall man helped her find me. We were all set for some Lumineers action! The lights went out and the most eerie raising of chandeliers occurred. Then. They entered. It was EPIC. They were INCREDIBLE – sounded exactly like their CD. And we were so close to the stage! The whole thing was unbelievable. One of the members made things entertaining by jumping around, throwing drumsticks and maracas, and hitting lots of stuff. He reminded me of an energetic monkey. An attractive one at that. After the concert was over it was around 11:30PM. But the night wasn’t through yet. There was this thing called Silent Disco starting at 12:30 which is where you are given headphones and listen to the music and

dance. So basically, as an outsider you cannot hear a thing. It’s genius! And ridiculously comical. Blacksburg needs it. So we relaxed in our hammocks for a bit until it began and oh man was it a treat. Watching everyone dance to no music was the craziest/most humorous thing I’ve ever witnessed. It was SO much fun! Definitely satisfied my dancing bug. We got up on stage for a bit too. After about an hour we were completely exhausted so we decided to head back to our home. Plus, we planned to get up for morning yoga! I was excited. I slept in my hammock which was extremely comfortable though it was a little chilly at night. Either way, our first day was a HUGE success and it was only the beginning! We also determined that FloydFest had a very distinct smell – the smell of marijuana. Literally couldn’t go one hour without smelling or seeing it haha. Headlamps to bed!

DAY 2
       This day was jam packed with activity. I’m going to shorten it as much as possible. In the morning, we bought coffee and did outside group yoga. That was a brilliant way to start the day.

We then hiked Moonstomper Trail which was a 1 mile loop in the woods around the festival grounds. We popped out at the end of the trail near Hill Holler stage and watched a group called Paper Birds. We then went back to our abode to relax and eat lunch (PB&J all the way!!). It was really nice to just swing in the hammocks for a bit. The weather was perfect. Soon after, we decided to shower figuring the line probably died down by this point. There were only 15 showers for the entire festival. Just imagine that for a second. We lucked out and only had to wait 15 minutes. These showers were awesome! They were really nice which I didn’t expect at a festival. That 10 minute shower was the most heavenly thing oh my lordy. We then signed up to run a 5k Sunday morning. Could this place get any better?? After this we went to the Libations tent and ordered some beers (while also getting VICIOUSLY attacked by monster Japanese beetles). We watched Bombino (a low key band) at the main stage and just laid on the ground and enjoyed the simplicity of everything. There was an upcycle T-shirt workshop occurring at 4:30PM in a different area of the festival so we headed there after the concert. It was really neat and thanks to Jessie I got a super awesome OBAMA shirt to cut and make my own. This was the first time I had done one of these workshops and I’m so glad I now know how to do it! I have so many large shirts that I wish would fit. Next to this place was a space designated for people to swing in hammocks. They had about 30 hammocks set up and anyone could jump in one and relax. Community hammock swinging, I approve.
       Up next was Rising Appalachia at Hill Holler stage. They were AMAZING. They even had a
            
woman do silks. It was mesmerizing. Shortly after this we went into the beer garden again (one of my favorite places at the festival, it had such a fun atmosphere). I even got to charge my phone and camera which were just about dead by this point. We then went to watch the John Butler Trio at the main stage. We didn’t stay too long there and met up with Jessie’s friend, Taylor, who actually worked one of the vendor tents during the festival. We went back to his tent and chilled a little bit and then around midnight we headed to Hill Holler stage to watch Citizen Cope. They were AWESOME (do you sense some repetitiveness in my opinion of these bands yet? I LOVE THEM ALL). This was a crazy concert and we got there early enough that we were in the front row of people! Jessie even sat up on stage near a speaker. It was surreal. Then this random drunk girl was grinding up on us and we told her to hop up on stage so SHE DID. Too funny. THEN, a guy backstage grabbed her and removed her from the stage. I guess she took that as a “Oh you must like me” because then she stared making out with him hahaha. Anyway, the music was great and the main singer barely moved his lips. I was entranced by how he was able to sing with his lips together. It started drizzling by the end of the concert even though there was a 0% chance of rain. When we returned to our site, we took down the hammocks and prepared for a storm. I didn’t have a sleeping pad for my sleeping bag so if the floor got wet I was screwed. Well guess what happened? Yep. Completely soaked the next morning. Things weren’t looking so good.

