Driving up the Lake Michigan coast!

After Ann Arbor, Adam and I headed west. We first went to Holland, Michigan so that we could visit with Joy Love, another soon-to-be Peace Corps Volunteer who will be heading to Ecuador with us in June. It was fun to meet her, along with her sister and brother. She is around our age and I am sure that we will get along great. It's been really good meeting other volunteers that we will probably get to know during training.

After lunch in Holland, we took the scenic drive up the western side of Michigan towards Traverse City. It was a long drive but we saw a lot of beautiful sites. We passed through some small towns (Manistee and Ludington were nice!), visited the Point Betsie Lighthouse (though it was partially closed off so I couldn't actually get up close), drove through the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and then arrived in Traverse City, the cherry capitol of the US, for the evening (where we searched for a place with some hot soup, since Adam had picked up a sore throat and a bit of a cold along the way.

Something you don't get that often in California- a frosty mug of A&W root beer (easy to find across the midwest)

Lake Michigan from Orchard Beach State Park (north of Manistee)

The fog started to roll in right around the middle of the day

Point Betsie Lighthouse



Sleeping Bear Dunes & Lake Michigan (or as we kept calling it, the ocean)

The next morning, after a few hours at the laundromat (dirty clothes can pile up!), we drove up a part of the small peninsula by Traverse City and saw tons of cherry tree orchards (and a few grape vines and wineries too). As we drove further north towards the Mackinac Bridge and the Upper Peninsula, we saw why it might be gorgeous to come in the fall. All the trees would be vibrant red, orange and yellows in October, but since we were here in May...it was still in winter mode! Not many trees with leaves quite yet. Before we headed into the "Tunnel of Trees", we stopped at a local diner called Bob-In Again for some sandwiches, onion rings, chili and frozen custard. Yum! For some reason I didn't take pix from there...I must have been too hungry!

White cherry blossoms

Entering the Tunnel of Trees, where we passed by some amazing homes, glimpses of Lake Michigan, and a fox too!

And finally- crossing the Mackinac Bridge to get to the Upper Peninsula!

Our overall route from Ann Arbor to the UP- probably a little over 500 miles!

Visiting A2!

Adam and I reunited in Ann Arbor, MI. We stayed with our friend Kat at her place, which is down the road from where we used to live a few years back. Our first night, we just hung out with Kat (and she made us dinner too! We seriously have amazing friends and hope we are as good of friends to them as they are to us!). Somehow, I didn't take a single picture of us together!

Our first full day in Ann Arbor was pretty relaxed. We did some errands (washed the car, vaccuumed it out, had the oil changed), ate chicken shawarma wraps at Al Noor's (potent garlic sauce is a major plus!), and had coffee at a local shop, before heading to the Ann Arbor library! We didn't go to the downtown branch (which is fabulous), but instead went to the Malletts Creek branch. It's actually a neat library because it has sustainable architecture (solar heating, vegetated green roof, recyclable materials). Then, it was time to head over to Dominick's to meet up with some friends. Dominick's is an Ann Arbor establishment, especially for Michigan grad students. It is only open in the spring and summer and serves up a ton of sangria. Since Adam and I don't really drink sangria, we really go for the company.

Adam needed mints after this wrap!

Spring was absolutely beautiful here- flowering trees everywhere

Adam and I with Mary (who grew up with us in Ridgecrest) and her friend Molly (far left)

The next day, I had coffee with some other friends from grad school, while Adam checked out our old apartment complex and drove around town. After I bought a Michigan cap (I figure I'll need one to protect me from the hot Ecuadorian sun!), we met up with David Schoem, Wendy Woods and a few students that I worked with when I was a grad student. They work in Couzens Hall in a living-learning community that focuses on service and social justice. Some of the students that were freshman when I met them are now in their first years of grad school! Time flies! I talked their ears off before I had to say goodbye.

I had coffee with Amy, who was one of my grad school classmates

Familiar views- the bookstore and the coffee shop across from the School of Ed

Amanda, Kate, Wendy and I

It was really nice to visit Ann Arbor, especially since there were still people that we knew there. Not to mention Spring was in full bloom and things haven't changed too much. When I stepped into the School of Education building, the smell just brought back a ton of memories- mostly walking in and out on freezing cold days with coffee in my hand. I don't think Adam has the same nostalgia as I do. After all, I was a student at Michigan while he worked in a suburb 20 minutes away.

