..what is next!  🙂  It will make a great blog when I return, lol….:)  So cloooooose!

After Outward Bound and a week of orientation in Vera Cruz, I think “roughing it” has not been a big deal…LOL…

This is my route I took leaving yesterday at 4:15 AM:

How do you get to Mexico City from Delaware? Well…

DRIVING DIRECTIONS

US-13 N is just past US-13 S
– If you reach Old Furnace Rd you’ve gone a little too far
(go 5.18 miles)
6. Turn left onto SR-404.
– SR-404 is 0.2 miles past US-13-BR
– If you reach Newton Way you’ve gone about 0.3 miles too far
(go 2.14 miles)
7. Turn right onto Seashore Hwy/SR-404 (Crossing into Maryland). (go 6.09 miles)
8. Seashore Hwy/SR-404 becomes MD-404 W. (go 23.56 miles)
9. Take US-50 W.
– US-50 W is 0.4 miles past Owens Rd
(go 47 miles)
10. Take the I-95 N/I-495 N exit, EXIT 7B, toward Baltimore/Silver Spring. (go 0.45 miles)
11. Merge onto I-495 S/Capital Beltway/I-495 OUTERLOOP via the exit on the left toward Beltway (Crossing into Virginia). (go 29.66 miles)
12. Merge onto I-66 W. (go 64.74 miles)
13. Merge onto I-81 S via EXIT 1A on the left toward Roanoke (Crossing into Tennessee). (go 376.21 miles)
14. Merge onto I-40 W via EXIT 1B toward Knoxville. (go 53.46 miles)
15. Keep left to take I-75 S via EXIT 368 toward Chattanooga. (go 83.4 miles)
16. Merge onto I-24 W via EXIT 2 toward Chattanooga/I-59/Birmingham (Crossing into Georgia). (go 17.26 miles)
17. Merge onto I-59 S via EXIT 167 on the left toward Birmingham (Crossing into Alabama). (go 124.09 miles)
18. Merge onto I-459 S via EXIT 137 on the left toward Tuscaloosa/Montgomery. (go 33.14 miles)
19. Merge onto I-59 S via the exit on the left toward Tuscaloosa (Passing through Mississippi, then crossing into Louisiana). (go 289.96 miles)
20. Merge onto I-12 W via EXIT 1A toward Hammond. (go 84.94 miles)
21. Merge onto I-10 W via the exit on the left toward Baton Rouge (Crossing into Texas). (go 467.76 miles)
22. Merge onto I-35 S via EXIT 572 toward Laredo. (go 151.88 miles)
23. Take EXIT 2 toward Airport/US-59/Freer/Corpus Christi/Houston. (go 0.21 miles)
24. Stay straight to go onto Santa Ursula Ave. (go 0.1 miles)
25. Turn left onto US-59/Lloyd Bentsen Hwy/Lafayette St.
– US-59 is just past Baltimore St
– Burger King is on the corner
– If you reach Madison St you’ve gone a little too far
(go 0.08 miles)
26. Welcome to LAREDO, TX.
– Your destination is just past San Dario Ave
– If you reach San Eduardo Ave you’ve gone a little too far
(go 0 miles)
————————————————–
B) Laredo, TX US
————————————————–
>> TOTAL ESTIMATED TIME: 28 hours 58 minutes | DISTANCE: 1863.95 miles

And by midnight of Tuesday I arrived here in those directions –

Merge onto I-59 S via the exit on the left toward Tuscaloosa (Passing through Mississippi

Just under 1000 miles travelled, and I fell asleep – voluntarily – at a rest stop just across the border of Mississippi – and figured out how to shower, change, sleep (security is there so you can do so) and check my email free – since the day is going to be 102 degrees, I found the nearest pubic library, well, on my way and it is in New Orleans, so what the heck…:)

and then when it cools off I will be on my way again – I am learning some things about how to make a trip cheaper….and not necessarily uncomfortable….:) 

Since I made so many miles in one day, I feel I can make the trip to Mexico, safely, and making sure I am prepared – in 3 days….let’s see….:)  

Martinez – Kang
Moving Sale!!!

