It's All Happening.

I don't know?

2011-03-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

Usually when I catch up friends and family back home, the conversation tends to swing in the direction of my future, with multiple, loaded questions like, "Do you love where you're at?" "Will you stay there forever?" "When are you moving back to Detroit?" or the classic Jim Adamo statement of the year, "You should be apart of the Detroit renaissance." I've never been good at saying, "I don't know." I used to think I was surrendering or being weak when I said those three words. I'd think, "I should know." I'm beginning to think that nobody really does know, anyways. I'm putting my faith in the Big Man Upstairs to know where the heck I'm supposed to be.

All I Really Need to Know I learned in Kindergarten

2011-03-01T09:27:00.000-08:00

Lately, I've been acting in the newest role, Elizabeth The Adult. I still feel like I should be beep-bopping around in Grosse Pointe, drinking 7-11 slushies and listening to Dave Matthews Band. Instead, I work a steady 9-5 job, pay bills, drink coffee in the morning and have to cook myself food. Never has it ever been more apparent that all I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten.

Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.
And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK.

Yup.

2011-02-10T14:47:00.000-08:00

So I realize it's been quite some time since I've graced the blog-world with my clever presence, but I feel it is now time to unleash the power of E. Been through some interesting challenges in the past 7 months and I guess I could elaborate on those. However, I think I'd just like to share with you some things I really, really like right now. Hope that's cool. Thanks to Elizabeth Billman for the inspiration.

1) Southern California: Well, this is a no brainer right now. Watching my friends back in Detroit, Chicago, New York and Boston battle through these winter months is somewhat satisfying. It gives me great satisfaction that I still have a rosey luster in my cheeks and my hair is sunkissed blonde. But in all reality, I do actually notice significant changes in my overall mood. The sun does the mind, body and soul good.

2) Pandora at Work: I know they say our generation is too "plugged in" but let's be honest- at work- being plugged in is legit. Think about how much more work you get done if you're not distracted. I realize it's probably rude to be so tuned out, but the reality is I am incredibly tuned in.

3) Being Single: Taken on a new meaning folks. I even updated my relationship status on FaceBook to say "Single." Anytime I ask anyone why they don't have a relationship status it's becuase nobody wants their love life publicized. Well, guess what. I'm ready to shout in on a mountain top. I'm single and happier than ever.

4) Spin Class at Crunch: I'll be honest. I used to be weirded out by the scene at Crunch Gym on Sunset. A lot of singletons, chasing their dreams of chizzled, tanned and perky bodies. But the more and more I go, I've made friends with these singletons that are chasing their dreams of chizzled, tanned and perky bods. Now I just love going to Crunch in the AM because its a straight dance club at 7 am; pretty genius if you ask me.

There's plenty of things to elaborate on, but I'll wait. Besides, I have to get back to my big girl job.

The Comforts Of Home

2010-09-05T16:18:00.000-07:00

I went back and forth with investing time and money into my apartment, and this weekend I cracked. I knew that Elaine and I would put effort into the living room, because it was a common living space. I thought I could live in my own personal room without decor.

It all started with my Anthropologie Bedding. The Alahambra Collection from Anthro. Sigh, anthro. You inspire me in different ways that nobody/nothing else could. I thought I could get away with great bedding and stark white walls. Try again, Adamo.

On Friday night, Elaine and I went to Home Depot to find a paint color for our kitchen walls and for my bedroom. This turned into us hiring a man to paint our walls because we were too lazy to actually do it ourselves. We had enough with being crafty with our living room, so we hired a nice gentleman named Marvin. He was sitting in the Home Depot parking lot, not sure if this was illegal or not, but we did it anyways.

He followed us home with his old Dodge truck, with flames painted on the sides. Thank goodness for our neighbors that came and hung out with us while the strange man was in our apartment. Marvin was harmless. Just a nice man, with bad English speaking skills, looking for some work.

The kitchen color we chose looked like hummus in Home Depot, but when it got on our walls, it looked like skin flesh. All weekend we've been trying to convince ourselves that we like the paint color. I burst out laughing and finally broke the ice. "Our walls are so ugly." There. We said it. We're stuck until further notice.

But, lucky for me, my bedroom color turned out exactly how I wanted it. I decided it was time to make it feel like my own little oasis. And quite a few dollars later, it does.

Marvin did most the work with painting but left me one wall to finish. I got to pay him less this way, and he did the hardest part, the corners . I finished painting on Saturday, but had to get out of the apartment because the fumes were making my lungs collapse. Okay, this is a bit dramatic, but I cannot stand the smell of paint!

Elaine and I were on a mission to find some more home goods, so where else would we go besides, Home Goods?

This place is how Target was for me in college. I'd go into Target looking for one thing and come out with 12. Home Goods pretty much works the same.

I went in looking for a table, came out with a golden elephant, four picture frames, candles and a "Keep Calm and Carry On" pillow. Unnecessary necessities. Could I have lived without the golden elephant, yes. It doesn't matter, though. It feels like home.

We spent almost 2 hours in Home Goods looking at vases and centerpieces and tables and kitchenware and frames and pillows and runners and table clothes. It was like being in a candy store as a kid. Wanting everything, but only being limited to a small amount.

After a successful Home Goods trip, we headed back to the apartment only to realize the cruel truth of our heinous colored kitchen walls. Vom.

At least my room looks good. I give Elaine 3-5 days before she attacks the kitchen walls and repaints it herself. She doesn't like things incomplete. I think our walls are making her nervous.

