Not quite gone yet.

Hi friends and family--

So this is my first official post of my first official blog. My road trip across America with my Aunt Amy and Aunt Trish (we're headed to Portland, Oregon) commences either tomorrow or the next day, and right now I am hanging out in Roanoke, Virginia, in my late grandparents' house. The weather is gorgeous and the mountains lovely, and I haven't even begun the trip.

Last night Mom treated everyone to a nice dinner in downtown Roanoke, which is a really cool, artsy area, and after eating we drove up to the Roanoke star and looked down onto the Roanoke Valley, which was all lit up and beautiful. Today we all visited what I believe is historic Grandin Street, and my family visited the house in which my grandfather grew up. It's adorable and on sale--not to mention really cheap. My mom and sisters just left to go back to Chapel Hill, and it's weird that I won't see them for two months! I'll miss them (but don't tell them that). The picture above is my family at the Roanoke star, with the valley in the background, and the picture below is the house in which my grandad grew up.

Although I'm least looking forward to spending extended periods of time in what I expect to be uncomfortable conditions (a very full car), I'm eager to start our trek to Chicago tomorrow. Everyone from whom I've heard (like my grammar? :D) says that the Windy City is amazing. Twelve hours of driving and we'll have reached our first destination! Jizzaaaaa!

I have nothing else to say, really. I'm crossing my fingers that the hotels at which we'll stop will, for the most part, have wireless internet, because I'm hoping to update this often. Thanks for reading! I miss a number of you very much already. Paz.