We’re moving!!! and we need your help getting rid of our stuff and funding our flight tickets!!

Please come by on

Saturday, August 4, 2012
between 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Everything must go!!!
Fridge, rugs, books, kitchenware, plastic containers, all furniture including bed, dresser, etc., and even hangers.
All will be ready for pick up on the spot. Please do drop by.

Address:
Los Alpes 25-11, Col. Los Alpes
Alvaro Obregon, D.F. 01010
Door Bell says “Raul Caballero”

Home Phone: 55-4333-8969

As an added incentive, free lemonade in the morning til 2 p.m. and free beer until supplies last.
So, even if you’re not buying, do drop by and say hi.

Oh, and tell your friends!

= )

Helen and Alex

I do not even like the word…:)  This mini update is being written in Starbucks about 10 minutes from Tennessee, as I begin to enter “The Volunteer State!”

I had so many mixed emotions leaving, I LOVED seeing those who I did, sad I did not see everyone I wanted to, but overall it was SUCH a visit, wow…the food Mom packed me for the road will last – um FOREVER!  🙂

I want to try and make it into Georgia or Alabama the first day, and this will be some god mileage.  I have been driving through storms, but overall, leaving at 4:15 this morning was a GREAT idea, no traffic except outside of Roanoke, Virginia, due to construction.

Seeing all of the above mentioned and so many more, was AMAZING – just wow—-hard t imagine Mrs Vaughn and I taught a year ago and now we are not in the same place at all!  So much to report on, but as I get back on the road in 15 minutes, I will try to sort it all out in my mind before I come bcd to to add the news post…on the drive I have learned about female genitalia mutilation that is HUGE popular in the UK (shocked), orphans that have been asked to sing at the Olympics (you need to check that out regarding the 2 hour walk these kids have, then  they were heard three years ago and not forgotten, AND they had never seen a plane until performing at the Olympics this year!) as well as a thousand other amazing things thanks to BBC on the radio…(You were wondering where I was getting all that, didn’t you?!)

Okay, I am heading back on the road, but wanted to remind everyone how incredibly lucky I am to have such close ties to individuals like you – you make me feel, no matter where I am – a part of a larger group – as if we were beside each other all the time!:)

I will just post a new post adding to the brief Starbucks’ thoughts I have placed here….:)

Price of gas here is 3.25/gallon, but the lowest I have seen has been 3.11/gallon in northern Virginia…:)

I have realized that the best gift I have received was that of being single – I have been THE luckiest guy in the world to see the girls and boys turn into young men and women. I could have made the sacrifice of making a relationship work – but I could never turn back and do without the experiences I have been lucky enough to have with these amazing individuals, I have had dates, girlfriends, andrelationships, and none of THOSE experiences have made me feel as good as the experiences I have been lucky enough to have with these amazing individuals – when I find someone that has all the best qualities as all of those that have surrounded me all those years – then we have a match! 🙂

Going into Saturday was well, a little scary knowing I had some expectations of ridding myself of some material possessions, and counting on this being the “fuel” for my excursion across the U.S. and through Mexico,   🙂   Go Friday night I was a bit antsy….anxiety-filled…

Thursday, I began to feel the levity the tasks at hand, and I headed out to Chapel to just reflect – however, I stopped by Nancy McGee’s and just caught up – for about 3 hours – as she said, it was the first time we were not talking through vehicles, on the street, me here, there, and everywhere – literally just hanging out and chatting – I liked that new self I had become! 🙂  Arriving back home late but ready – I thought for the challenge at hand!

Friday was heading to the local Uhaul in the morn at Big Daddy’s (love that name) on 113 – chosen since it was close to the storage in Felton, DE. Credit card denied, – AWESOME! Calling Mexico and Bancomer, clearing for use in the United States again, trying 5 minutes later, success!  Realizing that my Mom’s Honda is overheating-C to H in 30 minutes- NOT good  🙂  Nursing her car back to Seaford, then myself to Felton Storage to see what we are dealing with, make it to the storage facility, find pod #85, – open the sliding door to the Pod – literally, boxes to thereof….trying not to think about he volume in front of me – loading, loading, loading, big items first!   🙂  Uhaul loaded to the hilt – I mean from 11:00 AM – 4:45 PM – constant and in a mode of little concentration and 100% doing doing doing – loading desk heavier than three people combined weighing 180 pounds, lol…(take a look at this awesome desk on my facebook page – 🙂  still available if you want a desk to last through – well – anything! 🙂 – loading the mattresses, beds, lamps, another desk – ohmygosh, WHEN did these get so heavy?!  🙂  – dresser, (light compared to the King Kongs mentioned above….- friend Nancy McGee stopped by and heaped organize and toss – not to mention the Arizona tea and fish taco – to DIE for – thank you! –

