SPRING BREAK!!

As most people know (due to the thousands of pictures I have inserted with many, many girls), I live with seven roommates. Before coming to DC, I dreaded this. I mean, it's hard to share a fridge with 4 roommates, let alone 8. Well...this experience has been incredible. No drama, no arguments, all love. We love each other so much, we decided to spend the first spring break of our college careers together (PS--BYU...spring break is a novel idea...you should consider it). Seven girls (Marisha went home and decided to get engaged instead of road tripping--which is understandabe) and a rented mini-van, ventured to the SOUTH. It was eight days of craziness. Let the summary begin. (Warning: blogger picture is driving me crazy and it's not letting me upload!!!)

This is how our trip began, at a rest stop. We visited many, many rest stops. Oh the joys of seven bladders in one van.
THEN we stopped at Wendy's favorite resort...South of the Border. It was created in the 70s or so and is this ghetto souvineer shop area. Boy, did it create great picture taking opportunities.
South of the Border, ladies and gentleman. Thank you North and South Carolina borders...
At last! We made it to Savannah. We were so excited to eat at The Pirate House. We walked around River Street waiting for our reservation time. Savannah is the most darling town. It is a cute little town with southern charm. I WILL be naming my daughter after this place. It is the best ever.

The Pirate House

We spent the night with my best friend from high school, Megan. She took us to brunch at a restraunt called Drift Away Cafe to show off where she works. We loved that place. It was so great to see Megan. Every day for about two years, I rode the bus home with Megan to save my parents a trip from driving to Leesburg to take me to softball practice. We spent our afternoons feeding horses, making blue rasberry kool aid, and 4-wheeling. Mostly, I remember the generosity of Megan and her parents and our long walks down the dirt driveway. Those were the days--of softball and soccer, bathing by the pool, and riding horses (well i was really scared of them...so i just ran from them). We created a deep friendship and I am glad that after so long we picked up right were we left off!

My friend Scott Belanger and his friend came to Savannah to see us. He goes to Georgia Southern. It was so great of him to drive to see us. I miss him :) We had great conversations, such as, "what do you people do for fun at BYU?" amongst more. I love him :) We didn't take pictures...

You might think this is a bit odd...and we did too. We went on a haunted ghost tour of Savannah while waiting for Megan to get off work and for Skot to drive to Savannah. We piled in the back of this hearse and were freaked out by our driver. We met these cool people on spring break from Chicago. Unfortunately, we did not hear any ghost stories--AT ALL. Our driver was quite entertaining...and so odd. SO ODD. Poor Carolyn and Wendy sat in the front seat with him. Haha--SO WEIRD!!!!

After church, we went to a cute little marina. Like my students, my roommates also call me Miss Anderson, though I prefer Miss. Amber. If only we knew we might see the beautiful see cow, the manatee, later in our adventures...

This might or might not be the bench that Forrest Gump sat on in his movie. It probably is not...but this is a bench, and the bench scene took place in Savannah. So you know, 1 in 100 chance?

Megan took us to Isle of Hope a cute little marina with houses that overlook the Savannah River. It was just like old times. We wanted to kidnap her and take her with us for the rest of the trip.

Sunday night, we drove to Talahasse and spent the night with Wendy's parents. We LOVE them. They were so great to us. Wendy's dad took us kyaking. Kristen and I had a very enjoyable time. This is the only picture you will see of us as the group ditched us...that is right...DITCHED us in this aligator infested water. How sad. No love. Kristen and I chased manatees, talked about our favorite books and movies, and had four hours of quality bonding time. Oh...did I mention we got FRIED. More to come.
This is what we missed out on in the Waculla River. They swam with the alligators. We sun bathed. Hmmm...if I had to do it again I wonder what I would do ;)

Colleen and Susie, rocking the boat (Not side to side...but like in that song...the cool kind of rocking the boat). They are team teachers and quite the pair :)
We saw wildlife :) I now know why Steve Irwin loved his job. It was so adventurous! And I learned in first person the old adage of how your if you aren't pushing your testimony forward it moves backward...or something...because whenever we stopped paddling, we just floated back into the shady slosh. (which if we stayed in we might not be toasted, but that is another story)

MANATEE!!!! We chased it. Kristen mastered the video camera and I guided the boat through the sloshy river. I'll find video clips. Don't you worry. They almost tipped us over!! A poor manatee had propellor cuts down its back. So sad.

I told you we got fried. I'm still peeling, 2 weeks later. Sigh.

Wendy had some INCREDIBLE connections in her ward. We were able to stay at a beach house that goes for $6,000 weekly for free. It was incredible. Somehow, the backs of our legs got fried Tuesday. We are so stupid. PAIN!
These girls didn't know Piggly Wiggly really existed outside of Sweet Home Alabama and Win a Date with Tad Hamilton so we had to document the momentous occasion.

