Heads Carolina, Tails California - delete
Seven years in San Diego, CA has been amazing. The friends who became family make it so much harder to leave. The first time we decided to relocate Matt and I had only been together for four...

7 days until departure
San Diego, United States
We spent the day packing. But after looking at a one bedroom condo broken down into boxes, we have a ridiculous amount of books. I don't know why I thought it was a good idea to keep all of my text books. By the time I get to a place where I can actually pick any of them back up, they will all be outdated. So, if anyone is in the market for some good, academic social sciences texts, let us know!
Tonight is Matt's last shift at Flemings and I can only imagine the drinks and emotions going around that bar right now. Whew! I don't know if I should be jealous or glad that I'm not there to be the bowl full of tears I am known to be. We spent the other night at Jason's who hosted a going-away dinner with some of our closest friends. Everyday we are reminded how much we will miss everyone and who meant what to us. I've included a few pics from that night.
We must say good bye to Randy and Jackie, thank you so much for helping keep families in the holidays while we have been out here. Next time, we host.
I have included a couple of pictures that account some of our last days in San Diego. Enjoy, there are seven days left and I am sure there will be a lot more!
written by  delete on May 19, 2009 from San Diego, United States
from the travel blog: Heads Carolina, Tails California

6 days until take off
San Diego, United States
Hello from sunny San Diego!
The weather is beautiful, the skies were blue, and the condo is mess!!
Today was our first day of unemployment, although you wouldn't have known it. I started my day with a soak and message from Spa Tiki with my forever friend, Christine. It was a perfect celebration for her upcoming wedding. Awe, it was soooo good seeing you today, Christine. I can't wait for your wedding.
The day was long, Matt and I have spent 8 hours packing and we're calling it a night. Our last night alone in San Diego and we are getting ready to partake in a bottle of wine and some reminiscing. Tomorrow we pick up my mom and big sister, Kelly, from the airport for graduation festivies.
Stay posted!
written by  delete on May 20, 2009 from San Diego, United States
from the travel blog: Heads Carolina, Tails California

5 days and counting
San Diego, United States
5 days to go and we spent most of the day shopping for last minute items needed for the move and Mom and Kelly's visit. It has been a long day of errands, contacting all of the utility companies, packing, shopping, and cleaning. Matt finally gave in and got himself a real hair cut. (We've been trimming the budget by having me cut his hair, Ha!) Boy, did he need it!
Mom and Kelly get in at 11:00 tonight. Kelly has already started making me laugh with texts from her lay over. I can't wait to see both of them.
Tomorrow I graduate!! It will be official, Thank God!! I can't believe I made it through. We'll take pictures of the formal ceremony and celebrations and share them with you as soon as we can.
written by  delete on May 21, 2009 from San Diego, United States
from the travel blog: Heads Carolina, Tails California

GRAD-U-MAT-ATE-ED
Today was graduation. Whew! I am so glad I can check THAT off my list of things to do in my life. It was filled with smiles, laughter, and reflection. It was perfect that SDSU allows you to chose who you walk/sit with and most of the 3 year crew were rallying. Matt and I will miss you guys and Good luck!
Kelly and Mom are loving the weather and really enjoyed campus (Turtle Pond and Hepner Hall are in the pics). I'll try to post more pics as they roll in.
Afterwards we went to Old Town to celebrate with margaritas and carnitas. Below are pictures of the restaurant and the lady who made our flour tortillas.
Tomorrow is our first day of nothing specific to do. We're debating on Seaport Village vs. Jazz Fest vs. Seal Beach
Until then,
Matt and Sara

3 days til blast off
We are soooo exhausted!! Today was full of fun activities. We started off with live jazz at our neighborhood coffee house, the Brickyard. We then headed out to La Jolla Cove and hung out at Seal Beach.
Next we headed to Pacific Beach for thrift store shopping. (Matt had a blast!) Then off to Coronado for a tour of only the most beautiful homes in the world, Hotel Del Coronado (with Dr. Seuss sculpture garden)and our last Coronado sunset.
We finished the night in Little Italy for some authentic Italian food.
And now, at 11:16, we are heading to bed to sleep and rest our very sore feet.
Good night and sleep sweet,
Matt and Sara

It's so hard to say good bye
We're a day late on this entry. Yesterday was filled to the brim with activities and lasted until the wee hours of the morning. We had to Split up the gang so we have two different stories. I'll try to get Mom and/or Kelly to also post a blog about their experience as well.
Matt and I started our day by going to Christine's wedding. For those of you who went to our wedding, you might remember Christine. The wedding was absolutely beautiful. It was held at the Rancho Bernardo Inn and Christine made a stunning bride. I unfortunately did not bring my camara so I don't have any pics. However, it was a nice way to say good bye to Christine, the last image of her I have is her wedding kiss and that's sweet.
We went to KC BBQ for our last drinks and final good byes. It was really rough to bid farewell to friends who have really grown to be more like family members. We have been through school, weddings, funerals, relationships, successes and failures with all of these people. I just can't imagine not having them close and, frankly, that just makes me sad to think about so I'll end with pictures and check back in later with a story of today's events.