Finding two bottles of wine – Merlot and Chavignon from when I lived in Butler more than 13 years ago – in the pod – ?  That was hysterical – grabbing those wondering how the quality lasts in a pod – full to the hilt – heading to Jeanine Kleimo’s for a visit!

Jeanine and Chuck have been assisting with bringing Exchange students into the country for a VERY long and extended amount of time, something special to my heart in recalling so many individuals ilk Firdavsi – Berkay- Azu, Lisa, Seb, Vika, I’m, TONS!! – and coming here was a homecoming of sorts – but the best was yet to come! – swimming pool (finding cleaning the pool initially was very relaxing! – then ribs piled HIGH – bulletin through 4 glasses of Lemonade and countless glasses of water showed me the amount of water I had sweat loading in the humidity! – then corn on the cob – potatoes, crumb dessert with ice cream – MAJOR WOW dinner, MAJOR…..:)  DELICIOUS! – we talked, chatted, handmade arrangements to unload some furniture that might linger and could be used at the shelter Jeanine helps operate/supervise –

In leaving this evening and having the chance to catch up with Nancy and Jeanine, I flash forwarded to what my experience will be like NEXT summer and hope it will be even more filled with memories like we have had so far with my friend Linn as well, full of encounters not being able to cashing while I was teaching but packed with laughter and memories!  🙂

Leaving Jeanine’s and headed home, it was a restless night – knowing it was expected to be at Bargain Bill’s at 4:00, um yes, 4:00 AM as people been buying then – I remember this fact about flea market gatherers, and was not sure I was up to the task after a grueling unloading day – yet….I tumbled out from the alarm at 3:00 AM, headed out in the dark, arrived, began unloading in a chosen spot somewhat central to the lot – people had come by and bought over half the smaller collectibles I had as I was unloading, lol – this is in all respects legit too – Bubba – who I need to go back to – ended up buying collectible steel cars I had, my collector’s Michigan helmet signed by Woodson – let me tell you, people did get some deals yet – the mentality of letting things go you have had for years – was all through me – in all honesty by 2:00 PM I only had half the truck left – and $160.00 in hand – paying for my rental as well as the Uhaul – and giving me some extra incentive to sell more that remained in the storage – thank you who came out and helped so much! – I have to find the certificate of authenticity for Bubba and go back for the helmet follow up – I knew at the point of that item that I was able to get rid of all and a whole lot more…:)

I met an individual at the market that wanted to but a file cabinet – yet he had little money on him and he had arranged for the DART bus to pick him up – oh- I knew about the inconsistencies in the DART bus and what if he could not take the cabinet he wanted on the bus to Millsboro?  He relayed stories to me about his girlfriend being called slow by his former neighbors, and although a little short in the department of being completely a social wallflower – he was a nice guy and I felt – help him out.  SO yes, using the Uhaul, and packing it, and offering him part of my lunch when asked what I had ( I felt I was sharing on the playground!)  and amid seeing Danielle Levredge and Josue, as well as Kathia! WOW! – I loaded his cabinet, and him, lol., we headed to Millsboro.