DAY 3
       This had the potential of being the most terrible of days. We woke up in a pool of rain water....our tent had become completely soaked through and through. We hadn't set up a proper rain guard like many of the other tents in the area and only relied on the fly that was a attached to the tent. The tarp we placed below the tent floor was creating a channel for the water to collect underneath us. It was absolutely horrible. Our tent was flooded and we needed to figure out a course of action. The camp store was to open at 8AM so at 7:45 I headed over there to buy as many tarps as I could without breaking the bank. I arrived 2 minutes before it opened and the place was mobbed with people. Tarps were being sold like hot cakes! The store had run out of their largest tarps but thankfully two smaller tarps remained. I bought them both and returned to our site. Jess and I struggled to come up with any ideas that would benefit our situation. I think we were both fed up at this point with the whole ordeal. As we were dancing around our tent with a tarp in our hands, trying to figure out the best tactic, a miracle happened. A neighbor of ours, Mike, walked over to us (it's still raining at this point btw) and asked if we needed any help. I wanted to scream YES PLEASE HELP US WE'RE SO MISERABLE! But instead stuck with the simple "Yes, that would be great." He guided us and gave us so many options - most of which included using his stuff. His campsite was completely dry and looked
like a mansion. He could be a professional camper. We ended up using an extra tent of his and he helped us cover it with a tarp so that no rain would get inside. Mike literally helped us for two hours in the rain and didn't stop until we were completely satisfied. He was a saint. We offered to buy him dinner because we had to repay him somehow. He refused of course but later we bought him and his wife tickets for the beer garden. He deserved SO much more than that. He completely turned our day around. Who knows what would have happened if he didn't show up. He even let us put all our stuff under his area to keep it dry and said we could leave it there as long as we wanted. I was just completely baffled by this guy's generosity. If all humankind acted like Mike....oh man what a concept. After all this craziness occurred, Jess and I went back to sleep in our new DRY tent. It was AMAZING. We woke up
around 1PM and restarted our day in good spirits. Smiles were seen all around the festival grounds and I’ve never seen so much mud in my life. Even walking 100 feet was a challenge. Flip flops were lost in the depths of the soil and war paint was splashed across each person’s legs. It was very entertaining to watch everyone maneuver around the place. It was like watching a bunch of drunks trying to walk. We were wearing our hiking sandals but eventually gave in and took them off completely. That made things so much easier and it felt like a massage for our feet. Throughout the afternoon we watched a couple little concerts in the pouring rain and collected free stuff from the vendors. Despite the weather conditions, the place was still hopping with people. And oh baby was the beer garden jam packed! I guess everyone was drinking their sorrows away. The wine vendor stated that it was the most he's sold all weekend. Pretty hilarious.
       The rain had stopped by 4PM and everyone looked great - mud covered and drenched. I was amazed at how everyone was still able to have smiles on their faces and enjoy the day. It definitely helped me to stay positive. In the beer garden we bought a bottle of wine to split while watching the weirdest string band I've ever seen. When I think of string bands I think more mellow music or beats that get you jiggy. This band was SCREAMO CITY. It was a little too much. I wondered how they were even admitted into the festival. Adds some variety I suppose. After this we went to a yoga session...drunk. It was the most comical thing and very ironic. Fun times. Then, we watched Rising Appalachia again since we liked them so much the day before. Their music really gets you on your feet. A guy was walking around with a bag of gummy bears so I eyed him down until I worked up the courage to ask for some. He was like "I saw you eyeing me and my bag and was wondering how long it would take you to approach me" haha. Cool dude. Jess and I then ate some delicious pizza and tots for dinner. Throughout this whole event, I didn't really realize when I was getting hungry because I was too excited all the time; my fervent thoughts cancelled out everything else. I've never experienced that before. I mean come on, I LOVE food.
       The Brandi Carlile concert was next on the list and oh. my. god. She was absolutely amazing!!! I hadn't heard much of her before so I didn't know what to expect but her songs seriously touched my soul. I know that sounds really cheesy but seriously, I felt changed after this concert. And she's a fabulous performer. She was so appreciative of the crowd and was

genuinely happy up on stage. I love when people appreciate every little thing. At one point during the concert, she told us to turn around and look at the most amazing sunset. We all just stood in awe of the beauty of nature. It was mind blowing. She is my new favorite artist and I definitely will see her in concert again. After she was through we had about an hour until Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros performed. We once again were very close to the stage (seemed like we had a knack for this) and decided to stay in place. They arrived and man, there were so many different instruments! I dub them

the winner of fitting the most possible musicians on stage. Most of the band looked high and the concert was very relaxed. At one point the main singer entered the crowd which was pretty cool. Their famous song, Home, was requested by the crowd throughout the night and the main singer eventually got fed up and reprimanded us "Stop requesting Home, we will fucking play Home. Listen to our other songs - they are good too." I don't blame him for getting upset. The crowd was being rude. I wish I got it on video. When they did play Home, there's a section of the song where he would generally tell a story with Jane (main lady singer) but this time he asked people in the crowd if they had something to say. The microphone was passed around and it was really cool. During the concert he even had an

audience member step up on stage and play the melodica that he brought. He also did this again with a guy and his harmonica. It was neat how much he included the audience. Xavier Rudd was next to perform at 1:30AM. We were dead tired by this point - our legs were giving out from battling the mud walking and it was getting pretty cold. But it was completely necessary to listen to him. He was fabulous! He was from Australia so he played didgeridoos and other unique instruments. He was so talented and his music was bumpin. It reminded me of the Blue Man Group. He seemed like he was calling down some spirits or something; very in tune with nature and the earth. When it was over we washed our legs and feet off, had some tent conversation, and collapsed in our sleeping bags. Absolutely AWESOME day despite how it began. Though, I wouldn't have had it any other way. It made the experience all the more memorable.