TaTa for NOW, but not forever
Tonight was our last night in San Diego :o( Aaaaaaah! This is really happening. It's hard to believe, so scary, so exciting. Matt and I can hardly wait to see what lays ahead of us.
Today was primarily filled with final packing but we managed to include a mid-day nap. At 9:00 pm, Matt's car stopped working. Talk about instant anxiety. We are due to leave by noon tomorrow and the last thing we need is a broken down car before we even leave!! We bought a new battery hoping that is the solution but were already well equipped with the head lamp! Keep us in your prayers and thoughts as we start our travel tomorrow.
Vegas here we come!

Moving Day
Las Vegas, United States
After 6 hours of moving all of our worldly belongings from our San Diego condo to a moving trailer (with help from Starving Students) and then again to the shipping trailer, we hit the open road. Wind in our hair and a desire to hit Vegas as fast as the tires would carry us.
We landed in Vegas after 10 pm and as we took the Las Vegas Strip exit "Viva Las Vegas" by Elvis Presley coincidentally played on the radio. It was perfect. Kelly and I sang at the top of our lungs while Matt and Mom were scared to death that I almost ran over a motorcyclist. (note to self: double check blind spots for motorcycles.)
We pulled into the Luxor, our bed for the night, cleaned up and hit the strip. Matt won $15 at New York New York. We then traveled to O'Sheas in search of actual coin machines (everything is digital now with simulated coin noises). Kelly appearantly has some type of electrical charge exuding from her body because she everytime she used a machine something would happen and the machine would go wild and just keep spinning and spinning and spinning. The first machine we chucked up to a random broken machine but after the third machine at the third casino we began to wonder. I won $3 at the Luxor. Mom and Kelly? Not so lucky. We retired to our rooms at 5am.
Significant notes in Vegas: It was rather dead, the state of the economy is obviously affecting travel and careless spending. President Obama was staying at Caesers, and the taxi driver was strangely requesting Matt to give him his shirt supposedly for the the cologne.??
written by  delete on May 26, 2009 from Las Vegas, United States

Trip to Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon Village, United States
After 4 hours sleep we headed to the Grand Canyon. It was a long drive, we didn't reach Mom's rental cabin until 8:00, checked her in, then tried to set up camp. Unfortunately, the sun had set and there wasn't anywhere to buy firewood. We decided to crash Mom and Kelly's cabin which was all of 8 by 8 feet at most. It was close corners and Matt and I had the floor but at least we had heat. The temp was below 40 degrees and heat and dry place to rest our heads is all we needed. Thank God we had packed chips and sandwiches which served as our dinner.
The pictures are of our drive and the cabin (no kidding, that's how big the cabin was).
written by  delete on May 27, 2009 from Grand Canyon Village, United States

Grand Canyon: Day II
Grand Canyon Village, United States
Our first day where we were actually going to enjoy the Grand Canyon. Needless to say, our backs were broken and Matt and I were up at the crack of dawn to set up our tent. Our campsite was the only one actually inside the Grand Canyon Park and was situated 50 yards from the rim.
After setting up camp we went back to pick up Mom and Kellly, ate breakfast, and chose the trails we would conquer. All in all we hiked over 7 Miles of various terrain and elevation. It really is a natural wonder and the pictures don't do it justice. This place is massive. The animals were the same but different, all of them had larger ears than we had ever seen, the deers were larger in general and the squirrels has long white tails.
Tired and physically wore out, we were able to get reservations at the Grand Canyon lodge where we dined liked royalty. After dinner the plan was to sit around the campfire however it began to rain and, really, the fatigue was just too much. Mom and Kelly retired to their cabin and as soon as they left, the rain lifted and Matt and I enjoyed a raging fire until we couldn't keep our eyes open anymore. We slept hard with cyceles of high wind and rain. We packed right though and were able to stay warm under a few layers of clothes and 6-7 blankets.
written by  delete on May 27, 2009 from Grand Canyon Village, United States