Through the beginnings of rain, and him trying to call DART to cancel the scheduled stop and me losing minutes (little I had) on my tracfone – (yes I still have that Amber Matthews from the gift ages ago from the New York-going students!) – We arrived at his apartment in Millsboro – unloaded, I met strangers I did not know watching tv in his apartment, (it’s kind of awkward walking into a house with someone still in a towel, watching tv, on the couch, with a file cabinet saying hello!) – and then the 4:00 AM timezone starting hitting me- yes, I was finally exhausted – driving down the lane and having someone run up to the truck telling me I left the slide door open down the road awakened me briefly….:)

Headed over to Bethany with the Uhaul, meeting Linn Duryea in the parking lost of the bank to pick up Money I transferred into my Libreton Mexican account to pay for – yes – my truck! –  (still feels like I am dreaming it has been too long for driving) – her stating I have the money, you got the powder? – LAUGHING – sitting in the parking lot DID feel kind of shady  – LOL – (wondering when I am going to get my income tax I filed like 4 MONTHS AGO to help with this cross-country TRIP! and pay friends back! – HINT!) – coming back to Seaford with a tiredness of the last 2 days I never knew I had…..-

Crawling into bed at like 3:30 PM – Saturday – amazing I did better than the money I spent that day amend some slight rain bursts – then up at 6 PMish, back in the Uhaul and on my way to Soroptomists to drop donations off, then back to Cambridge to see Jeanine about my kitchen table to donate – get this….(I love this fact)

I bought this Country kitchen table my first year out of Edinboro College as a student – from AMES! – and still it exists and is rocking’!  – SOLID yet it is compressed wood – we made a del that Jeanine would get this to redo the top in tiles like the table she has inner kitchen – I thought it fitting it would continue to exist – so we head over to the shelter she manages – I open the back sliding door, and my Dad’s voice in the gruff kind of short response saying, “Whatta ya doing?  Give them all they need”  – it made me JUMP when I heard it – I mean, this was a VERY urgent prompting, and knowing I was worried about having enough $$$ to cross the East side of the U.S, yet I knew this was right –  I unloaded almost everything to this shelter as they would benefit the most from it – and my truck was empty again – amazing to see the eyes of the guys (nice rhyme) as I unloaded desks, kitchen appliances, scanners, printers, everything – back to Felton to the storage – 8-ish and getting dark….

Loading clothes out the wazooo – truck packed again, and back to Seaford by 10:40 PM…tired yet?  Amazingly – I was full of energy still, yet stopping by Arby’s on the way home I downed the milkshake fries, and Beef n Cheddar – my first one in over a year and a half – it was the best one based on the progress we made that day!

Game changer – INSTEAD of going back to Bargain Bill’s on route 113 and paying for a spot for tons of CLOTHES mainly – I took the advice of my friend Nancy – headed to Georgetown where I heard there was a market set up –  saw two vehicles, and wondered, here?  Ironically, right beside El Mercado – backed in, lifted the back door – BOOM! – explosions of people came by asking where I had acquired the huge Mexican flag – Thank you for that Ms Lamb!  we engaged in Spanglish among the Latino/Hispanic community and it was off – one lady that was a regular there literally opened boxes for me I did not know – who served as an auctioneer for me holding up items to the crowd, yes, crowd! – sweat pouring off of main waves – yet the truck contents diminishing, the last bed mattresses disappear – individuals from Haiti began to appear too now – clothes by the TRUCKFUL disappear – two cokes brought to me to revive me during the heat – 175.00 later – and meeting three families that heaped me clean up the garbage, talking-to younger children in Spanish about my upcoming trip, the heat – I walked away, 2 cokes, and 2 Arizona teas –  dazed from this experience because of being able to rid myself of so much – yet directly seeing a group of people benefit – I realized amazingly how much it was the right choice to come here instead of route 13 at Bill’s! – dazed by the success, I came home, had to shower to remove three layers of sweat – Mom’s ca could not drive me back from Felton – so we both headed int he uHaul amid rain to pick up items I had, oh yes, there was more –  at Charlotte Vaughn’s house – a small,high Country table, two large speakers, a wheelbarrow, and then to the Fields’ to YES! – pick up my Mountaineer! – thanking the Fields’ for storing, maintenancing, and caring for the XC icon! – but not inspected! – 🙂  Following closely to the storage – literally unloading items that were 4 times my weight but all IN!  YESSS……truck empty –