DAY 4
       We decided to leave in the morning so we could return to Blacksburg at a reasonable hour. We packed up our tent and gave it back to our savior. Mike's act of generosity reminded me of something I heard from an Appalachian Trail thru hiker a few weeks back. He called random acts of kindness Trail Magic. Such as a driver picking them up off the road to transport them to the nearest town, or someone supplying them with food when they ran out. So I therefore will deem Mike's kindness FloydFest Magic. And the thing is, he helped a lot of other people too! He truly is a saint. We stood in line for some delicious coffee and then dropped by Taylor's food truck to say goodbye. He mentioned that the Alpha Lot was closed due to the extreme mud conditions and they only tow people out. Our mouths dropped and we didn't know what to do. We talked to a lady at administration who said they were suggesting that people stay an extra night. The festival was scheduled to continue in order to accommodate people. She made it sound like that was the only option but then eventually stated that we could go if it was an emergency. We told her we already packed up all our stuff and needed to get back because we had work the next day. She replied that it would take many hours and if we were willing to wait in line then we should go for it. Jess and I looked at each other and both agreed that we wanted to get back. Plus, we figured the mud would only get worse since there was a 40% chance of rain that day. We collected our things from our site and said goodbye to Mike and his family. I wanted to give him the biggest hug. He really made an impact on me. As we were walking toward the shuttle line, the pickle vendors were giving away FREE pickles. Day made. I no longer cared how long we had to wait - I was content with my pickle. The line weaved in and out of some camping areas but it really wasn't that bad. I think we waited and hour and a half tops. We waited longer than that Thursday morning. When we all got onto the bus, everyone cheered but the battle wasn't over yet. We arrived at the parking lot and it looked like a giant pig sty. I wanted to wait for a tow truck (staff members mentioned that the tow trucks were on FloydFest's tab and not to let them charge us. Super nice of them). To exit the lot from our space, we had to make a left turn in some heavy duty mud, continue straight in more deep mud, and then turn right onto gravel. There was no way. Thankfully, a neighboring car was also a manual and they had a game plan. They were gonna wait for a nearby car to move from a grassy area at the left turn, then they were gonna drive on that section so that there was a smaller chance of getting stuck. We followed them and it was smooth sailing until we reached the straightaway. Cars were stuck wheel deep everywhere. However, I have never seen such supportive people in my life. Everyone was helping to push cars and move wooden planks in front of the tires to provide stabilization. Once the way was cleared, I revved up the engine, and didn't release the pedal at all. Slowing or stopping meant sure death. Mud was flying EVERYWHERE! Including into my car because I had the windows down...whoops. I tried to hold the driving wheel steady as we spun in different directions. After much struggle, we successfully made it through the mud and released celebratory cheers and fist pumps. People nearby were laughing and clapping for us. It was EPIC. We then exited the lot and gave each other celebratory high fives. What an adventure! It was the perfect way to end the weekend.

       I really did not want to leave. Some things I participate in, once I reach a certain point, I’m kinda done with it. I felt so alive and happy at this place. It literally could not have gotten any better. I’m even ok with the rain that poured down on us. It made the experience what it was. And one of the greatest parts of the whole thing was that we got to meet so many different people! Everyone was so friendly. Conversations have never been so easy. The amount of generosity outpouring from that place was absolutely astounding. And shoutout to you Jess for being the perfect companion throughout the adventure :) Time to count down until next year!

Deer and Birds and Bears, Oh My!

       This past Friday I went hiking with my friend Elaine at Sinking Creek Mountain. I can say hands down that this was one of my most adventurous hikes ever. And that’s a heavy statement because I’ve done quite a bit! Sinking Creek Mountain is approximately 30 minutes from Blacksburg and in close proximity to Caldwell Fields (a fabulous place to camp by the way). We decided to complete this hike because it was different from the “regulars” aka McAfee’s Knob, Dragon’s Tooth, and the Cascades. It was mentioned in a hiking guide by the Outdoor Club at VT and ever since I obtained this guide, I’ve been determined to hike every single trail listed. There wasn’t much on the internet about this hike so we kinda took a shot in the dark, hopeful that the view was worth the 4 miles to the top. Well, it did not disappoint. Here’s the tale:

       Elaine and I left Blacksburg at 4:15pm – a little later than we had planned but nonetheless we figured we would be able to make it up the trail and back before dark. The place was very easy to find thanks to the directions provided by the Outdoor Club. The trailhead began near a stream which is a great way to start a journey. We headed up the mountain and we each 

chose sticks to hike with. Mine was more for stability but Elaine located a branch to clear the way of spider webs. What a trooper! As we climbed, bugs were VICIOUSLY attacking me. I don’t know what it is, but I always seem to be the person they are most attracted to. If only I had this effect on Ryan Gosling....oh, uh anyway a giant gnat (I guess that’s sort of an oxymoron) decided to fly into my eye and set up camp there. Tears were rolling down my face as I blinked like a lunatic to try and remove the pest. Elaine was carefully instructing me how to move my finger around my eye to remove it since she could see the evil creature but it was still hard to locate. Eventually, after much labor and stress, the bug was removed. Hallelujah! We continued along the path and we came across so many fascinating creatures! All sorts of lizards, caterpillars, millipedes, bunnies, birds – it was incredible! Then, I saw a giant deer jump about 20 yards ahead of us! It was so majestic. I yelled to Elaine “Oh my gosh!” and she immediately turned around and ran the other way. She thought it was a bear or something. So I had to convince her that there’s no way we would run into a bear. Well guess what.....BLACK BEAR ALERT about 2 miles after this. We were terrified out of our wits. So here’s how it happened. Elaine was ahead and all of a sudden, I hear a very loud movement in the distance and Elaine quickly turns around and flips out saying “It was a bear!! OH MY GOD” I didn’t believe her at first. I mean come on, a bear? Really? So I went to investigate and sure enough, the bear returned near the path and it was REAL!!! Then I started flipping out a little. But I also wanted to get its picture. While hiding