Aunt Becky, here we come
Albuquerque, United States
Up again at the crack of dawn, Matt and I broke down camp collected the family and headed out to Albuquerque. Another long day of travel where we went in and out of rain storms and saw lots of terrain.
We were able to veer of the main roads and hit Route 66 for Winslow, Arizona where (as you'll see) we stood on a corner near a flatbed Ford.
Unfortunately, technology did not follow us through our trip and the cost of technology where we could find it came at high price. We were unable to blog, receive cell phone service or charge any of our electrical items for the last 3 days. We even tried Starbucks for free wi-fi, but it also came at a high price (not so free, eh?) We have found ourselves at a laundry mat where they actually mean "free" wi-fi. We're not sure what's in store for us today, but we will update the blog at the next opportunity.
Love and Miss,
Matt and Sara
written by  delete on May 30, 2009 from Albuquerque, United States

Family Ties
Albuquerque, United States
We were able time with some of the strongest matriarchs of my family. This included My mom, my two sisters, my aunt, and my cousin. We spent the day looking at Aunt Becky's old restaurant and daydreaming about the possibilities which the restaurant could be reopened. The view was beautiful and the restaurant had a lot of character, just beware of the rattlesnakes and horny toads!! Kelly found two horny toads, one of which we were able to get a picture of. We also found the perfect sized elephant for my secret dream of owning a miniature elephant as a pet one day....unfortunately, this one was made of Stone.
When we returned from the restaraunt, Mom helped Chellee study for an upcoming test and Becky hosted a trial bow, served us elk meat sandwiches (provided by her husband, Frank) and arrow shoot off. Matt got snapped. (You'll see it in the pics.) So, we reassigned him a "more appropriate" bow. :)
As the sun fell, my cousins, Jason and Jessica joined the party and Matt prepared wild Alaskan salmon (also provided by Frank)
Tomorrow, some site seeing and saying good byes...
written by  delete on May 31, 2009 from Albuquerque, United States

Amarillo By Morning
Amarillo, United States
We spent most of the day acting like tourists in Old Town. This included a shopping spree for turquois and silver and a gun fight. My sister, Chellee found two head dresses for her sons, which immediately became a photo opportunity which then just turned into a hat parade. We said our goodbyes around 3:00 and headed to Amarillo.
There was horrible accident going 40 West, since we were heading the opposite direction, we were able to catch the whole scene. It was a really, really, ugly and depressing scene. Traffic was stopped for 2.8 Miles. Shortly after I accidently took the lead and guided us in the wrong direction by missing an exit. After a few stressed filled moments we calmed down and considered the the error an opportunity to explore the country side and that it could have also potentially kept us out of other danger.
Once we landed in Amarillo we decided to stay in the same place we found on our last relocation trip, The Big Texan. This place is awesome. From Texas sized meals to swinging saloon doors in the hotel room. The pictures show how the hotel is made to look like an old western row of taverns and motels and the fancy room decor. Matt's favorite part? the 44oz draft beer. Once we were seated for dinner, the trio approached our table and serenaded us with "Amarillo by Morning", a perfect song to finish the a long day of travel.
Tomorrow: Missouri
written by  delete on June 1, 2009 from Amarillo, United States

Green Acres
Barnett, United States
We landed in Barnett, Missouri and on our way we were reintroduced to the green fields, red barns and the blue skies we grew up with. On our way we found the western hemisphere's largest cross, beautiful dirt roads, small towns, and the mid-wests's pride of lawn furniture.
We were greeted in Missouri with 44 poodles, 5 1/2 horses, and Matt's brother Dave and his wife Denese. They have a beautiful house full of collected antiques and nestled under tall trees. The green pastures against the blue skies with a sprinkling of red barns and farm equipment of Missouri really took our breath away. We had forgotten about the magic of the midwest. This includes the lightening bugs, the lightening of a thunderstorm, and gracious people who wanted to take moment to know something about who was crossing their path. It was gorgeous.
As we drove down the roads marked by letters ( ex: C, N, B, Etc. ) we were reminded about small towns. We have been referred to as "city-folk" a couple of times and it makes us laugh. Us? City-folk? Naaaah.
Our vehicles began to experience some problems during the trip. Matt's bumper began dragging the ground and my Sirius radio began to act up. So we spent some time on the side of Highway 40 trying to fix these problems. One day at Dave's fixed the bumper (With the help of Denese's son, Tony) and Matt and I fiddled with the radio to fix it "for now" (with the help of some electrical tape).
Oh yea, Dave has a four leaf clover garden.
And we took some pictures of Dave's 44 Kennels with the chicken he served for dinner.
Dave did his best to give us a petting zoo by providing us poodles, horses, and a bird....
And for the record: Matt's bruise from Albequerque:
Talk to you tomorrow!
written by  delete on June 2, 2009 from Barnett, United States

