so i'm back from my almost-month-long trip with my parents across the u.s. though it wasn't quite a full month, about three or four days off from being exact. i'm no stranger to cross-country road trips, but this one was a bit longer than the others. and i spent maybe a good two weeks in a vehicle as opposed to the one week i was in CA. i don't want to get too much into the reasons why the road trip was so long, but here are some highlights from my trip:
- we hit a total of 19 states, not including the one we started in.
- visited goodsprings, nevada to live out a little fnv dream (also saw some graffiti on the way to vegas that said 'fuck NCR' and my geeky ass thought it was so charming…).
- visited solvang, california which was a very charming danish-style town but there was something off about it that i can't quite put my finger on lol.
- celebrated my 23rd birthday with some childhood friends and had some really good tiramisu from paris baguette.
- marveled at how much more expensive california became and how places that used to be straight up nothing turned into busy cities (for my parents, since the 80s).
- dislocated my knee AGAIN for like the 9000th time a day before getting home… a thousand curses to the ortho that basically said i would be like this forever.
i got to hold a baby pig for the very first time. it was my aunt's… she has several pigs but i think the one she let me hold is one of her favorites. its name in english is diamond eye (since its blind in one eye).
![](https://file.garden/ZcAqoBqH9DEExFPS/blog/pig(1).jpg)
we did a lot of sightseeing and visiting family/friends. i'm only just now realizing that we visited a lot of places of worship. we saw the shri swaminarayan mandir hindu temple in chino hills, which is a very beautiful temple and i think anyone reading this should visit if they get the chance. we also went to a chinese/taiwanese buddhist temple that wasn't too far away in hacienda heights… apparently my mom ran into a celebrity there 20 or 30 years ago. and of course we went to a thai temple to get food… speaking of food of course we ate in-n-out. and del taco. and el pollo loco OF COURSE… it's not fair that there's no el pollo loco here.. T_T
stopped by rose hills to visit my grandparents' graves. i only recently learned that it's the largest cemetery in north america. and apparently grave prices increased a lot too. around the 90's/00's a plot for two was probably around $5k if you got a good deal. and now its apparently almost $20k for just one grave. i would rather be cremated and my ashes spread in the ocean… -_-
eastvale is a new city also. like, that wasn't there last time… lmao.
the transition from mountainous colorado to flat-fuck kansas is hilarious and jarring. i didn't take very many pictures of kansas because there wasn't much to capture, but imagine going from this…
![](https://file.garden/ZcAqoBqH9DEExFPS/blog/colorado(1).jpg)
to literally nothing but grass and the occasional cow herd. it's kind of scary. but there was something a little bit appealing about the vast nothingness.
by the way, st. louis, missouri is actually, legiterally so scary. and i thought people in my area were reckless drivers. i've never been to a place where running reds is something that everyone does.
i was a bit moody the entire trip (understatement) and it only got worse during the final stretch. of course,
i tried not to show it but i was kinda snippy sometimes. sorry mom and dad.
since i'm home now, rather than feeling relieved i feel a bit restless and lonely. lonely especially because
i was trapped in a box with my parents for about a month, i got used to it very quickly lol. and now i'm
suddenly mostly by myself in my apartment save for my roommates/friends. though i hardly leave my room. T_T
it is what it is.
and despite my moodiness, the trip was a lot of fun. i got to see some new places and i also got a lot of ideas on places i'd like to visit in the future. i plan on moving out west after graduating (which is soon!) and it was good to re-experience life out there.
songs i've been listening to lately:
oathbreaker - ease me
momoko kikuchi - starlight movement
JPEGMAFIA - don't rely on other men