Oh, the sights and smells of the School of Ed building...even after it's been remodeled!

Adam goes to Washington DC

Adam is going to share how his trip to DC was in this blog post. When he feels like it. =) Until then, his photos:

Emily in California & Maile & Scott's Wedding

The reason I flew back to California instead of driving with Adam to DC was because my good friend Maile was getting married!! Her wedding was in San Diego and I was honored to be one of her bridesmaids! Adam's DC adventures will be posted shortly!

From the moment I landed, I was having a great time. Maybe it was the welcoming party that picked us up! Thanks Ray & Mitch!! And it could have also been stuffing myself full of samosas, naan and curry at India Cookhouse.

In case I forgot what Mitch and Ray looked like

Renee and Mitch at dinner

The next morning I was off to San Diego. Before I left, I had a chance to see Don Stigar (just for a few minutes) which was really nice. Don is the Maintenance Supervisor in Mesa Court and he is good people. I had an awesome drive down the 5 freeway and killed some time at the Carlsbad Outlets and Target before I met up with Maile and her family. We spent the afternoon putting together wedding favors and programs, and making sure that other details for the big day were in order.

Maile and her grandmother with the wedding favors

Maile is allergic to macadamia nuts, but her wedding favors had macadamia nut cookies and macadamia nut Kisses in them. Too funny! Her grandmother made me eat all the broken cookies too... she really had to twist my arm... ;)

The bubbles that were tied around the programs

Friday felt like one of the craziest days ever, probably moreso for the bride-to-be! From getting our nails done, finishing up wedding programs, picking up the dress and suit, getting wedding rentals, preparing for the rehearsal & dinner, meeting up with friends- we got a lot done!

The Takaharas and Sanders were meeting for the first time at the rehearsal!!

Maile's little brothers bonding

The cute ring bearer and flower girl getting their pix taken

The next morning started off bright and early for hair & makeup. I took hundreds of photos, but here are just a few. The wedding was absolutely beautiful, and we couldn't have asked for better weather. Maile was a little concerned that it might rain, but it was a sunny day in La Jolla! I am soooo happy for Maile. Her and Scott have been together for a long time and it was so nice to see them tie the knot. And of course, I cried. Ha ha.

The bride getting all done up!

Traci getting her makeup done

Maile's turn!

Me in my dress with the beautiful bride!

It's official! It's Mr. and Mrs. Scott and Maile Sanders!



Filling Maile & Scott's getaway car with balloons

Always the multi-tasker

Sami tying the noisy cans to the car

Traci & I approve!

Details of the wedding- I love all the little things that make a wedding come together. Maile and Scott had different Japanese and Hawaiian elements to their weddings, including a lei ceremony where they gave each other's families leis, the flowers (tons of orchids), the music, and of course the 1001 cranes put together into an amazing mural. I was impressed and happy that I was able to contribute a few cranes to the final product.

At the end of the night, it was time to drive home. When I walked into Jennifer's house, she was shocked because...I was wearing a dress! And had my hair done! And my nails done! And had a little bit of make up done! I then proceed to keep her up all night talking about the wedding, etc. until she kicked me out because she was exhausted from work.

The next morning we had brunch/lunch with Renee and John. It was so good to see John. I hadn't seen him since just after he had been diagnosed with cancer. He had been accepted to do some experimental treatments at UCLA and was in the hospital for three weeks and had just gotten back home. He was looking and sounding great. It was really good to see him and to see both him and Renee in such positive spirits.

They let me into their new car! I took my shoes off first, though!

John, me and Renee

I have no idea what we did that afternoon. Maybe errands? I just remember Jennifer saying "Let's do whatever you want to do" and I would respond with "Whatever!" Eventually, though, we made it to Disneyland where we met up with Tim and watched the terrible new Disneyland parade. The Parade of Dreams ("Welcome to our family") is much better than this new block party thing they are doing. That entire evening, though, was full of ridiculousness and laughter. I am not sure I laughed that hard in some time.

Last ever butter pecan ice cream in California's Adventure?

This photo makes me laugh. We didn't mean to cross legs. We were just doing the Tim Trevan thing (imagine us yelling "Let's do it!")