Tim, Angie, and family
Wentzville, United States
We spent the night at one of Matt's other brother's homes. This was Tim, Angie, and their two daughters, Megan and Samantha. Last time we visited their home the girls were 1 and 4 years old, now they are 8 and 11. Just another reminder how fast time flies and how important it is to live closer to family.
We spent the night playing pool, air hockey, and shuffle board and laughing at old Spotila stories. The girls got Matt bowling, dancing, and playing baseball on their Wii. It was a pretty humorous scene. Next is Uncle Ronnies, stay tuned!
written by  delete on June 3, 2009 from Wentzville, United States

Goin to Graceland
Silex, United States
We spent lastnight in Silex, Missouri at my Uncle Ronnie's and Aunt Monica's home. Their daughter (my cousin), Chrissy, and her husband, Justin, also joined us. We were treated to a home made dinner of bloomin onion and braised venison sandwiches.
We spent the majority part of the night admiring an ongoing project of Ron and Mon (which is refurbishing and building onto an antique back bar known to my grandpa and great grandpa.) It's hard to describe. But imagine a bar set in Missori or maybe a little further southwest in the 1930's. All its missing is some caberet dancers. But Ron and I gave it our best.
The cars were a mess after driving on so many gravel/ dirt roads. So, after a good car wash we headed for Memphis. We dined on southern fried catfish, shrimp, and pickles. Gotta love the south.
We will probably be here for two nights. We are planning on seeing the sights tomorrow. But as for tonight, we sleep!
10-4
written by  delete on June 5, 2009 from Silex, United States

Visiting Memphis Royalty
Memphis, United States
We stayed at a Drury Inn lastnight (took BJ's advice on the free hot breakfast). We set off to see Graceland. We took LOTS of pics and are including most of them just for the simple fact that we have family members who are self-proclaimed Elvis's biggest fan (eh-hm, Mom and Aunt Martha). Graceland was fun. There were a thousand men with long side burns and pompadores.
Next we went to Interstate BBQ for, probably, the best BBQ sandwich ever. (See pic)
We then moved onto the Lorraine Motel, the site of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination and Civil Rights Museum. This was the most moving tour we took today, but no camaras were allowed inside (hence only outdoor pics).
After a little respite back at the hotel, we headed downtown to check out Beale St., and continue our pig adventure at Rendezvous BBQ. The street performers were very talented. A lot of outdoor music venues(about 20 blues bands) and many others we didn't take time to see(we had rib business to attend to). Rendezvous boasted the best ribs around. They were good but a little tough for our taste. The spice rub and hot bbq sauce was out of sight. So, sufficed to say, we've been living the southern dream of BBQ and sweet tea for a coupla days.
Goodnight for now, we're headed to Nashville.
written by  delete on June 6, 2009 from Memphis, United States

(yawn)....we are soooo tired...
Nashville, United States
We traveled to Nashville today. The trip was uneventful compared the ridiculous amount of highway patrol we dealt with from Missouri, through Arkansas, and into Memphis. Instead rolling hills and tons of trees created the backdrop. We found a decent hotel in a decent part of town and decided to take it easy. We went out to dinner to The Merchant Bar and Grill (est. 1892). The meal was among one of the best we have enjoyed since we started this adventure. We called it a night and are back in the hotel planning for tomorrow.
Good night, God bless,
written by  delete on June 7, 2009 from Nashville, United States

Detour
Franklin, United States
We decided to add a couple of days to our journey and take a detour to Franklin, TN. This little town is just south of Nashville and is known for it's antiques and civil war history.
On our way we stopped by the Grand Ole Opry for a quick look around (we'll come back to catch a show), Willie Nelson and Friends wax museum, and Cooters gift shop (Dukes of Hazard). The Opry was nice but we would have had to wait for a few hours to take the full tour so we decided to just do a looky-loo in the museum. This is where we got pics of Minnie Pearl's hat, guitars, and other Opry stars. The other two stops were humorous and we took pictures of what we could.
Next we visited the Carter House, one of the preserved sites of the Battle of Franklin. Over 2,000 men lost their lives in under 4 hours during this Battle. There are over 1,000 bullet holes still visible today (on the sides of the original buildings). We forgot the camara at this spot but remembered it at the historic grave yard we visited which is now home to several civil war vets.
We finished the day with fried green tomatoes at the Red Pony (a restaurant in the heart of downtown Franklin).
We have decided to extend our detour one more day so that we can spend tomorrow in Gatlinburg.
Until then, good night.
written by  delete on June 8, 2009 from Franklin, United States