Bear sighting. Black blur in distance.

behind a tree, I carefully watched it move around. I had never seen one in the wild before and it was such a gorgeous creature. By this point, the bear started coming closer to us so we quickly decided to abandon the hike, turn around, and head to the shelter. As we were walking back, it was following us at a distance!!! We were being stalked by a BEAR. We'll sign our contract for the Discovery Channel now please. So we quickened our pace and eventually it lost interest in us. We seriously were having panic attacks at this point, but I wanted to go back and see if it was still there. I walked ahead with Elaine hesitantly following and it had left the area. We discussed whether we should keep trekking or turn around and call it a day. We decided that since it was nowhere in sight, and that we were already more than halfway to the top, that we would continue. It was quite difficult to face the fear of it possibly coming back considering we didn’t know if it was aggressive or not. We persisted and every time we heard a noise our heads turned so fast that we could have injured our necks. You really don’t believe things like this can happen until you experience it yourself and the danger becomes real.
       After about another mile, we bumped into a thru hiker and asked if the view was worth the trip (not that we were going to turn around by this point – we were just curious). The guy said it was fabulous and was only a mile ahead. We started getting excited and quickened our pace. We even ran some portions. The whole trail was ever-changing. It was like a combination of McAfee’s (mostly soil with somewhat steep inclines), Dragon’s Tooth (rocky and more rugged), and Rice Fields (steep, long, and flat near the top with a narrow pathway). There was even a part that looked very desolate or that lightning had taken the lives of all the trees in the area. Very artistic. As we were nearing the summit, thunder was rumbling in the distance. This was very ominous and we started getting worried that we may not make it to the top before an unsuspecting thunderstorm hit. However, we didn’t let the loud sounds deter us and pushed on

even faster, sometimes running. We eventually reached the top (not before Elaine spotted a snail and named him Gary, after the snail in Spongebob, on my suggestion) and it was gorgeous! I wouldn’t say it’s was as fabulous as McAfee’s or Dragon Tooth’s view but it was amazing! Since we were on the ridge of Sinking Creek Mountain (which by the way, you could basically hear this creek during the entire hike), you could see both to the left and right of the ridge. Meaning, you had two different valleys to choose between. One valley was more visible than the other and you could see mountains upon mountains upon mountains in the distance. It was wild! And you could really notice the pattern of the closest mountain – seeing how little hills and valleys came together to create it. Really gave the mountain some character.
       As the thunder clouds drew nearer, we decided that it was time to scadattle. We didn’t get to spend as much time at the top as I had hoped, but with the lightning closing in we couldn’t take any chances. We threw on our raincoats, began to descend, and the thunder was ROARING all around us. We were scared out of our skin. So we did what any human would do in the face of danger....RUNNNNN! We ran down the mountain so fast that the trees looked like a blur. The wind began to whip all around us and I thought for sure a tornado was about to form. As we outran the storm, we were very careful around the rocky surfaces, but Elaine and I both rolled our ankles a few times which was quite painful. After this we slowed to a quick walk but soon after that, rain droplets began to fall. At this point, I wanted it to rain because I was burning hot. We heard a crash of lightning close by and the thunder grew even louder. Elaine was very frightened and wanted to keep running but I told her we needed to be more careful otherwise we would get injured and with no cell reception, we would be stranded. So I started singing Favorite Things from the Sound of Music to calm her down. I then came to the lyric where it says “raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens” and Elaine chimed in with “Raindrops keep falling on my head” and BOOM. A torrential downpour began. IT WAS AWESOME!! But also terrifying. We began to run again because with the rain kicking in it was going to be too dark to see the trail soon. As the rain was pelting us in the face, I couldn’t help but smile. I know these are times when most people would hate their life, but these are the moments I live for. We were on a grand adventure that scared me silly but we were living on the edge – out of our comfort zone. These experiences make my blood pump. Literally. I was shaking a little and my legs started to go weak. I started laughing just because I was having such a good time and Elaine thought I was crazy. She eventually came around - embracing the greatness of it all and agreed that it was awesome. The rain started to let up and we started walking again. By this point, we had run halfway down the mountain which is approximately 2 miles. My legs were about to collapse. We had escaped the storm but now darkness was closing in. We reached the shelter shortly after that and debated staying for the night even though we had nothing to camp with. The thru hiker we bumped into earlier was at the shelter and exclaimed “Oh good you girls made it! I was worried you weren’t going to get back in time. I didn’t want to go back and rescue you. But I would have.” What a nice guy haha. We had 1.5 miles left to go and it was running close to 8:15PM. We began to strategize. The first two miles down the mountain, we ran and covered in a half hour but now we were traveling more slowly since everything was wet. We figured we could make it to the car by 9 so we trekked on. There were some parts that were very dark and I started getting worried. We did have flashlights, but hiking in the dark is never a good idea.

