Tuesday, August 16, 2011

branson or bust

Day 1 and 2 (Sunday and Monday)

Mom, Gery, Emma, and I headed out to Branson at 7am on Sunday (the 7th).  We get to Branson about 13 hours later.  What a car ride.  First things first, we head to Silver Dollar City.  Now, I'm not huge on amusement parks, but this one was kind of fun.  There were a lot of water rides which I absolutely love, so I was content.  We got to the park after 5pm on Sunday, and the park gave us a deal (and many others I am sure) where we could come in for free the next day.  So, naturally we did.  The most memorable moment for me?  Mom and Emma "forced" me onto this ride called Fire in the Hole.  It was entirely inside a building, so I was uneasy about getting on, because I had no clue what to expect.  Turns out it was kind of like a miniature roller coaster (and I hate roller coasters), but it turns out I wasn't the one who was freaked out by this ride.  Poor little miss Emma was having a fit.  She did not enjoy it, and (being the mean sister I am) I found it comical.  She quickly got over it, and we rode several more rides afterwards.

Day 3 (Tuesday)

We spent most of the day shopping at Branson Landing.  It was this giant outdoor mall thing.  Mind you, I'm not a huge fan of shopping, but this wasn't too bad.  I got nose rings.  Awesome, I know.  There's really not much else to mention here.  Shopping isn't TOO exciting :)

Day 4 (Wednesday)


We woke up and rode the ducks!  It's an attraction called Ride the Ducks and it's a tour of the area in a bus like vehicle with an overly excited driver (who made it soooo much fun).  And then you get a tour of the lake. In the lake.  Yep.  This vehicle goes straight from the road into the water!  It's amazing!  And you also get a duck call device that you can use to quack at other duck riders passing by or at annoying people you want to shut up.  Anyway, this was definitely awesome, and you should do it if you come to Branson!

We also went to the Titanic Museum.  Which was AMAZING!  Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures, but we got a booklet thingy that had a lot of pictures of the museum's innards :)  We went on a self guided audio tour.  It was so cool learning all the details and the history behind the Titanic (instead of just learning from the more than amazing movie).  They also had the 3-minute Challenge where you put your hand in a container of 28 degree water (which was how cold the water was at the time of the sinking).  The 4 of us made it the whole 3 minutes, but it was tough.  My hand stung at first, but then weirdly, it started to get warm.  The woman in charge of this "station" said that meant my hand was going numb.  Eek!  But nothing medically bad happens to your hand in 3 minutes or less.  That's why they only go 3 minutes.  But the whole museum was amazing, and I definitely recommend going to that if you are ever in Branson!

Day 5 (Thursday)

Would you have guessed we went shopping again today?  I wouldn't have either...but we did.  This time we went to Tanger Outlet Mall.  Basically the same concept as Branson Landing with the set up.  Today, I got a pair of shorts.  I have been looking for a pair of Keen shoes, but I must be too picky, because I can't seem to find a pair I like.  Oh well.  That's what the internet is for!

Thursday night we went to Dixie Stampede.  I found out here that I am fairly allergic to furry animals.  Luckily for me, this show was FILLED with such animals.  Besides all the sneezing and nose blowing, the show was pretty fun.  They serve you a ton of food (that you HAVE to eat with your hands), and you "compete" with the crowd directly across from you.  If you click here, this will send you to a video that kind of explains the process and what not of the whole show.

Oh, by the way, the soup is TO DIE FOR!! And they sell it in the gift shop, so if you can get into the gift shop before the show, seriously, buy this!  We didn't get any afterwards because the gift shop was sooo busy and packed.  But it's creamy vegetable soup that you'll devour in seconds!

Day 6 (Friday)

Our last day has arrived.  And we boarded the Showboat Branson Belle.  This was a dinner cruise that was beyond amazing.  I had a great time.  The show consisted of a magician/comedian as the host, an all male vocal group called the Showmen, and an extremely talented woman who played the piano and violin as well as other things.  It was so much fun, and I definitely recommend this show!  It was definitely a great way to end the trip.

Day 7 (Saturday)

Aaah, the trip home.  On our way back, we decided to make a stop at Branson Zip Line and Canopy Tours. I was a little skeptical that they would even have an opening for us, being a Saturday during the summer.  But, fortunately for us, they did!!!  Once we got to the zip line towers, I was getting a little nervous to push myself off of the tower, but when I finally did, it was AWESOME!  I get really bad motion sickness, but this was a breeze!  Literally!  We went about 25-30 mph, and it was so fun!  It's a little pricey, but I think it's worth it.

Overall, this was a really fun trip.  There are so many things to do in Branson, and I'm sure I've forgotten to post some of the things we did (I didn't want this to get too lengthy).  But it's definitely something you should do if you want a huge variety of shows, entertainment, and restaurants.

We also stopped at the Missouri State Fair on the way home.  We fed camels, played carnival games, looked at mowers, and sweat our butts off!  :)

Friday, August 5, 2011

forty-one minutes later

I get off the phone after my PO tells me I have been officially invited to be a volunteer in the Peace Corps!!!  The moment has finally arrived!!  I did it!

She said she would have to do some more research on projects/locations and would get back to me on when and where I'm going by the end of August or early September.  The wait is KILLING me!!!  I'm sooooo anxious to find out where I will be spending 27 months of my life!  Once I find out, I've decided to buy (or check out) every single book on that country, read millions of blogs and articles about it, and study the snot of out said country.  I want to know EVERYTHING!  Well, everything I can when it comes to learning from books.  But the lessons I learn living in this country will not even compare to those that I read in books.  But hey, it's a start.

More to come when I find out more!

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

a-ringy dingy

Today was the day my Peace Corps placement officer (PO) was going to call me.  I had given her my cell phone number, and she said she would call me at 3:30pm.  Earlier, I had some cell phone troubles and kept losing calls.  Shoot.  I can't have my placement officer call me at this number today.

2:00pm   I quickly send my PO an email asking if she could call me on my house phone. I was nervous she wouldn't get the email in time, but luckily, she had. Whew. I got that figured out.  Now, I wait.

2:30pm  Okay.  One hour until she will be calling me.  What should I do to pass the time?  For a while, I just sit at my computer searching for other blogs describing how their phone interview with their PO went.  I was getting some last minute tips.  Then I realized I was sitting in silence, and that wasn't helping my nerves at all.  I started playing some relaxing and inspiring music. 

3:15pm  Fifteen more minutes.  It's almost time.  I begin pacing around the house now.  I have the cordless phone in my hand.  Walking from the window in the kitchen to the back door in the living room.  Taking deep breaths.

3:29pm  One more minute.  This is it.  This is what I've been waiting for.

3:30pm  Any second now.  My future is going to change any second now.

3:31pm  No ring yet.  Nothing.  The house is completely quiet. 

3:32pm  Still nothing.  I frantically look at the phone on the counter to see if it had been disconnected.  Nope. Perfectly hung up.  I look at the cordless phone in my hand to see if it was turned off.  Yep.  Completely off. 

3:33pm  A-ringy dingy!!!!