It's been awhile!

I didn't realize how long it had been since I posted! Good thing no one is really reading this!! There have been many changes in the last few weeks - as I write this from my hotel room in Fredericksburg, VA. This is the location of my soon to be current assigment (I start on Monday). I was too tired to do much exploring tonight but I can already tell this "town" is a lot bigger than I thought. I knew I was in trouble when I had to get on the interstate to go from one side of town to the other! I did make it a point to locate the really important places in town - you know, Target, Kohls.....:)

The drive out here was pretty boring until I got to Virginia. It is really beautiful out here - lots of mountains and trees and everything is green. I was amazed at seeing exit signs proclaiming hotels, gas stations and fast food chains without ever seeing evidence that the businesses actually exisisted. They were obscured by either mountains or trees and I couldn't see them from the highway. I felt like I was driving through a dense forest all day! I did take a backroads route so maybe that had something to do with it - I'll let you know if I discover otherwise.

I made a brief stop at the Natural Bridge which is just north of Roanoke. I had never heard of this natural wonder until my mom mentioned it to me as I was preparing for my trip. She had gone during a trip she took to DC when she was in high school. It is just what the name suggests, a bridge nature made (or more specifically part of James River and a couple of mountains). I crossed over it on my way to see it and didn't even realize, which I'm glad about or I probably wouldn't have made it over! I almost had to turn around in KY b/c there were a couple of bridges that were more than a little scary!! I'll post the pic I took after I get moved into my apt - I have no idea where the USB cable for my camera is!!

This is a little odd, but there was this section of highway that was all "farms." I would probably call them mansions on enormous ranches but they are farms here. They had names like Chopping Bottom, Roll Away Hills and Talleyho! There was enough white fence to circle the globe several times and lets not even get into the manicured lawns!! I couldn't hardly drive for all the rubberneckin' I had to do!!

Anyway - that's what I've been up to in a nutshell! I move in to my apt tomorrow - I'm so glad to be on my own again. It was great to get to spend lots of time with my mom but I'm really just a loner at heart - I crave aloneness (did I make that word up?). I'm really excited for Saturday - my friend, Lucas, is also taking an assignment here and he should arrive Sat afternoon. It's weird that we both ended up here after trying to go to Charleston together and getting ignored! I thought he was going to Boston but due to Mass licensing procedures, he couldn't get a license in time. So, I guess Fredericksburg chose us - I hope it has good things in store!!