Especially since we had run into a bear earlier. The trail, like McAfee’s Knob, seemed to draw on for ages. Finally, I caught sight of the road through the trees! We were close!! We screamed war cries of accomplishment and triumph as we reached the car. We got in and I swear those car seats were the most comfortable of my life. We took an “after” picture of how attractive we had become and pulled away from the most dangerous hike I have ever done. We made it!! Celebratory chocolate Frosties were enjoyed upon arrival in Blacksburg.

Australian Adventures (2)

This is another entry straight out of my daily journal from my study abroad in Australia last summer. It describes my scuba diving experience in the Great Barrier Reef! This was a very magical day and was the toughest to describe.

DAY 15 7/5/12
       We went to the Great Barrier Reef today! Oh my goodness the experience was beyond words. I woke up at 7:15AM when Britt’s alarm went off because for some reason my 7AM alarm never sounded. We all got ready and met at the bus at 8:15AM. The ride to the docks was very short and then we boarded our own private boat! It was gigantic. I have never been on a boat so big. Scuba gear was hanging everywhere which only made me more excited. We all sat down on the sides and got a brief overview and were assigned flippers and such. We all took seasick medication – Dramamine – before we headed out. Supposedly it was gonna be rough – real rough. I didn’t get a grasp of how rough until we actually left the port. It was a somewhat overcast and very windy day. We were out on the open water and the people who were certified were given an overview and as soon as we anchored, we were to start our dive. The certified ones were me, Megan, Allie, Sam, and Bryce. Megan decided not to go today because she wasn’t feeling well. I was paired with Allie. After the debriefing we had some down time so I went to the top deck of the boat. The ride took about 2 hours total. We all looked like a bunch of drunks trying to stabilize ourselves. It was quite difficult. The rough water really did a good job. Water was flying everywhere. I’m pretty sure a lot of people on the top deck got soaked. It was a thrilling ride that’s for sure. Especially since my only boating experiences were with Dad and friends on the bay. The one time Jess, Kawiki, and I drove a boat to Yorktown was nothing compared to this. Every time we wanted to move about the boat we would have to work up the courage to cling to the nearest handrail and hope for the best. People were being thrown up, down, backwards, sideways – you name it! I think many of us became closer today. At least physically. Charlie was throwing up the whole way, the poor guy. That would really put a damper on things.
       We finally anchored the boat and we certified divers went in and managed our buoyancy.

Right before I got in, I saw a giant fish! I’d say about 2 feet long. The water was super-duper clear! I then went under and discovered a whole new world. Aladdin’s song would be appropriate here. I could see for miles! Well, not really. But compared to my prior experiences it was absolutely beyond belief. Visibility was about 35 feet and in every direction there was something to fix my eyes on. It was THE most incredible sight. Coral was everywhere, as were hundreds of fish of all shapes, colors, and sizes. I wish I could have had my head on a swivel. Gorgeous fish were surrounding us and it went on forever. It was really neat because the fish didn’t swim away or anything. They completely ignored us and treated us as one of them. I saw Dori fish (surgeonfish), a lionfish that the guide pointed out (hiding in a crook), a sea lobster, an oyster in action (blue with shimmering blue/green insides), angelfish, big parrotfish, and the list goes on and on. I loved being able to observe the interaction of the fish within their community. It was surreal. I also got to hold a sea cucumber. It was softer than I imagined. During the dive, my mask got a little water in it so I cleared it successfully but I think some got in my eye because I started crying every time I blinked. Thankfully, it went away

after a bit because I could hardly see anything. We swam for about 40 minutes and only resurfaced because we hit 50 bar which is ¼ a tank. Time passed so quickly down there. I thought it had been 5 minutes when really it was 20 minutes. I was very careful not to touch anything because I didn’t want to die. You could tell how much the reef had been bleached which is kinda sad. However, swimming next to these fish and seeing how they live really urged me to be sympathetic toward them and do all I can to preserve this place. I can’t believe the guides get to do this every day and get paid! So jealous. I got back onto the boat and was freezing cold! I was shivering like a little helpless popsicle. Upside: there were these delicious little coconut bars. I think I had 4. I sat on the boat and tried to warm up in the front cabin but it was a very slow process. I took a little nap, as did many other people, and then lunch was served. There were heaps of good looking food items. I made a sandwich with the huge bread

Monster sandwich after intense scuba diving

and added practically everything on the table. I may have gone overboard. I was eating it and about halfway Allie yells over at me “Oh my god Julie that’s a huge sandwich!” I never actually finished it but she said she was proud of me haha.
       After that we were told we had an hour of free snorkeling. It was a hard decision considering how cold it was on the boat but I decided to go for it. I wanna take every chance I can get. I gave Erin my camera to take photos and she did a very nice job. Snorkeling was a lot more fulfilling than I thought! I was still able to see heaps of fish and coral. It’s wild how close the coral grows to the surface. It was seriously almost as good as diving which is crazy to say. I saw a giant brown fish under some of the coral and tried pointing it out to people. Some people brought their waterproof cameras out (which I should have done. Tomorrow.) We were swimming pretty far away from the boat and then