I'm coming to terms with the fact that Los Angeles is my new home, completely different then Blooomington and Grosse Pointe. And this weekend I decorated with one purpose, to make it feel like home. And it does. So, I spent Sunday afternoon curled up with a book, Pelligrino, some fall scented candles. I fell asleep and basked in the glory and comforts of my new home, Apt. 104.

You're So Lucky.

2010-08-22T21:08:00.000-07:00

I hate that phrase.

I've been told, "You're so lucky." I have a hard time believing that I am just "lucky."

When I received my job offer in June, I know that through college and internships, I worked hard and I'm reaping what I've sowed. Aunt Nancy, aka Mrs. Roney, inspired me when she said there is no such thing as luck, because when you work hard, you are rewarded.

So here I am, in Los Angeles, working for The Wall Street Journal.

It's taken me about a month to settle in, but now I finally feel like I've got a grip on things, so I can share with my family and friends all I've done in the past month.

I'll kick off the new blogging era with a few things that I'm loving about Southern California...

1) Runyon Canyon. This place is awesome. I drive two miles up Sunset Blvd., through all of the LA glitz and glamour, and then I'm at a mountain I can hike up. Best part, it's free. I love hiking up to the top and overlooking Los Angeles. It has NOT gotten old looking out to the ocean, (from what I can really see, the smog tends to get in the way.)

2) The Fruit Stand Guy. Holy Moly. We need these in Michigan. About 3 times a week, I walk about a half mile down Wilshire Blvd. to the "fruit guy." His name is Miguel, it reminds me of Lauren's boyfriend, Miguelito. I give him 3 bucks and I get a giant bag of watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, mango and oranges. This is the best treat in the afternoon when I'm needing some brain fuel.

3) Okay, I have to say it, the weather. I am sorry, but I can't even tell you how amazing it is to go to work in dress clothes(dress pants, blouses, etc.), and not have to overheat. Kudos to the folks living in NYC that dress like that everyday and walk through the sweltering city, ick, just can't imagine doing it.

4) Driving. I'm lovin' up on not having to depend on anyone else for my transportation. Everyone complains about LA traffic, but I've got a sweet set up. The only time I drive is to work and church. But everything else my little heart desires is within a 5 minute walk. Awesome.

5) My Family. I scored the jackpot with the California Adamo relatives out here. What an incredible group of people that I'm feeling SO blessed to have. Um, every Sunday there is a huge Pasta Sunday dinner. I'm bringing this back to Detroit, so get ready everyone, because we are doing a gigantic Italian feast every Sunday. I'm outsourcing the cooking to my mother, but she doesn't know that yet.

6) My Job. It's going GREAT. There is a girl in my office named Ashley who is training me to be not just any, but THE Sales Coordinator. Let me tell you, digital advertising is a whole other language, and I'm so happy I've got Ashley to teach it all to me. I love the work, and I certainly don't mind the delicious food that always seems to be on hand and the occasional TOAST breakfast sessions on Friday mornings. YUM. Not like toasting toast in the office kitchen, google the restaurant in LA!

7) My roommate. Elaine is a great roommate who is very respectful of my work schedule, my stuff and me as a person. She totally doesn't think I'm insane for going to bed at 9 and waking up at 6. What's great about our dynamic little duo is that we are both so excited to make friends and explore LA. We do fun things like go to flea markets and farmers markets. It also doesn't hurt that we are both Italian and love good food. She's got the cooking thing down, but she says I'm learning. Slowly, but surely.

8) Which brings me to my next love about LA, FARMERS MARKETS. The Beverly Hills Farmers Market is the best place to be on Sunday mornings. I made a new friend, Kathy, there last week who is going to meet me every Sunday. She just got a hip replacement so she likes the walk. :D One of my favorite stands is the German Panini guys. His name is Christian, he has blonde hair and blue eyes. He has a thick accent and is adorable. I might just go to the panini stand to see Christian, but who is judging? Kathy thinks he's cute, too, but she said she's a little old for him.
; )

Okay, so I've been here for a month and I've got 8 great things that I love. I'd say that's a pretty good start. I love and miss my family very, very much, but this is the coolest thing I've ever done.

My last blog post I put up was to conclude the road trip that West and I went on in May, I ended it by saying something like, "another adventure is sure to begin.." I never would've thought I'd be here--but it's just all apart of the great plan ahead for me.

Onwards,

Elizabeth

This Journey is over...but another one is sure to begin

2010-06-03T05:44:00.000-07:00

Back by popular demand, (meaning Grandma and my mom), this is the final post to declare the end of an adventure. Even though, the real one is just beginning.

A few things West and I learned along the way included politics in the Southwest. Call us naive, but we had no idea the magnitude of what was going on between Arizona and the world. It was incredible to hear everyone's point of view. We also learned that we are incredibly well-connected. We probably should have known this already, but we were shocked that every city we went to we could think of AT LEAST a few people we knew there. Some from Pepperdine, some from IU and quite a bit from Michigan. It was comforting to know that wherever we might move next, there's got to be at least one person we know. If we don't know them already, then we'll get to know them! Oh, and my favorite thing I learned, Vegas is NOT glitz, glam, pink and sparkles. It's mostly large people walking around with sleeveless tees, yardas (a foot tall drink) and bud lights. Surprise, surprise.

Most importantly, we learned that through the creepy truck stops, the silent hours in the car and the odd smells to seep into the car in Nebraska, that West and I are in this friendship for the long haul. She's one of the greatest women that I know and I feel so lucky that I got to spend a solid two weeks with her, before we start our lives as "real people." And yes, I'm going to say it, it truly is all happening, so don't let a moment pass you by.