Look at this place!! Thanks Wendy! (Wendy wasn't able to come as she had reconstructive surgery on her nose. It just wasn't the same without her).

This is our muppet roommate, Wendy. We love her. She healed so quickly and looks perfect now!
Susie was a great sport and sat in the trunk when Kristen and I were too burnt to suffer through the back. We are grateful for her:) And she was lucky that she got to hang out with Fran.
Dr. B was in LCHS's musical Footloose. It was so great. Dr. B was my Physical Science teacher and also my Student Government advisor. We had a class just the two of us when I was a senior to get all my Student Government stuff done. It was great to be back and to see her! It was odd to see Sheldon's old Georgia friends performing on stage, as well as some of my soccer girls. It was a really great production. Lee County always does so well with their performances. I miss those days of Drama...and High School!

Here I will insert a picture I took with Ms. Hopkins. I am at school right now where facebook is blocked so I can't copy it off of her profile. Ms. Hopkins let me and my 4 roommates stay with her at her home. Her and her husband took such great care of us! Oh my gosh. We loved their house. It was beautiful. Ms. Hopkins was my AP US History, government, economics, and Introduction to Teaching teacher. We also worked together in Future Educators of America (even though she told me not to run for president, I defied her...whoops). She was so generous...and she gave me a shirt...which will soon be highlighted in this post :)
Old high school friends. Dylan, me, Carolyn, Trae, Joe, and Mike. Dylan happened to be in town for the weekend. He only comes home a few times a year, so it's crazy that we actually overlapped! Carolyn and Trae are engaged and I'll be Carolyn's bridesmaid on November 7th :) I can't wait to go back and visit and spend their special day with them (Amanda will also be a bridesmaid so it'll be a great reunion!). Joe came down from Georgia Southern. We had lots of good times in high school. He always harrassed me in Drama and always through me inside my locker, which, fortunately, was located directly under his. Mike got me through school with our many AIM chats. He has always been a great friend. So great that he still has my books which I remembered this weekend (The Hours and The Miracle of Forgiveness--both which I would like to someday finish, hint, hint.).

The next morning, we woke up early and went to Pearly's. You know we have to show off good southern cooking to my roommates. They were so patient with me as I relived my high school days and caught up with my Lee County friends. I was SOOO happy being back at LCHS. I love these people. We shared great times. I keep telling myself that all these people are not always home and waiting for me. I can't wait to go back to see the wedding and everyone again!

Gotta love, the grits. Quote of the day,

Me: "Why haven't grits spread North"
Trae: "Probably because they aren't any good and we're the only ones dumb enough to eat them"
hahahah :)

Home Sweet Home

Our Spring Break Mascot, Fran
The Coca-Cola Museum. Note to self. Don't drink a lot of Coke after not drinking carbonation very often.

This place is right up there with Disney--3D movie and all.

We tried 65 different kinds of Coke from all over the world! Turns out, we have the best in America. I have such pride for Coke now. It's just a great American company.This is for my dad. His parting wish for me when I left for DC was not to turn into a liberal. Well, don't worry dad. My eyes are opened :)

The waiter felt bad for dropping water on Wendy. It was HILARIOUS. Happy Birthday, Wendy!!!!!!! For her birthday, she got water spilled on her, a nose job, a free shirt, a free meal, and a free dessert. We LOVE you :)
Jeremiah and his friend met us for dinner in Atlanta. It was so fun to see him. He is going to school in Marietta. We had a great reunion. A little story that they don't even know about. Colleen was trying to talk to Jake, Jeremiah's friend. Someone told her to jokingly put her arm around him. Well, she did, except she hit the old woman behind her instead. It was awkward. I missed it, but apparently they were all dying laughing.
Atlanta skyline. Nightline? We had a place to stay, but it fell through, so we spent the night with Wendy's boyfriends roommates parents. Yes. That is right. It is so great to be a member of a church where everyone is so trusting. Nick's parents (amazingly enough I knew their son from EFY and college) were at the temple so they alowed 5 strangers to entered their home. They left us cookies, milk, and ice cream. We got all ready for bed and then talked to them when they got home. When we woke up, the Mildenhall's cooked us waffles. It was the perfect ending to a perfect trip. They were so kind to us! Gosh, it was so great. All these streets were named after the birthday girl herself, Wendy Holland. This is my new shirt from Ms. Hopkins :)

We then drove the 10 hours in the minivan back to DC. Wendy, Susie, Meggie, Colleen, Fran (our mascott the flamingo), and I made great time and even made time to go around the van and tell everyone what we loved about one another. haha. I love you, girls!