Returning the Uhaul to Big Daddy’s (laughing) – driving back in my Mountaineer downing two large Arizona iced Teas –  I have to tell you – it had been ages since I had been behind that particular driving wheel, and it did not feel the same AT ALL – driving through several storms, dropping clothes and left over post Sunday items off at Goodwill – kitchen table and wheelbarrow in the truck (anyone need one of these things to buy cheap?!!!  🙂   – home – out to Pizza KING!  YES! – literally drinking 7 glasses of sweet tea – Chicken Cheddar enchiladas and boardwalk fries, and realizing how parched I was from the humidity of the weekend – this can be measured in drinks obviously as I KILL the liquids post humidity day –

Arriving home and realizing, I STILL have a pod full of items and how did I ever keep and maintain so many dry “THINGS” – UGH – literally THINGS! – double UGH – yet the experiences I had were because of those possessions, and I jumped back, hearing My Dad’s voice – meeting the people I did meet – they helped me unload so much even if at major bargains to them, trying to retrace the rapid movement of all these actions in this process, I treasured the going back and cleaning up my past – through this whole process – it makes me tired as I retype and review how the past two days progressed, but wait until you see the pictures I add of all this later – LOL – it’s time to officially register my vehicle with DMV and let me tell you, being behind the wheel has never felt sweeter – just wondering how unloading the next batch of items will go – where, when, and then – on the road to Mexico!  I also realized, I would rather be short hundreds of dollars heading to Mexico, barely making it there, and be in my Mountaineer and doing the things I did, the way I did, and meeting the people I did, for the long haul.  Strangely, I have less anxiety of that upcoming adventure than the one I had this past weekend – 🙂   Life is funny….:)  Thanks for coming along with me on this journey as I wind down this last week – out of DE and to Mexico – I am a little frustrated as the 1500.00 plus due back from taxes to help me visit my family in PA, as well as cushion the trip to Mexico from here was a major element, but then this angry – stubborn stance that – not wanting to rely on others for the success and way I feel good about an experience – is way more important.  I feel like saying, keep the money you owe me, even though if I owed you money you’d be on my doorstep – I will find a way without your empty promises and walk away a better person for it….:)

This word keeps coming back in waves at me, but I think at the heart of these ruminations, is the pleasant surprise that all the world around us is a learning experience if we take time to let those experiences sink in.

Several examples of some wonderful encounters need explaining…

I love the fact that most people fear riding the buses on DART – it seems this is so but I have learned so much about Delaware FROM riding the buses in Delaware – riding the buses before in Mexico so much opened my eyes, yes, to a culture and people not experienced from the windows of a taxi, and the same can be said as I came back to Delaware and making a comparison to the bus experience of public transportation in Delaware.

I realized, that there are many individuals that have experienced jail time, bail time, and other encounters with the law that ride DART – which that statement might not encourage people to ride DART, but I have to say, I have had positive experiences because of it.  True, the correctional facility in Georgetown is along the way and an official stop for route 212 from the Service Center in Seaford.  This fact, the first time I rode the bus in the wee hours of the 5AM route, to get the express route to Lewes, to make it to summer training for the AP Institute in Lewes, well, to be honest, terrified me.  I saw the penitentiary looming ahead and I thought, “My gosh, I am one of two people on this bus, and there is a crowd of say, (looking at the upcoming stop) –at least twenty workers/aka current inmates coming onto the bus for their work release time-  and that would be every seat filled here – gulp – this was a terrifying realization not knowing what the ride would be like – and sure enough bus loaded, but the ride was anything but boring.  “How much time did you have left?”, “She expectin’ me to be at work at 9:00 AM and not lose my job when they do not release me until 10:00?”  “How will that work?” , “Tom caught smuggling items put him right back for another year…” and well, you get the idea.  I sat there like a Gringo in Mexico, only on the bus listening and taking this all in.   But somewhere along the line –

I began developing an interest in these lives, these stories, so far out of reach of my own experiences, and here I was – seven years later, on the way to Fenwick Wednesday to stay overnight with my cousins.  I now am looking forward to that experience heading to the penitentiary – but no takers for the stop this late in the afternoon (11:00 AM!) – yet – not to be forgotten –