Thanks to our family and friends for making this trip possible. We couldn't have done it without you!

Boudler, CO.

2010-05-25T08:41:00.000-07:00

After 11 hours in the car, West and I arrived at Mark's house in Denver. It was really late and I don't really remember walking into his house because I had been asleep for a bit. Thank goodness West is a night owl.

We passed out at midnight and didn't wake up until about noon the next day. I don't think I have ever woken up passed 9:00 am. I slept like a log and West did too. We needed it though, because we had another big day of exploring ahead of us.

We woke up and Mrs. Burcham made us a delicious breakfast to get the day started right. I was thrilled to have eggs for the first time in almost two weeks.

We got on our hiking gear to meet up with Ryan Kosmatka in Boulder. Esther, West's friend from Michillinda, met up with us, too. I was so excited to finally meet Esther because I had heard so much about her and the Michillinda crew. Michillinda is a resort community on the West side of Michigan. The girls like to describe it as "Dirty Dancing." West and her family have been going for 18 years, every summer in August. It's a very cool tradition!

We didn't really go hiking, but you would never have known that if you look at our pictures. It looked like we hiked to the top of the Flat Iron mountains. When actually, Ryan just drove us to the top. We were a little weary about hiking in Colorado anyways, because of the altitude change.

After some scenic views, Ryan took us to "The Hill." We went to an all natural, organic fruit juice bar called "Rush." We got a "bowl," which was a smoothie, in a bowl, covered with granola and honey. West and I split one, it was very refreshing! We felt "naturally enlightened." This place was super hipped out and I loved every second of it. Esther got a peach smoothie the size of a Venti Starbucks. Good thing it was that big, because it was a hefty 6$ smoothie.

Ryan took us through campus, where we sat down and enjoyed our "bowls" and smoothies. West got to see her cousin, Charlie for a minute. He was busy studying for the LSAT, which he plans to take on June 7th. I met Charlie 6 years ago at the Ann Arbor Art Fair, I'm not sure if he remembered me, but I gave him a big hug anyways. Love the West fam.

After our walk through campus, we went to Pearl Street. I loved this part of Boulder! We were surprised to find some boutiques that had really cute clothes that weren't super flower-child and hipped out.

We went to a toy store that had hundreds of kites on the ceiling called, "Into the Wind." I found some really cute kites and couldn't resist picking them up for my little cousins, Maria and Alex. I'm sure they will love them!

After walking down Pearl Street, we went to a restaurant/bar called The West End Tavern. We wanted to try some locally brewed beers. West had an Avery Ellie's Brown and Esther and I had the Oskar Blues Mama's Little Yellow Pilsner. (At least I think that's what I had?) It was good, but I'm not a big beer drinker. I don't know how to describe how it tasted, either. I let Ryan finish the rest of mine. We also got some yam chips and guacamole. Why have I not experienced Yam chips in the Midwest? Somebody needs to bring these to Michigan, make it quick, because they are tasty. After a full day of exploring, we felt that we had conquered another city!

We got back to Mark's house and got ready for dinner. Mark's parents, Mark, David, West and I all went out to dinner. It was an Asian Bistro called John Holly's. We got sushi and family style dishes like Pad Thai. It was delicious. After dinner we came home and watched the season finale of Lost. I don't know what everyone is complaining about, because I loved the season finale! After this, we passed out. We were pretty tired after yesterdays adventures! Which is why it has taken us so long to post, apologies to our readers!

Today we'll probably check out Denver and lay low. We have a big day of driving tomorrow so we want to be rested up!

We'll be home Thursday, I can't believe our trip is almost over. It's been a riot and we feel very lucky to have had so many people take care of us along the way. And we also feel great supporting the U.S.A economy. GO AMERICA!

Much love,

Adamo and West

Viva Las Vegas!

2010-05-25T08:20:00.000-07:00

Viva Las Vegas!

On Saturday morning, I woke up at 8:00 am and met up with David Milgrim's parents to walk the strip. David is dating my best friend/room mate from college, Ally Mann. We stayed with the Milgrim's in Miami for spring break this past March, so I was really excited to see them again! Marian Milgrim was my power walking buddy in Miami, so I knew she'd be walking in Vegas, too.

I was excited to see the Vegas strip in the daytime, without any drunken debauchery. I was amazed at the architecture of the new City Center on the north end of the strip. I also got to check out the Forum Shops, I couldn't get over the amount of shopping in Vegas. I was very, very pleased to find a Tory Burch boutique. They even told me that one just opened at Somerset, this made me happy.

After our walk, I met up with West at our new digs, The Mirage. All of these resorts make it so you never have to leave. There are a half dozen restaurants, ice cream shops, clothing shops and of course the casino. It was insane. We dropped our bags and grabbed a quick lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. We went straight to the pool and lounged for the afternoon. Kat, West's best friend from college, joined us on Saturday in Vegas. She also was with us in San Francisco, so it was great to hang with her again. I would have enjoyed a cocktail, but they were a whopping 18$. No thanks.

Our favorite part of the day was the spa at The Mirage. For 17$, you can use the hot tubs, sauna, steam rooms and the gym for the entire day. They had unlimited fresh juices, coffees, teas, fruit and trail mix. I was totally into it. We relaxed for the later part of the afternoon and got cleaned up with some herbal smelling Aveda products and got ready to hit the town for the night.