Almost there
Gatlinburg, United States
We stayed one night in Gatlinburg, TN. Matt rented the "Honeymoon" suite of a Best Western there, it was comical. The "hot tub/jacuzzi" that was sold to us was actually a bathtub in the middle of the living area, the actual bathroom and shower were circa 1973, the fireplace was turned off for the season, spiders and moths galore, and I'm not sure but I would swear there were cut outs for camaras in strategic places. But it provided us a soft bed and a laugh and that was worth it. We couldn't really take pictures because everyting was stacked on top of something and we couldn't get the ambience in a photo, sorry.
We went through town a little bit. And it's changed from the last time either one of us had traveled there. For example, there weren't as many individual unique restaurants almost everything is corporatized. The one restaurant that was suggested to us as still being a privately owned restaurant was a cabin on top of a hill. Again, comical. It reminded me of working in a nursing home. It was just an old cabin (again circa 1970's) with original artwork (imagine grandmother's Wilderness prints of turkeys, wolves and deer). Service was good but Matt's trout was old and my stuffed halibut, I swear, is served at nursing homes. I'm sure there are still gems in that town, we just weren't lucky enough to find them.
We considered staying one more night but decided that we were just prolonging the inevitable, so we hit the road. Humidity is high and the threat of thunderstorms is chasing us. We're looking forward to a good storm we just hope we won't be driving when it hits.
written by  delete on June 9, 2009 from Gatlinburg, United States

Home sweet home
Asheville, United States
We made it to Asheville after winding through Cherokee country and the Blue Ridge Mountains. I took some shots from the car, while you might see the side of my car, you'll start to see the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's beautiful here, and we can't be more excited about the adventure that lays ahead.
We found our new home (for the next 7 days) at an extended stay hotel. Just $250 for the entire week. It's clean and safe, reminds us of a dormitory. I'll take pictures soon and try to get them on here for everyone.
We met up with Aaron Berryman (an old BSU friend) for dinner who suprised us with Jim-Bo (another old BSU friend). It feels good to be in our new hometown and with good friends. We set out to find jobs and a permanent home tomorrow.
written by  delete on June 11, 2009 from Asheville, United States

Ond day at a time
Asheville, United States
It's been 5 days since we landed in Asheville. We are loving the nature, people, food, and cost of living. We are learning a lot about looking for homes and talking business with landlords. Our budget for rent expenses opens the door for a wide variety of homes. We have visited Mobile homes on cinder blocks with neighbors who chose to stack, what seems like, all of their worldly belongings on their front porch and have toured mountain retreats. For the most part, landlords don't seem to be too concerned that we don't have jobs. Matt does a great job talking to landlords and by the time we finish a tour we basically have them sold on "us".
We have our heart set on this one home. I don't want to jinx it so I won't say anymore. But keep us in your thoughts and prayers and we'll keep ya'll posted on the house hunt.
homeless and jobless,
PS first few pics are of our current Extended Stay "home", then the drive and views of some of the homes we've toured.
written by  delete on June 14, 2009 from Asheville, United States

Family and Friends welcome, Landscapers needed
Black Mountain, United States
Hello!
It's been almost a week since our last blog and, BOY, have we been busy!! We spent a week at the Extended Stay (aka our dorm room) on the southwest side of Asheville. The dorm room met our needs but also encouraged dorm eating (see pic).
Our home searched found a lot of neat homes that would have also met our needs but we were lucky enough to land our dream home. This place is nestled in the mountains of Black Mountain, NC. This is a small town of 7,000 people, very quaint with lots of small independently owned shops, farmers markets, artsy-fartsy stuff. It's about 25 minutes (19 Miles) straight east of Asheville. All of the pictures of the mountains are actually pictures taken from our decks at different times during the day and different stages of rain storms.
The home is a 3 bedroom 2 bath home, so there will be lots of room for visitors once we are unpacked. It's a great place to drink a cup of coffee in the morning and watch the sunsets at night. Next on our to-do list is a job search, unpacking, and cleaning up the "yard". We're, well at least I am, a little weary of doing the yard work due to fear of bees and wasps.
Our new home number (scheduled to be connected Saturday, June 20th) is 828-357-8098.
This will be our last blog. We hope to connect with each of you individually via telephone, email, and upcoming visits. Thank you for all of your blessings and prayers that have gotten us this far. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we start our job search.
Love,
written by  delete on June 19, 2009 from Black Mountain, United States