I start to tune into the story across from me – a member of a fishing vessel that goes out to sea 20 days at a time – begins to unfold his story that he came back after his last tour and turned himself into the magistrate due to an outstanding fine.  This has a lot to do with the fact that anyone that is guilty of a crime on a fishing vessel – if convicted while on the vessel and docked – the vessel will not be allowed to leave – hence since his pay averages about 14% of the catch – around 850.00 a day – it was in his best interest to take care of any obligations that would barr him from his job – a job he could rely on.  All this so far has been acquired from the 5 stops so far on DART!   As we moved along, I realized how this individual spends winters in Cancun fishing, that due to the high mercury count truly we can only handle ounces of raw fish in our bodies a YEAR – opposed to the Japanese who have a natural metabolism not confined to this restriction – the 121 pound crab caught many years ago off of Ocean City used for one of the President’s inauguration, to the 24 foot white shark this man and crew had caught last year – then the processes that go into the process of being a day worker on a vessel – 150.00 a day, compared to working your way up from a percentage earning vessel member – from 8% to 14% – and making the $850.00 a day for 20 days – knowing there are only two main places that really serve fresh sushi in the Ocean City/Delaware area – to how sea going fisheries preserve the fish on deck from deck to delivery – exporting per pound is much more profitable than domestic supplies – now after all these details and realizing this man missed his ship out – due to the fact that he turned himself in to pay his fine – how would and could you learn all this – when you hold expectations on others – and refuse that experience?

I found it interesting as he had a phone of 9 numbers, all vessel captains, and hoped he would be able to catch one of the vessels that needed another individual that might have not showed.  As I was ready to leave, there became one captain calling back saying he needed no one at this time, but he had 8 more possibilities.  I couldn’t help but feel privileged to be a part of this conversation.

I realized that trying new situations would reveal doors I never knew existed – as I walked off the 208 bus in Fenwick, I realized coming back I was still learning much about myself.  Thinking I knew what groups of people were best to associate with I found experiences were still changing for me.

Fenwick – so far visiting Bethany, Rehoboth, and then Fenwick Wednesday evening was – unique and awesome.  Seeing and feeling the wind that has broken since the massive heat wave last year – as well as the cool events of getting into water that towered over 5 stories high, possibly the hardest and roughest I have been in – sleeping on the beach with the relaxing saltwater tides coming in and out – the advent of kites in the night sky with glow sticks to track them – feeling the wind move over you in the night along the water – and the smell of the coast during your waking moments, going to bed, and enjoying that last swim – summer is magical – and the feelings of these inspired moments – are worthy of a blog because they allow us to look back and realize how important things are that we often overlook…  I think I love Fenwick as much as I like Bethany.  Eating at Ledo’s bringing back the memory of when this used to be in Seaford, now in Fenwick.  The salad and pizza was AWESOME, !!

A sidenote – seeing the show “Can You Cook” on television, I was shocked to see the location of Oaxaca as the place of the competition!  I recognized the courtyards, the church, the local Mercado!  I was like – “ I KNOW THAT PLACE!”

I find myself a little filled with anxiety in the days coming up to reducing my possessions to a smaller storage space – but yet it will feel as another level of responsibility is being removed from my shoulders!  It is exciting to see so many days filled with unexpected surprises, and that’s right, most of them are right before our eyes free for the taking…J  By the way, there is NOTHING, NOTHING like sleeping at night to the waves and tide going in, and waking up to the same – Fenwick is a magical place!  Thank you Roger and Lois!

There are MANY important details left out of the blog from visiting Rehoboth last Thursday!  🙂  (July 5th!)  Being spoiled by the bus system in Mexico – I planned out my route without a vehicle to the beach -Georgetown – (new bus stop location!) to Rehoboth YEAH!  I loved that the bus stopped outside of Dogfish Head Brewery.

and then I proceeded to go to the Rehoboth Library, asking them anything and everything about Overdrive – wow, they did not buy Kindles for their patrons to use and the circulation statistic went up like CRAZY – so people did go crazy of having access to Ebooks, I m thinking Mexico will not have the amount of people and numbers that the U.S. has, but there still was a major increase – so that is good news for us!