We got ready for the night and put on our "Vegas" attitude. We looked super dressed up but we hadn't eaten dinner, so we went to a burger place. We were all snazzfested out, in a burger place. A bit overdressed, but in Vegas, anything goes. After we ate, we met up with Katie and Kat's boyfriends at Treasure Island. We hung out for a bit, then headed to Jet Nightclub. We really only went for the two free drinks till midnight. Vegas on a budget, my dad would be so proud. We danced for a bit, then decided it was time to go, after Kat got hit on in the women's bathroom, by a woman. Yup, definitely time to go.

We decided to take a shot at gambling. West likes to bet a dollar on the black jack machines, and she usually doubles her dollar, then pulls out. She was very proud of her $1 dollar win.

In honor of my Grandpa John, I hit the craps tables. I had no clue what I was doing, but I won $90. He must've been there in spirit, watching over me, because I did pretty well. The guy next to me told me I was a good luck charm. This is also when I decided it was time to go. $90 bucks richer, I was a happy camper. We decided to call it a night and hit the hay. We had a very, very long day of driving in the morning.

Onwards,

Elizabeth and Kathryn

Phoenix and Grand Canyon

2010-05-21T20:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we arrived in toasty Phoenix at the Mooney househould. Mrs. Mooney is Katie's room mates mom. She was an absolute doll! We got to her house, where we immediately decided to take a dip in the pool because it was literally so hot outside. West loved the heat, while I tried to bear it and not complain. The cool thing about Phoenix is that the heat is really dry, so you don't sweat like you would on a hot, humid summer day in Michigan. We jumped in the pool, had an ice cold beer and read some magazines. Mrs. Mooney was more then accommodating with poolside reads and Michelob Ultras, my fave! This was so nice because we had been on the road for the day coming from San Diego.

After we relaxed for a little bit, West and I did some exploring in Phoenix. We wanted to check out where we would go shopping if we lived there. This is clearly a crucial stop in any city. We went to the Scottsdale Fashion Square that had literally everything you could possibly think of. The cool thing about this mall was that there were little side streets surrounding it with boutiques. West and I popped into a boutique called, "Estilo," we didn't buy anything but the girl working there was nice AND they had bowls of candy. This was a great way to shop.

After perusing the Scottsdale Fashion Square, we came back to the Mooney's and got ready for dinner. By "get ready," I mean we dropped our bags and walked out the door. We went to what Mrs. Mooney referred to as "a dump," but we prefer to think of it as a purely authentic Mexican restaurant. Complete with Terra Cotta tiles, white iron furniture and a colorful flags hanging from the roof. It was called "Aunt Chilladas," cute right?

West and I both agreed that this was one of our fave Mexican spots that we've hit. And we've hit 3 in 2 days. People in the Southwest LOVE Mexican food, let me tell you, it ain't Taco Bell. West got fish tacos and I got a seafood quesadilla, both delightful! We enjoyed margaritas with Libbey's mom and chatted about our future aspirations.

We came home and passed out. Mrs. Mooney was so sweet to bring us bottles of water and put little chocolates on our pillow. We were so tired from our days adventures, little did we know the next day would be much more action packed.

We woke up this morning at 7:30 am. I was up earlier, but I always lay around and wait for West to wake up. We went to Squaw Valley Peak for a hike. It was a rocky 1.5 mile climb up to the top, but once we got to the top we took some very touristy pictures and soaked in the views of Phoenix. Three cheers for Phoenix!

We went back to the Mooney's, to "hose off," except, true to Phoenix form, we weren't even sweating. We took quick showers, packed up and hit the road. Mrs. Mooney surprised us with a Trader Joe's cooler FILLED with Mini Oreos, Mini Golden Oreos, Mini Teddy Grams, Mini Nutter Butters, Goldfish, Red Vines and Reduced Fat Ruffles Lays. Oh, and a case of water. She knows me too well.

We drove for 4 hours to the Grand Canyon. It was big. It was red. It was cool. It's kind of hard to describe, because it literally is a big hole that doesn't really look real. We pretty much paid 25 bucks to get into the park, pulled to the South Rim, took some pictures and left to hit the road to Vegas. I think we were getting really amped about our next stop.

We drove for another 4 hours to get to Vegas. We got to stop in see the Hoover Dam, which was another, "This is it?" moment. Nonetheless, we tried to be good tourists and take some pictures and get excited about a big reservoir of water. I thought my Grandpa Aldo would have really enjoyed seeing it, but that's about it.

Well, now we just got to Vegas. The city of blinding lights. Is that Vegas? Well, more of Vegas to come, but tonight we are staying at a hotel called Circus Circus, West coins this as "cheesy Vegas." It has Vegas's largest indoor amusement park, which unfortunately produces intense shrieks outside our hotel window. We both pretty much agree that it's just a circus of people here for the wrong reasons. Needless to say, I think we both agree that we are looking forward to checking into The Mirage tomorrow. At 9 am.

Happy Birthday to my Grandpa John, who would've been 80 years old today. I'll salute him at the Craps Tables and think of him while I enjoy a juicy steak, on my Dad. Thanks Dad, you're the best!

Staying healthy, successful and wise,

Elizabeth and Kathryn

San Diego

2010-05-19T21:33:00.000-07:00

I'm loving on San Diego, I can't decide if I like San Francisco or San Diego more.

West and I arrived in San Diego Tuesday afternoon. We stopped in a little beach town called Carlsbad before we came to the Gaetke's. West and I ate at a little Mexican restaurant called Norte. We wanted a light late lunch, which turned into a pan fried queso, three scoops of guacamole and toquitos. Whoops.

