Where the heck have you been?!?!

Where have I been you ask?
Oh, just a little something I like to call...

ROAD TRIP!!!

Crystal and I hopped on the road, Tuesday night for fun and adventure in that crazy mitten-of-a-state, Michigan!

It all started when I spent the day at the DMV getting a new drivers license. Crystal kept me company while I waited patiently for my number to be called. Even making light hearted jokes and giving a hopeful smile, those DMV workers do not crack! It must be a hiring requirement on the application, "Are you a US Citizen?, Have you worked under any other name?, Do you wake up every day wishing you were dead?" At least I felt accomplished walking away with a new ID! Yay!

Anyway, after much frustration there, we headed to the Art Institute museum for some calming time in the Monet exhibit and a little French Impressionism. Only problem, they MOVED EVERYTHING! All of our favorites were gone! Even this one.

We walked away feeling disheartened and confused. Why Chicago? What did we do that you feel you have to punish us?

Crystal turns to me over our much needed prescription of 2 Grey Goose martinis and says, "I know, let's get outa Chicago. We should go to Michigan. My best friend, Brendan is in Lansing for a couple of days."

And so we did it. Spontaneous Road Trip!

I got off work at 10 pm, kissed Josh goodbye and hit the road by 11pm. Only 5 hours to Lansing, the capital city!

So we are flying! Making great time, dancing and singing to Madonna on the radio, laughing in disbelief that we are this spontaneous and all of a sudden... lights flashing!

I pull over and explain to the Michigan police officer that I didn't realize I was going so fast. He looks at us suspiciously. Two crazy girls driving way too fast to Michigan? Needless to say, my charming smile did not get me out of a speeding ticket. However, I did not anticipate this little gem. In the state of Michigan, the cops take away your license until you pay the fine! Yes, you heard me correctly, the state of Illinois just issued me a license not 12 hours before the state of Michigan took it away. Let me tell you, I was in quite the "state" after that!

Whatever, no highway patrol is going to ruin our fun...

We arrive in Lansing and for the rest of the trip is was nothing but pure unadulterated fun! But more than fun, it was a learning experience for me.

5 things I learned about Michigan:


1. Fish need ladders to swim upriver, just don't walk underneath, it's the worst kind of bad luck, the wet kind.

2. "The early bird really does get the worm." Not figuratively, I actually saw a robin catching a worm from the grass at 5 am. They are not kidding around in Michigan.

3. Buses are clean and friendly. Something very new to me...

4. The Michigan circle tour sounds like a nice scenic drive, but all Michiganites know better.

5. Cravings for coffee are not common in Michigan. They have a slower, simpler way of life and don't need caffeine pumping through their bloodstreams at all times. Not like us "city girls."

6. Taverns on the main street advertise that they are "Fun for the Whole Family!" I guess if you name a beer hall after mythical creatures, you gotta have your own angle, right?

7. Lansing has the most gay bars per capita than any other city in Michigan. Thank you for that little tidbit, Dennis.

8. Don't tell me these peeps don't know how to have a good time!

9. Damn it! They take your freaking ID away and make you go through the hassle of paying it back in the form of a money order! So inconvenient.

10. On the way back, watch out for deer on the road. They are not joking when they say "I'll look on the right side, you look on the left." I laughed at that comment... until I almost hit one in the middle of the highway!

All in all, the trip was amazing and I want to thank Brendan and Dennis for really showing us the town. We loved every minute!