Sleep Inn Urbandale

... to heavy snow. Really, seriously, reality doesn't need to bite this bad. My new employer called twice to confirm plans for orientation, check on the moving status and see what they could do on their side to help with the moving arrangements. All that being said, that was really nice. Today we stopped in Abilene, KS at the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum and looked around. A bit of a history lesson as I ...

... stayed for only one quarter which was probably good as Simpson College got belted in that quarter but were still up (they wound up winning 30-28). Back to the motel to get changed.

After beautifying ourselves we headed back to the chapel for the wedding proper. The groomsmen (and woman - Stephanie was Nate's 'Best Woman' as she is Nate's best friend as well as sister) looked great and then the bridal procession came down. The grandparents from both sides entered, the Nate ...

... in the US of A. Mark and I stayed up and watched the whole game which was quite an experience and a great game. Mark had bought two cans of Fosters (750mL for $US 2 each) and cracked one at quarter time. I was tired and refused to drink mine so he drank alone. It took him three quarters to drink (and stomach) it and he wasn't so happy about it afterwards. Geelong came up with the win at the very end so we watched the celebrations and retired for the night. A big day tomorrow so sleep is good.

... and then out to dinner to a microbrewery in downtown. I had pizza which tasted good at the time but wasn't so agreeable later on. The beer was nice and I got to meet Alicia's Mum and Dad for the first time (I saw Alicia's Mum briefly earlier) as well as Nate's sister Stephanie and a couple of Alicia's friends who popped by a little later. After dinner it was off across the road for some drinks at what looked to be a pretty cool sports bar. More of Alicia's friends came by ...

... little tougher than I imagined, but not horrible. We then showered and hit the road towards Des Moines. We arrived and parked downtown. After walking around for about 15 minutes, we felt like we had seen all we wanted to see, haha. It was a little bigger than Knoxvilles downtown, but it seemed like noone was smiling and there wasn't anything around except buisnesses. Maybe we were in the wrong part, but oh well. We left after grabbing a bite to eat for lunch and started towards Nebraska...

... attached is a museum and the opportunity to take a tour through the place John Wayne wore diapers. The garden was full of Red, Blue and White flowers, it was very patriotic.

Just a quick stop off before we head to Grandmas house for a few days! So far enjoying the corn state. We hope you are all well. Love and Peace to you all, the corn(y), Bek and Jesse Train

I thought I should provide a little background info about my journey. A lot of people have asked me why I wanted to travel in Southeast Asia. Here's a list of reasons:

-SE Asia is cheap
-European tours are so cliche
-I love Asian food
-Ancient temples
-World-class SCUBA diving
-Volcanoes
-Cultural ...

... Energy basketball team; and Iowa Barnstormers arena football team. The building’s construction is notable for its open design, which incorporates views of the Des Moines skyline.

The concert program showed the breadth of the Choir’s musical range, which includes hymns of faith, classical choruses, folk music of the world, favorite inspirational show tunes and patriotic favorites. Excitement built throughout the evening, meaning the audience became more vocal in ...

... rings were OK but I concentrated on trying to finish my sandwich first while keeping an wary eye on the weather outside. Check one off my food list!

I was then finally on my way to Buffalo Center where my parents and I were staying at Lola's Cottage - a nice little rental house in town. It's a very odd feeling returning to my homeland but not being able to walk into my old room at our house on the farm. While Dad still owns the farmland ...

What's not to like about a trip to scenic Maine and colorful Nova Scotia. Of course, other than the 6:00 AM flight out of Des Moines to Portland Maine! Not to fear, it was painless and after securing our rental car, provided an entire day to reach our first destination of Bar Harbor Maine. With only 10 days to see and savor each location on our agenda, we hit the road!