Upon leaving, we thought it would be a good idea to get some pretty flowers for the Gaetke's. We found a flower shack, which looked like it might have been out of order for the day. Instead, a grungey homeless man said, "Can I help you ladies?" Well after he told us the credit card machine wasn't working and that he didn't have the key to the fridge for more flowers, we were pretty sketched out. We gave him a few dollars in coins and ski-daddled. The sunflowers looked great in the Gaetke's kitchen!

On Tuesday night, they planned an Adamo family get together. I'm happy to report they successfully eat and sing as much as we do in Michigan. I found out my long lost third cousins, (Paul, David and Nicole) are obsessed with Wicked, Disney and Rent. AWESOME! We even busted out in song while doing the dishes. I felt right at home. I'm beginning to think that the musical gene runs in the Adamo gene pool.

We crashed at about 10 pm, this is not unusual for me, but West hit the pillow and slept like a log till 9 am. We woke up and fueled with berries and went on a 5 mile beach/cliff hike with Cathy. It was amazing to climb up through Torrey Pines. The views were incredible even though it was a little overcast.

After our hike, Cathy took us to a delightful lunch spot in Del Mar called Pacific Breeze. We enjoyed soups, salads and sandwiches. (The crucial 3 S's to any lunching adventure) We drove past Uncle Jim and Aunt Barb's beach house in Del Mar, (sweet digs!) I kept thinking how much Grandma Glo-Ball would love San Diego. We hurried home and freshened up before we went to the San Diego Zoo.

We went to the zoo with Cathy, her daughter Nicole and Nicole's friend Kayleigh. Aunt Kathy loved showing the girls around town, and I love her for it! We got the best tour in San Diego!

So, the San Diego Zoo pretty much kicks the Detroit Zoo's bottom, ten fold. This zoo was incredible. We saw lions and tigers and bears, oh my! My favorite was the polar bear because they looked so cute when they slept and yawned. I imagined that Hunter would have been good friends with them. Katie loved the panda bears and the "warty pigs," for such an ugly name, the baby piglets were actually kind of cute. We didn't realize how rare the pandas were. The Atlanta Zoo, Memphis Zoo and DC Zoo are the only other zoos that have the giant panda. We learned all about the history at the San Diego zoo and the efforts they are making to save the giant panda. It's pretty incredible.

Cathy drove us to the Gas Lamp district which is where all the yuppies go to eat, drink and be merry. It was very cool. Definitely added to the "City Shopping" pro's list for San Diego.

Let me just say at this point in the day, West and I were so tired because of our hike and big zoo day. We were wiped. Which is probably why we will fall asleep at 10 pm tonight.

We all, Paul included (yay!), went to dinner at Fidel's. It was serious, authentic Mexican food. We actually felt like we were in Mexico, because we basically are? I had chicken tacos and West had a chicken burrito. Rave reviews from this end. There isn't anything like Mexican food, from Mexico?

A full meal later, we headed to Swirls which also kicks TCBY or Jiffy Treet's bottom. You walk into this magical yogurt land and there are 20 flavors of yogurt. You self serve your yogurt and toppings. It's incredible.

West and I made a fruit mix with pomegranate, strawberry and vanilla and then on TOP of that we had fresh strawberries, moshi and cheesecake. Our second dish was a chocolate theme, with cookies and cream and peanut butter yogurt. On top of that, we had heath, reese's cups and carmel. Um, yum?

I love this side of the family and am so happy I got to spend so much time with them. I'm planning a family reunion in a Tuscany Villa, which my father will fund entirely. They're looking forward to this, as am I.

We are leaving bright and early in the morning to get to Phoenix, where we finally will begin to head east. We're staying with one of Katie's room mates' families. We've been told there will be dinner and chilled wine waiting upon our arrival. We are very excited for the next stop in our city shopping adventure.

Until then.. onwards to the Mitten!

Adamo and West
Elizabeth and Kathryn
Fish and Plant

DUH.

Bro-in Out

2010-05-17T23:17:00.000-07:00

I'm at Uncle Sam's house in Oxnard, California. It's about an hour north of Los Angeles. Jimmy and I got to spend the whole day together and we had a blast!

First, I arrived at the Harbor Community Church and peeked around for Jimmy. I found him sweeping in the kitchen. He looks healthy, blonde and tan. We had a few chuckles about my apparel, as I told him I bought specific converses for California because they were "so California." He gave me a tour around the church, where I met Roseann, Roger, Josef and Adrian. They are wonderful people with a lot of love for Jim!

I helped in the kitchen for the afternoon to prepare lunch for 100 homeless people. I wrapped muffins and donuts donated from Starbucks in plastic wrapping. Joseph was proud of my presentation, as was I. I organized the apple fritters, bagels and marble cakes in a circular fashion.

After I checked on the baked goods ten times and rearranged them five times, I was called to the kitchen to help prepare lunch. Well, I actually prepared a big bowl of ranch and that was about it. Of course, I messed up by putting too much milk in so it was kind of soupy.

I even got to serve the people! While serving the pasta salad, I made sure I got carrots and broccoli on their plate. And even threw a "Gotta eat your veggies!" in there. They looked at me like I had ten heads. But I smiled a big smile anyways.

After we cleaned the kitchen and cloroxed the tables, I got the most exciting phone call from The Wall Street Journal. I got a final round interview in NYC on June 16th!! I'm so thrilled about it! Can't wait to experience it!

