The cat is out of the bag. I LOVE SPACE! Now that I’m a real person and actually have income I decided to take a trip to Florida to see the Kennedy Space Center. It just so happened that the first commercial spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station was scheduled to take off on April 30th. I jumped on the phone and called my best friend to see if he would meet me in Florida. He was on board!

I never had my hopes totally set on seeing the rocket take off. I knew they often got delayed and this was a first so it was even more likely. To this day it still hasn’t taken off! Nevertheless, it was still an amazing trip!

As my plane was flying into Orlando I could barely sit still! I wanted to scream I was so excited. It was so great to see my best friend and his wife. We enjoyed our time in Orlando over dinner before driving to Titusville where I had a hotel booked.

The first day was all about NASA. We drove out to the island and took our Up-Close tour that took us inside the vehicle assembly building! It was incredible.

After that it was on the the shuttle launch sites. These were the same sites where the Apollo missions launched from in the 60s.

Finally we were dropped off at the Saturn V center. That’s a big rocket my friend. Twice as tall as the Space Shuttle and still the most powerful rocket ever built by man.

The next day was beach day. We got a tip from a Canadian in the hot tub the night before that New Smyrna Beach was where it was at. We weren’t disappointed! It was an absolute blast to enjoy the sun and jump through the waves.

Lastly we went to Universal Studios. I couldn’t believe it! I have only been to six flags over Texas so this was a mind blowing. Overall it was about as good of a trip as we could ask for! Good weather and lots of fun. The minor hiccups were easily looked past with all the fun we were having!

I had the opportunity to visit a friend who just moved to New York City in the Fall. I took the train, which was my first Amtrak experience. I took a bus to the Amtrak station in Boston and had some extra time so I laid down in a park to take in the warm air and sun.

On the first day we went to Times Square to buy tickets to Phantom of the Opera. Times Square was where I spent the most time on my last trip to New York so it was nice to be back. It’s a very busy area but kinda cool.

Next was the Intrepid Museum. The Intrepid is a retired aircraft carrier that was turned into a museum. My favorite part was seeing the SR-71 Blackbird. It is the plane that was being designed in Area 51 during the cold war. My next favorite part was the real Soyuz capsule that was used in 2005 for a manned mission to the International Space Station.

After we saw Phantom of the Opera we went to the 9/11 Memorial. It is a park next to the new World Trade Center that is being built with two giant fountains where the old buildings were. Very sobering to actually be at the site where the buildings fell. Later we walked through battery park to get a nice view from afar of the statue of liberty. Lastly we walked by Wall Street. Really awesome day!

On my last full day I was on my own. It was a little daunting but I was excited to take on the city by myself and prove that I can survive. My first stop was the Empire State building, which provided a breathtaking view of the city that is hard to capture on camera.

Next on my solo day was the Natural History museum. I did not know what I was getting myself into. I ended up spending 4 and a half hours there and still didn’t get to see everything. The place is just full of one of a kind artifacts from just about every are of study you can think of.

On my last day my train didn’t leave until two so I spent the morning at central park. It was so beautiful in such an unexpected place. Overall it was just the vacation I needed to relax and get a break from work and routine. If you haven’t been to NYC I highly recommend it!

Sorry I haven’t written in so long! Things have been busy. Not in a bad way but in a way that makes me happy. Last week it was in the 70s and beautiful here. I soaked it up all I could and loved it. I went to Fort Williams with some friends but of course by now it’s cold again. I wait patiently for Spring!

A friend of mine was going to Boston on Tuesday for an interview and I decided to tag along and see the city since I had never been. I took the train into town and walked to the New England Aquarium. It was so cool! Unfortunately the battery on my camera was dead but I did get a few shots with my phone.

It’s been tough getting through college but I am gaining more and more hope that it’s on the beginning of an amazing life. I’m still only 22 but I thought I would share some things I’ve learned thus far:

• A conversation is about asking the person you are talking to as many questions as you can about them
• The small group of friends you can be yourself around are worth more than having hundreds of acquaintances
• Do what you have always wanted to do – today, otherwise you never will
• Give people just as much grace as you would want yourself
• There are a lot of amazing people trapped under your bad first impressions – give them a second or a third or forth or fifth…
• Confidence isn’t about being somebody cool, funny, attractive, or smooth – it’s about being yourself
• Just because you aren’t the best at something doesn’t mean you aren’t really good at it
• Don’t get too settled into your college world – it will all change when you start getting older – people will move and get married…get in the habit of calling them to keep up!
• Last but not least, always drive with your windows down in nice weather