everyone went Michael Phelps on me. Jimmy (our guide) took off at super speed and everyone followed. We were swimming our lives away knowing something good was ahead. I was expecting a shark but it was a sea turtle dude! I only saw a little bit of him as he swam away but some of the others saw him up close. SO COOL! Hopefully I can see one tomorrow (or a shark). We all snorkeled for an hour until we had to get back on the boat. I could have stayed out 2 hours, I was so mesmerized. It was difficult going out in a big group because everyone was kicking and hitting each other accidentally. There were times I almost ran into the coral and freaked out a little because I assume everything will hurt me (according to Jimmy). There was very little clearance sometimes. Oh and I saw a dogfish! It was so comical. It seriously had the face of a dog I couldn’t believe it. We got back on the boat and shivered and went to sleep. I fell asleep on Rebecca. We arrived back at the apartment and just relaxed and watched TV. I took a little nap and we all want to go to sleep now, but it’s only 8PM! So exhausting being thrown around on a boat. I can still feel the rock of the boat and so does Hannah. I’ve never appreciated land so much. I’ll probably read my Course Reader and go to bed around 10:30PM. I CAN’T BELIEVE WE WERE SWIMMING WITH FISH IN THE GREAT BARRIER REEF TODAY!! (Yes, those caps are necessary) And we get to do it tomorrow too! Fingers crossed for sharks! That scuba certification at Tech was totally worth it even though it was a pain in the ass. Oh and I held a starfish!! Night.


Below are pictures that one of my friends took with his underwater camera (click on picture to view larger):

Australian Adventures

This is an entry straight out of my daily journal from my study abroad in Australia last summer. It was one of the most remarkable days during the trip :)

DAY 8 6/28/12
        Isabelle came in and woke me up for my camera and then Megan woke us all up officially around 8. Our farmstay families were coming around 11:30 to take us all to their homes. I checked my clothes that I hung out to dry the previous day (since the dryers were full) and they were still wet :/ I left them out there as long as possible and then put them in my suitcase. We all were supposed to read our course readers in the morning but I think everyone was struggling from last night. I sat outside and tried to read but I couldn’t concentrate. I walked into the hostel and at that moment Jared called a group meeting. Buggas (Aussie term). They told us that we could all work on the ethnographic study together but write our own discussions. That was a relief. We then rushed outside because everyone was being picked up to go to their respective farmstay families. I got in Lisa’s (my farmstay mom) car with Christina, Taylor, and Allie. Lisa took us to an Antique store, Subway/grocery store, and a bunch of her friends’ places. A country store her friend owns, her friend’s farm (Sharon who had the most ADORABLE puppy), and we stopped by a little tomato stand where you just drop money in a basket using the honor system - so neat! The whole car ride was incredible because we were in a Land Rover and the scenery looked a lot like Blacksburg. We would drive through a couple little towns as well. We finally arrived at her place and it was so picturesque. There were some cattle on the side of the road and there were baby ones too. Lisa says, “They cut off their weeners.” Then we go, “They cut off their what?!” Lisa, “Baby cows! Weeners.” We all laughed and started shouting “weeeeners” It was hilarious. The cattle would run out of the way when we were driving and since we were in a Land Rover, we drove through little streams and rivers! The girls and I would give a little scream when we were coming up to cattle and then they moved away at the last second. Such daring animals. Then Lisa started telling us about all these things we can do/will do. We picked out our rooms and then we mounted 4-wheelers to tour the area. It was unbelievable.
All three of us were seriously speechless. These three phrases were cycled over and over: “This is SO cool. I can’t believe this. Holy shit this is awesome.” Lisa is quite a character. She speaks her mind and is freaking hilarious. She reminded me slightly of my technical writing teacher, Neilan. We came back and I hung up my wet clothes in the sun. Then we set out to go fishing. We grabbed some goods (beer and doritoes) and 4-wheeled to the creek. The dogs were running alongside us and the cows were too. It was literally unfathomable. We drove through a creek, some fields, and then some hills. The landscape just kept getting more and more beautiful by the second. It reminded me of one of those crazy outings on The Bachelor that never happen to real people. I felt so lucky. Riding through this area was seriously like a scene from a movie. I was on cloud nine.

       We got to the fishing spot and we threw out our lines. We didn’t use rods but rather spools of line. We sat down and Taylor kept thinking she hooked something. Stupid imaginary fish.

 Then, Allie caught an eel!! It was ginormous! And disgusting. Lisa said Aborigines ate eel and I said “Of course they do” and everyone laughed. Allie re-cast her line up on a hill and a few moments later she started screaming, “A huge ass leech is on my ass!” She started running toward us and slipped in the mud. Her and her line fell into the water as the leech clung to her buttocks. Lisa yells, “Well, it’s all gone to shit now!” One of the funniest moments of my life hands down. We helped removed the leech from her tush, which wasn’t so hard to do - leeches don’t attach themselves very strongly. Unlike ticks *shutter*. After all that excitement, Lisa decided it was time to head back. As we were driving back, we stopped along the way to burn some dead grass. This was the farmer’s way of regenerating the vegetation. This was pretty cool because we had been reading about the tactic and the Aborigines in our course. I lit fire to the grass...something I would NEVER do in America. But it was common practice and it was beneficial so I allowed myself to do it. Oh the exceptions in Australia. The topic of paralysis ticks came up and Lisa mentioned one of her mates died from one and that it’s not too uncommon. And here we are walking through tall grass...Eeek! Like I said before, Australians play the whole death thing down tremendously.