Jim and I cruised around Ventura and The Garmin kind of got us lost,(well I got us lost because I couldn't multi-task/I was still in shock from the WSJ phone call), so we ended up going to Baja Fresh where Jimmy inhaled fish tacos. I dabbled in some quesadillas, but weren't as good as Qdobs. (I miss Cookson.)

We then cruised on over to Uncle Sam and Aunt Toni's in Oxnard. We ate a delicious dinner with barbeque chicken, baked potatoes and a mushroom dish that my mom would have loved! It was great to laugh with Jimmy and the rest of the family at the dinner table.

Jimmy and I had some serious bro-sis time and it was so much fun to hang! He sends his love to everyone back home!

Tomorrow I head to San Diego to get some more family lovin'. Can't wait! Hopefully I'll have more stories to share!!

My Arrival and Nor Cal!!

2010-05-16T07:39:00.000-07:00

I’m here, finally!

Sorry to the 4 people who read this blog/following of my American adventures for being so late in posting about our explorations thus far. Who would’ve thought that wireless internet is a hot commodity in California, and relatively unattainable and expensive.

I arrived to LAX on Thursday night at about 10:30 pm Pacific Time. West parked Beep the Jeep and met me at baggage with a big hug. My favorite part of this was that I got to introduce West to my new friends I made on the plane. (Shout out to Julie and Lisa, my fellow Michiganders and California explorers!)

West and I spent Friday morning finishing packing up her belongings and preparing for our tip to Northern California. Or as the California natives would say, “going up North.” Everytime I heard this I thought of Gaylord, Michigan. We went to the Malibu Square, which is always a hot spot for celebrity sightings. I was on the prowl, but surely, no celebs were out to play.

We hopped in the car with Ben and Kat, West’s best friends from school. We spent 6 and a half hours in the car with no music. Just chit chatting and oo-ing and ahh-ing a the Pacific Coast Highway views. Or maybe that was just me. I love Ben and Kat and I feel like I've known them forever!

We arrived to San Francisco starving. Since we had no idea where we were, we decided to post up in a Safeway (California’s Kroger) and chow down. This was a comical sight because it was late, cold and tiring. We ate cold, soggy chicken fingers and turkey wraps. Each of these dishes looked like they were at least 3-5 days old. We ate it anyways because we were starving.

This morning we woke up at the crack of dawn to meet up with our tour guide, Scott from Lim Zen. (Of course California has a Zen limo service) We headed out to wine country and the Double Tree Hotel in Santa Rosa. We ate a sub-par breakfast at Shari’s, (Not even a Denny’s) and met Scott at the DubTree. My Shari's dining experience was hopefully the last, to say the least.

Our first Vineyard was Kendall Jackson, and to my pleasant surprise I ran into a group of 15 Pi Phis from Indiana University that had graduated in 2008. It was so good to see all of them. How crazy is it that out of the thousands of wineries in Napa/Sonoma, I got to see them all at our first stop. It was amazing! They were so great to talk to!

We talked about how sad it is to graduate and leave everyone, but I'm pretty okay because I get to look forward to lots of exciting things. (Minus unemployment, no health insurance and not being on the CCD tab anymore) So basically, all my '10 Pi Phis, let's just plan a trip to Napa in August...start this reunion early!

Our third vineyard, “Hook and Ladder,” was my favorite. Eight very generous wine samplings later, I bought a Zinfandel blend that will go great with a peppered steak, or misery in Nebraska when West and I are tired and cranky.

After this winery things in the town car were getting pretty serious with musical expressions. I busted out some classics and new additions from Road Trip Volume 1 to keep the crowd pleased. Michael Jackson-Will You Be There Made a cameo, as well as Drive My Car-Beatles to dedicate to our driver, Scott.

Finally, we returned to our hotel and checked in with a complementary chocolate cookie. I quickly scurried to find the quickest way to get Internet access so I could update my blog. Well, here I am a few hours later. Everyone is napping, but I’m trying to avoid this so I can sleep like a pequeno angel anoche.

We all, or they all, woke at 6:45 so we can catch a late, light dinner in Santa Rosa. We ended up going to a Mexican restaurant called "The Cantina," you'd think they would call it "El Cantina," but who is judging? I had fish tacos that were fresh, colorful(not the fish, the avocado and tomatoes) and delicious.

"City Shopping" is what West and I are calling our adventure because we're looking for a place to move post college. It's a riot to interrogate the locals. I found some bearded, biker men that were more then enthused with my biking knowledge (Thanks Bike Gp!) I'm learning a lot and getting so excited to see my family in San Diego.

Onwards,

Adamo/Biff/Elizabeth

So It Begins

2010-05-10T19:52:00.001-07:00

So it begins.

I land at LAX on Thursday night at 9 pm, west coast time. Um, West and I are actually doing this. Well, I'm actually doing this? To be honest, I didn't think I would. I'm taking bets to see how long it takes before we/I contemplate selling Beep the Jeep for two one-way tickets back to Detroit.

I'm a planner. In fact, I can't stand when things aren't planned. I get anxious when I don't know what's coming, this is why I am known for not keeping secrets and ruining surprises. (Disclaimer: I keep the ones that truly matter.)

Instead of giving into my inner control freak qualities, I'm downloading music to keep me vibin' all the way back to Detroit. So far, Road Trip Volume 1 consists of San Francisco-Scott McKenzie, You Make My Dreams Come True-Graham BLVD (thanks 7th and Fess), Freedom-George Michael (gotta love it.) and Hard Sun-Eddie Vedder. 4 songs and about 72 hours before I need to have 30 hours worth of music.

