Day Two Hundred and Twenty-One

 The New Yorka (NOT)

I don't think I'll ever need a reminder. New York is not my thing. Fast paced is not my thing. And I didn't even actually get close to the city. But what I saw on the freeways was enough for me to pass on this Concrete Jungle. In the middle of the day, at 1 PM, I drove from Lakewood, NJ to New York, NY which is about an hour and a half drive. Well, it's supposed to be at least. Why on Earth aren't these people at work? And who taught them to drive, anyways? Certainly not the old dudes at driving school, I hope. Multiple times, I feared for my little rental car - that it might get side swiped as these crazy, speed demon, lead footed racers swerved in and out of lanes, trying their best to beat traffic. The worst part is, I was sitting at a dead stop at a time of day that most people are still working. What happens in this city at 5? I was told by some natives that I wouldn't want to know. Hmmm...to spend half of my life stuck in traffic or to spend half of my life not in traffic? New York Yankees, don't you even think about the words Adam Conley.

Well, by the time I got to the airport, I was officially drained of energy. Every ounce of it. Between flying, driving, late nights, games, inconsistent food, and P90X, I was desperate for some rest. (And still am). It was just my luck that JetBlue at JFK International Airport must have seen a bunch of my type in the past, and decided that these crazy, oversized chairs might help out the weary, and grumpy traveler. Help, they did. And how stinkin cool are they, anyways?! So fun. 

I slept about 20 minutes, as my mood began to brighten, when I was awakened by an obnoxiously narcissistic man on a telephone. For over 20 minutes, he paced the entirety of the terminal, making sure to announce his conversation to everyone in the vicinity. The worst part? In his left hand, he carried his iPhone. In his right hand, he held up an actual telephone (with the coiled cord and everything) to his ear. News to me: they make a phone piece that you can plug into your iPhone so that you can hold it up to your ear as if you weren't actually talking on a cell phone. Ok. How about no. 

And then, to make my day just a tad longer and a bit more tiring, I sat next to the world's smelliest man on the airplane. I'm not trying to be rude. As it's widely known, I'm a freak about smells. This schnoz of mine is fully equipped to sense even the faintest smell, so you can imagine the literal pain I was in for the 478 mile flight. I still have a headache. Whether it's from the long days I've just experienced or the smell, I might not ever know. But my bed is comfy and Adam should be back any minute now, and that makes it all better. 

About 3 miles from the Lakewood Blueclaws Stadium, I saw my first purple tree. I had no idea God made something like this! So pretty! 

My trip up North was surely an experience I'll never forget. My first trip alone. My first rental car. My first away game. I'm so thankful for this crazy, adventurous life of mine, and can't wait to see all the different things ahead of us. So much fun.