       We got back to the house and I was gonna drive the 4-wheeler(quad) while everyone else stayed, but Sharon’s husband was bogged (stuck). Lisa told us her idiot friends needed her help and we offered to assist her. We all went except for Taylor. I would have stayed back with her but Lisa said it would be a kinda dangerous outing so naturally I wanted to go. Danger in Australia seems unavoidable anyway. Before we got in the car, all us girls went to the right side instinctively and Lisa yelled at us since they drive on the right side in Australia. Whoops. We squeezed in her tow-truck looking car (with me in Christina’s lap) and had an icebox of beer on the floor. Lisa asked for a beer and kept driving while she was drinking it! She’s crazy. I love it. I love sitting on a couch at home (sorry that was random. I’m sitting on one now as I’m writing this) We were driving and it was getting super uncomfortable for us three girls so Christina went in the bed of the truck. It was super bumpy and adventurous and thrilling. I’m so glad Lori matched me up with Lisa. It’s so spontaneous and exciting. Lisa kept calling the guys idiots and such. She’s so funny. And we saw wild kangaroos! We couldn’t stop though because we were on a mission. We came up to one gate and another and another...at one point, we reached a guy at a gate, Jeff. He jumped onboard and I passed him and Christina beers from the front. It was like we picked up a fugitive and welcomed him into our posse. It was unreal. Lisa was joking that he and Christina would hit it off. She told Christina to ask if he had a farm (since her dream is to live on farmland). We came upon the rest of the blokes (look at me using Australian slang!) near a creek crossing. They looked like such goobers and immediately asked for beers.

They jumped in the back too with guns in their hands. Casual. We reached the site of the mishap and pulled up to their car. A big man was there waiting and Lisa goes, “Holy fuck, no wonder they are stuck, look at that huge ass man!” Like I said, she’s blunt as can be and I love it. We pulled them out in about 30 seconds and the guys let us have a few shots of their guns. They were just tossing ‘em around to us like no big deal. They were so casual about it, it was funny. Australian lifestyle I suppose. Basically they threw the guns into our arms and urged us to shoot. Christina went first and she aimed for a giant anthill. It was super loud...and wicked awesome. I went next and I’m glad I had experience with Jim at the shooting range in Blacksburg because I knew to expect a kick. I was scared to pull the trigger and I don’t know if I even hit the anthill because the power of the gun pushed me back a step. I just remember saying, “Holy shit” afterward and they all laughed. Lisa was pushing to leave for some reason (it seems she’s always ready to move on to the next activity) Allie shot and then we headed back. We gave Christina a hard time about Jeff and at some point our cars were side-by-side and Lisa told Jeff to jump in the back of ours. I peered into their car and all I could see were guns, beers, and goober faces. Priceless.

        We got back to the house and prepared dinner while listening to country music (eh). Then Jeff called the house to talk to Christina and she said she “let him down easy.” Evidently the joke turned into reality because he had the hots for her! We ate outside and it was a delicious meal. We had lamb with gravy(which I called chocolate cake batter gravy), potatoes, zucchini, vegetable bake, bread, and wine. It was fantastic. Lisa then forced us to watch a corny Australian movie about Aborigines – Bran Nue Dae. It was really lame haha. I then took a shower and went to bed around 11:30PM. It was a PHENOMENAL day. So many adventurous and thrilling things; I can’t wait for tomorrow. :)

What I want to do before I die

        Otherwise known as my bucket list! I was trying to to tell a friend what I had left to complete and I couldn't remember for the life of me! So here it is. All 100+ items including the ones I have crossed off. I put a short description of how/when they happened in parenthesis. Looking back on it, I'm very pleased with what I have accomplished so far. Anyone want to join me in one of the remainders?? With careful planning we can make it happen :)

1.           ride a horse (July 2011 with Kawiki at Horseshoe Creek Farms in Roanoke)

2.           get 1000 waves with Kristen, 780

3.           scuba dive (scuba lessons through VT Scuba Club, 2012)

4.           swim with dolphins (Jan 12, 2014 in Bahamas)

5.           sprint triathlon, become a triathlete (June 3, 2012 in Warsaw with Jim)

6.           crowd surfing

7.           crack an egg with one hand

8.           go cliff jumping (Summer 2011 with Emily, Jess, Jim, Dan, Alex)

9.           advanced white water rafting

10.       be an audience member on The Ellen Show

11.       pee in a public place (behind a bush on VT campus, Eileen did it first)

12.       go to Alaska to see northern lights

13.       buy ukulele (Jan 7, 2011 ebay > came from Hawaii)

14.       complete one hundred 1000 piece puzzles, 72 completed

15.       operate an excavator

16.       learn to play ukulele

17.       go to Hooters   (2009 Chickfila Atlanta Georgia band trip)

18.       go to a strip club (Thunder From Down Under in Vegas 2015)

19.       go sailing

20.       splash in the Friends fountain in NY

21.       movie hop  (Summer 2010 Charlie St. Cloud then Inception with Ayana and Curtis)

22.       go on a cruise (Jan 11-18, 2014 with Kristen, best experience EVER)