Suggestions are greatly appreciated.

In effort to eventually create an emo montage of West and I traveling across the U.S. of A., I got a Flip HD today. It's actually pretty sweet. I tested it out on Hunter today. He gave me a "woof." Sound check?

I've done 12 loads of laundry, ironed my J.Crew 3-inch chino shorts and entered the addresses of my family in San Diego (so excited to see them!) into the Garmin. I've purchased non-perishables from the Farms market and got emergency supply of Claritan and Calamine lotion. (Allergies and posion ivy, my two worst enemies.)

I'm almost ready and getting so excited to see West in the Bu, it's way overDu'. Pun entirely intended. I'm going to harass West to enter in her preliminary thoughts to our blog, let's see if she does it.

Looking forward to keeping you all looped.

Onwards!

Happy Graduation!

2010-05-10T19:44:00.000-07:00

Catherine made me this video for graduation! Loads of material for future embarrassment. I imagine this will make a cameo at my wedding.

Graduation

2010-05-10T19:17:00.000-07:00

I graduated on May 8, 2010 from Indiana University.

In my opinion, life really beings now. The past 22 years have been a culmination of supportive efforts from my family, professors and internship supervisors. Every situation where I might have faced the slightest bit of adversity, was quickly turned around with a comforting talk with a superior.

I am nothing but overwhelmingly excited for what the future holds. I couldn't stand the outbursts of waterworks on our final nights, I kept thinking "if this is the very best of the very best life has to offer, well...hmm..." Don't get me wrong, the past four years have been great, but let's be honest, it's only going to get better. Plus, we can bring each other into our next stages in life, even cooler.

My parents and grandparents came to Bloomington for the celebration. I'm so lucky I have healthy grandparents that could be apart of my graduation! I love them, and certainly don't know what my Grandpa Aldo would do without my Grandma Marilyn.

Both my siblings, Jimmy and Catherine, couldn't be there. But, I know they would've been if they had the chance to. Catherine made me the greatest video, which quickly reminded me that she has a lot of material for my future family to see. How embarrassing. Regardless, the video did make me tear up.

On Friday night, they arrived in Indianapolis, unpacked their bags and headed to Bloomington for the Indiana University School of Journalism reception. My dad was extremely excited about the free food. It was just cheese and crackers, but he didn't fail to crack a few "I bet the Kelley School has filets" jokes.

I introduced my favorite journalism professor, Jim Bright, to my parents and grandparents. True to Jim Bright form, he remembered everyone's name and kept telling them how great I was. Everyone needs a Jim Bright in their life, he's like your own personal cheering section.

First and foremost, I'm glad I went to commencement. There was a lot of talk of people not wanting to "walk" because it was "long and boring." They missed out. I loved it.

Quincy Jones, multi-media entrepreneur and activist, spoke and gave some good advice. He pleaded with us to "stop dumbing down our culture." He's right. We're too smart to appear to be dumb. Thanks Q!

On Saturday night, the family and I ventured to Indianapolis and enjoyed a 2 hour meal at Dunaways. Catherine would have loved this place, especially because they kept messing up our order and brought us free food.

Then Saturday morning, I dragged myself out of my comfortably over-sized bed and sadly found out the news about the Detroit Red Wings. There's always next year boys.

Mom and I took our time to get back to Detroit. We stopped at Zingerman's in Ann Arbor for a mother's day linner. Momma is quite the lady so I tried to make an effort to show her our families' appreciation, even though we were driving back from Bloomington. Catherine would've loved Zingerman's, too. Reason 23897 why she shouldn't have gone to Australia. (Just kidding, Cat.)

Thanks Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa for a great weekend! I love you guys!

So, now that I've been home for 24 hours, I've made serious moves for the preparation of my cross country adventure, which is really what this blog is meant for. So, onwards, my 4 readers to the next post!

Mrs. G

2010-03-30T08:25:00.001-07:00

I've learned the most this semester from our "house mom" Mrs. G. Yes, I'm a senior in college and still living in my sorority. I got over it and so should you. (I had to post this picture, it's just too good not to. Pictured right, Pi Phi Exec 2009, casually posted up in our front yard. So sorority.)

Every time I knock on her door looking for a Tide-To-Go pen, a measuring tape or a stamp (things I should have, but I just don't), she responds with a jolly, "come on in honey."

Mrs. G's apartment is decorated with home furnishings, paintings and trinkets that she has collected over the years. As a whole, the bright fire engine red recliner, polka dotted couch, bird lamp, drab valences that blend in with the taupe wall color all tend to clash the overall look of her living room. But each piece tells a story, and in a way resembles her life, thus far.

For example, her favorite painting. The view is from a person 's eyes sitting at a table, looking out from the balcony and into the ocean. On the table, there are brownies and glass bottled Pepsis.

This painting is from when Mrs. G lived in Beirut with her former husband who was a professor. She moved with her husband and her young children. The scene was a typical day when her children came home from school. They always had brownies and an ice cold Pepsi and looked off into the ocean.

I'd consider myself a recreational yogi. I like hot yoga because I feel rejuvenated, in an endorphin kick sort of way. I've never used yoga as what it traditionally was meant for, which is of course meditation.

Mrs. G and I got talking about this one day and she shared with me a time in her life when she meditated with an indigenous tribe in Canada. As I was sitting in the big, bright red recliner eating my brie cheese and a triscuit, I could sense the energy from Mrs. G when she spoke of the hour long meditation session with the Indians. I just thought to myself, could I ever imagine myself doing that?