I then proceeded to shops along the main strip – camera store gone – I was hoping to get a tutorial on the new camera a acquired – the Rebel T3i (It is AWESOME) – but then came across Browse About Books in Rehoboth, and good thing!  Jill Biden was signing her book – wow!  the VP’s wife (as Delaware claims the VP from Delaware)  AND – I took part in the FREE, yes, free, ice cream (YUMMMY!) and then as I walked on amazed I just saw the VP’s book and her book signing, found a new, (gasp!) fries place on the boardwalk!  Bricker’s!  GET THIS – yes, it is not Thrasher’s but – they tasted the same – I mean the fries were AWESOME and only 6.00 for a huge bucket!

TIP – when you are near a beach go to the local library, and pick up an edition of their local beach guide….it has hid away secret coupons for tons of free items and discounts!  I was able to get a free drink with the fries, and then later, after purchasing towels and some sun tanning lotion, SPF 50 – I have been FRIED! – after the beach stopped by the world famous The Ice Cream Store which has flavors from Bacon, to ever type of fruit, to Frappe’s – I chose a rd raspberry smoothie with vanilla ice cream frappe!  It ROCKED!

Even though it was hot, it was an awesome beach day!

This weekend taking DART is bad – get this – ONE bus goes ONE to the beach ONE time per day – and that is IT!  AND – none from Seaford to Georgetown, just from Georgetown to the beach area – what kind of transportation is that? That means NO ONE from Seaford can go to the beach – on the weekend, unless they catch the bus from Georgetown – CRAZY – why?  Why should you be forced to catch the one and only bus that goes to the beach, could there not be at east a morning AND an afternoon bus?  That seems crazy not to provide this!  True, roundtrip service is only $2.10, but no good to use it if you can only catch ONE on the weekend and miss that, out of luck, IF you can get to Georgetown, which is almost 15 miles from Seaford – so that definitely limits people t where they can go….very frustrating if you want to catch the beach and this is a HUGE contrast to the availability you can get in Mexico!  I am being spoiled!

If you think if it, the gains they make in utilizing the eco-bici throughout Mexico, as well as the many forms of public transportation – wow – lessons that can bet a ken away to better communities!  I just would like to see Delaware as a smaller state allow routes to the beach areas be more accessible more of the time!

Hitting the beaches again in Bethany, even under the duress of the weekend schedule, as well as on Sunday were GREAT! – VERY very relaxing.  Places I am adding to the list of restaurants is Five Guys – (Awesome beach burgers and fries, it filled me up with that meal!) – Star Gate Diner – amazing, Monday they have life guitar and singing talent in the diner, what used to be the Golden Corral, I had steak, potatoes, fried zucchini, and what an improvement over the Golden Corral!  WOW! – and Southern Grille for breakfast – DELICIOUS – yum yum yum!  It was awesome seeing Monse and Victor come in, where she works, as Coach Doakes and I were enjoying a DELICIOUS breakfast!  I never realized how much I missed eggs sunny side up!  YUM!

Eating at Alfredo’s rocked as the originally made stromboli was absolutely on the spot appetizing as the owners had sons that were my students, (the Fascelli’s) and I loved coming to Pizza King to take in their pizza twists – yummmmmmmmYYY!  Some things about Seaford bring back awesome appetite memories, lol.

This upcoming weekend will be full of getting items out of the storage pod I have  – selling them – selling them like crazy, and reducing my pod storage to what will be a small storage bin!  I hope by next week to have the plans ready to insure my truck, as well as get it back on the road – and then been mapping and buying let minute items I want to grab and take with me!  (jeans, shoes, items for the apartment, swifter !  LOL – kitchen appliances that are a few the rest GONE! – )  it will be a relief to clear this accumulation of years into dust and thin my claim on that fateful word – MATERIALISM, lol.