23.       crash a wedding (9/10/11 Anna Darby’s wedding with Diana and Emily)

24.       pay for something over $10 in all coins    (Walmart, twizzlers etc. $13)

25.       ride on a motorcycle (6/14/12 with Chris Jacobs)

26.       skinny dip in the moonlight on a beach (Aug 6, 2011 with Stefanie at Va Beach)

27.       get a life size check (May 16, 2012 scholarship from ASHE)

28.       go to a black church one Sunday (Nov 13, 2011 with Ayana)

29.       go zip lining

30.       buy a lottery ticket (Dec 2010)

31.       go to Las Vegas (March 2015 with Aussie girls)

32.       kick a football field goal (Winter break 2010 with Kenneth and Nick Sidor)

33.       go to Glacier National park (Going-to-the-Sun Road) or Yellowstone national park

34.       drive a boat (wakeboarding with Sean)

35.       donate $5,000 or higher to a college marching band or $1,000 to a bunch of high school bands

36.       if I’m rich buy a megatron for the south endzone of Lane Stadium so MVs can see it!

37.       play trumpet concerto in Eb by Haydn

38.       shoot a gun (February 12, 2011 with Emily, Dan, Alex, Jim, Ben, and Akash)

39.       ride a bull riding machine (Dec 2, 2011 with Stef in Charlotte, NC for ACC Championship)

40.       go dumpster diving (August 2011 with Ayana and Amber)

41.       ride in a limo

42.       sing karaoke (2010, Applebee’s at VT with Katherine Combs)

43.       ride in a taxi cab (New Zealand 7/17/12 at 2am to our trailer park stay)

44.       buy my own stick shift car

45.       get a tattoo (September 2011, Kristen, Emily, Kawiki, and Diana came)

46.       drive a car with the gas light on (driving to Blacksburg, see blog post The day Juan Carlos ran out of gas)

47.       go to Hawaii

48.       get married

49.       meet a famous person

50.       donate $5,000 to an animal shelter that’s in need of it

51.       donate $5,000 to an environmental coalition

52.       snowboard internationally (7/18/12 New Zealand Mt. Hutt)

53.       visit the Eiffel tower again (Jan 2015 with parents)

54.       see Backstreet Boys in concert  (summer 2010 in Vienna, VA with Kristen Krieger)

55.       sell something I made on eBay

56.       ride in a helicopter(and remember it)

57.       create blog

58.       catch a fish and eat it

59.       go hiking and then camp the night at the top of a mountain (2011, Dragon's Tooth with Jim and Alex)

60.       sneak into Lane Stadium at night (Diana, Kawiki, Sue; Summer 2011)

61.       slack line (2012 with Jessie in O'Shag quad, then April 2013)

62.       have a guy buy me a drink (Dec 31, 2011 in New Orleans, guy at table behind us bought our table a round of tequila shots)

63.       biker bar

64.       learn how to kiteboard

65.       see a solar eclipse

66.       see a lunar eclipse (Dec 21, 2010 3am thanks to Kyle Veres)

67.       see a meteor shower

68.       flash someone (Jan 1, 2012 on Bourbon Street with Stef to get beads)

69.       buy a brand new car

70.       use a fire extinguisher

71.       The Continental Divide

72.       kiss someone in the rain (August 2014 Cascades hike with Sam)

73.       milk a cow

74.       Amazon Rainforest (June 2014 in Manaus, Brazil. Caught alligators and went swimming with piranhas)

75.       Great Barrier Reef (July 2012 in Port Douglas)

76.       Tahiti

77.       2014 World Cup in Brazil (June 2014. Two matches in Manaus and then traveled to Rio de Janeiro)
  78.    visit Minnesota

79.       ride a flowrider (surf thing)

80.       shoot a bow and arrow (6/14/12 with Chris Jacobs)

81.       ride on a plane by myself (Europe Trip 2015. Jan 12)

82.       snowboard in Colorado

83.       go into a plane’s cockpit

84.       hold tarantula

85.       go to a circus

86.       visit all 7 continents

87.       go on a blind date

88.       shoot a cannon

89.       drink directly from a coconut (Jan 15, 2014 in St. Maarten)

90.       get a legit massage (3/30/13 with Michelle in DT Blacksburg)

91.       get a pedicure (12/10/11, Kawiki and Jessie’s birthday gift to me)

92.       stand at the North or South Pole

93.       ride an elephant

94.       go to a movie premiere

95.       El Camino de Santiago?

96.       Oktoberfest

    97. Norway
    98. Go caving (3/30/14 with Dave and the VT Cave Club)

99.       Grand Canyon, Mt. Zion (April 2015 with Dad)

100.    Learn to play banjo

101.   Nashville (March 2015 with Alex)
102.  Participate in speed dating (April 2014, very interesting experience. Met lots of great people and ended up dating a guy for a month)
103. Maine (Acadia), New Hampshire, Vermont during summertime
104. Niagara Falls
105. Salsa dance internationally (danced in Amsterdam twice and once in Paris. Jan 2015)
106. Become bilingual - fluent in Spanish
107. Become trilingual - fluent in French
108. Visit Thailand
109. Turkey and Greece
110. Travel to Spain, speak Spanish with locals, and watch Real Madrid match