I'd consider myself independent. I like to do things on my own and be by myself. I often frequent a local food co-op, Bloomingfoods to get lunch or dinner. Sometimes both. (It's the BEST!) But when Mrs. G shared her next story, I could not even fathom doing so, especially at the age of 65.

Mrs. G told me about her 65th birthday. She started to fear driving on her own at night. Clearly the next decision made total sense. She decided to drive to Alaska from Michigan. It took her 11 days. Oh, and she was by herself. Could you drive for 11 days by yourself?

Mrs. G stories have taught me many things, but most importantly is that my life journey is just beginning and I've got quite a bit to do, so I better get started.

Two Girls, A Jeep and The Open Road

2010-03-30T08:03:00.000-07:00

Katie West is my dearest, closest friend. We grew up together in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Our friendship bloomed over our childhood summers because we swam on the swim team, played tennis and golf and attended art camp. We babysat the same families throughout high school and had our first internship at JWT-Team Detroit together. (Right- in our double wide "pod")

We've grown from little girls to little women. We both are graduating from university in May, so we decided to plan a road trip. Her car, "Beep the Jeep," has been residing in Malibu, California for the past 4 years, and now it's time for little Beep to return to the motherland of Michigan.

We'll be driving Beep the Jeep from Malibu-->San Diego-->to the Grand Canyon!-->to Vegas-->Denver-->Chicago and then home to Grosse Pointe. These are our tentative plans, so feel free to comment and leave some suggestions as we embark on this trip.

I booked a one way flight from Detroit to Los Angeles on May 13th, 2010. Thanks Spirit Airlines for a super cheap ticket..$100 bucks one way!

No worries, people. In case you were actually worried, I'll blog accordingly so my parents and family can keep tabs on me. Although, I'll probably call them every day at 8 a.m. with a rundown on our past and future adventures and plans. I love my mom for always answering her phone between the times of 6 a.m.-8 a.m., never after though.

I can't wait to hit the pavement and maybe bust out some vintage jams like "99 Red Balloons." I have a sneaking suspicion that some of Julie West's old compact disks will still be in Beep's glove compartment. O.A.R, anyone?

My Sister Catherine.

2010-03-02T10:10:00.000-08:00

My sister and I could not be any more different.

When she decided to go backpacking with 10 other high school girls where she knew nobody, I was surprised. When she decided to go to University of Kentucky where she knew nobody, I was surprised. When she decided to work at a summer camp in Maine where she knew nobody, I was surprised.When her and her friends decided to drive to Fort Lauderdale with a couple loaves of bread and peanut butter for food for the week, I was surprised.

But the biggest surprise of all was when she decided in mid-September 2009 she was going to study abroad in Australia for the Spring 2010 semester knowing nobody.

Catherine continues to surprise us all (parents included) because she puts herself in vulnerable, uncomfortable and shockingly different situations.

The important lesson for me is that at the end of each of her "adventures," she comes back stronger. We've all got a lot of growing up to do and Catherine will be the first to admit that.

I hope that Catherine has been able to learn from me. I'd like to think I've tried to set a good example for her in the past 21 years. Turns out I'm the lucky one, because Catherine shows me what true adventure and determination is.

I've been able to apply her spirit, motivation and curiosity to my job search because I know wherever I end up, I'll be able to find my way, carve my path and make it work.

Because I know if Catherine can do it, I sure as hell can.

"What's Your Story?"-Ann Bastianelli

2010-03-02T07:02:00.000-08:00

"WYS" was the title of my M311 class lecture for Thursday, February 18, 2010.

Our class knew we were in a different lecture hall, combined with other classes, but we had no clue what the lecture was going to be about. All we received was a reminder e-mail from Professor Ann Bastianelli (left), saying "be there."

We were in for a surprise when Bastianelli started out with presenting the universal truths in life. I thought this was pretty deep for a Thursday.

These are truths whether you are twenty-two years old, my mom and dad's age or even when I was eight years old, according to Bastianelli.

1. Life is not fair.
2. Things don't always go as planned.
3. Everything changes.
4. Pain is part of life.
5. People are not always caring and loyal.

This didn't by any means burst my bubble, but it did make me think. Most of my collegiate career I've played it safe to make sure I avoid unplanned changes, unfair life situations and pain.

I've never pulled an all-nighter, missed breakfast or drank less then 4 glasses of 8 ounces of water a day. I've never intentionally missed a homework assignment, procrastinated a project or not gone to office hours to meet with a professor. I've tried my best to be a good friend. I've avoided making enemies. I've played it pretty safe to not feel vulnerable.

After Bastianelli's lecture, because I am a planner and always thinking about the future, I've almost put myself into a prep mode for ultimate life shattering events because we (college students) haven't seen any of it yet, according to Bastianelli.

In the grand scheme of things, I agree with her. Life has been fair.

With job searching and potential coastal city moves, I'm assuming big changes and challenges are coming. So, will I be ready?

Every single life occurrence can be measured by two words: challenge and response.

There will undoubtedly be challenges and they'll be coming soon to yours truly, the question is how will I respond? How will you respond?

Thanks to Ann Bastianelli for teaching me something bigger then her advertising and promotions class could ever teach me!

Check out Ann Bastianelli's lecture that left me glowing for days: http://www.indiana.edu/~ksbmedia/dynamic/launchflash.html?format=mp4&folder=ksbmedia/GLN/2009/1Q&filename=annBastianelli_20090219_personalBrandingPresentation