Returning to Delaware – it’s funny how you think you know how you will react – for me, mixed emotions took over but I had no idea how I was going to be – anymore – how are any of us when we change so much of what we thought we knew of ourselves – what happens when that shatters? – changes, right before your eyes?  🙂   These are some of the things I struggle with as I am sure I am changing and have changed and still trying to finding that meeting place if who and where I am…:)

Wednesday was my first true day at the beach – I rushed to Bethany – and there are some memories you never change – somewhere in the mix – there is things I do not want to let go of – the smell of the salt in the air, the and as you step so far to a certain point and you feel on your cheek the change in the wind and you know – before you see it, you can hear it – the waves, the hiss of the water hitting the rocks, then – when the heat seems to burn through your shoulders – the water  – it has to be the alternative – and you know the stance – grabbing the courage to edge in slowly, – inch by inch – the shock of the water biting your ankles – yet – you know what happened when you let it completely immerse you – relief!  – There is something about that initial reaction to the water that hits you – but et saves you – it is so hard to explain – but the initial taste of the salt, and the water that shocks you as you go under that incoming wave – it is one of the best escapes that truly slips you into your own space – away from everything and everyone – and the freedom to go back and forth into the tide – it literally sways you into a lullaby sense of relaxation – the most amazing aspect to me has been the beach and the saltwater that is so addicting, that being addicting to running, ice crew, and so many other things….:)  Being immersed in the feel of the aspects of the East Coast – aspects I never had the chance to truly take in without feeling I had somewhere to be, somewhere to go, assignments to check,  truly – the chance to see your surroundings without the stress of cutting the time to take it all in – cutting your time so much that you miss the things that matter and tell you something about yourself – that sees to be what immersion means to me – the day at Bethany – my first opportunity to visit what I feel in love with in the first place – then again on Thursday – and on again on Saturday – back at Bethany – the smell of the cocoa butter, the laughter of the children, the whole scene – I know the temperatures have been soaring and there have been so many complaints- yet there are so many aspects I didn’t realize that meant so much to me!  – From walking through Chapel – hearing the wind in the trees – seeing and hearing birds and the thickness of the woods – and truly – just like C.P. mentioned – if you listen closely the wind in the trees do talk to you, and remind you of aspects that we often overlook –

I find myself in a quandary – working anywhere except in Mexico would be a portion of myself that would  not be complete, but I would not be complete without the sway, smell, and taste of the Eastern Shore – it’s amazing what happens when you slow enough to take in the things that matter – I am lucky enough to have that happen at the Eastern Shore…:)

I love the technical aspects of Delaware I cam across.  I feel that you will be surprised in a future post of all the exciting things Mexico has when summer on the eastern shore is not so alive!  🙂

Why Live In Delaware?

Bethany Beach made Travel & Leisure’s Best Secret Beaches on Earth list

There are many great reasons to call Southern Delaware home. Here are a few of our favorites.

Significant Tax Advantages

• NO State sales tax.
• NO State tax on SocialSecurity income.
• NO personal property taxes.
• One of the lowest property tax burdens in the nation! Sussex County homeowners taxed on 50% of property’s current market value based on a 1974 assessment and with no property tax increases for over 21 years, the average 2011 Sussex County property tax bill on a single-family home was only just over $100 annually. (Sussex County Government News Release May 18, 2010)
• Kiplinger’s PERSONAL FINANCE Magazine picks DE as one of the 10 most tax-friendly states for retirees.
• Pension Exclusions: For each person 60 and over, up to $12,500 of pension and eligible retirement income are exempt from Delaware income tax.
• Each qualified homeowner 65 and older in Sussex County receives a Senior Citizen Property School Tax Credit up to $500.
• $110 in tax credits multiplied by the number of persons age 60 and over, plus the number of personal exemptions allowed for Federal purposes.
• America’s Most Wealth Friendly States: Ranked as one of the top four states (with Alaska, Nevada, and South Dakota) as being the Best States for Trusts. Major reasons: No tax on assets held in a trust, allow dynasty trusts permitting assets to pass to future generations and avoid estate taxes, seek to protect trust assets from lawsuits and creditors. SOURCE: Thetrustadvisor.com
• Corporate Capital of the World: Delaware’s pro-business tax and corporate laws have made it a corporate haven. As of November 2010, nearly 900,000 companies are charted as Delaware corporations. ln the last seven years over 80% of new ln¡tial Public Offerings (IPOs) have made Delaware their corporate home.

An afterthought…:)   A friend recently told me I should lower my standards, they are too high.  I thought about it…nope, not happening.  🙂  Enjoy your Fourth to the fullest!