Casino Troubles

This weekend my buddies and I went to Foxwoods in Connecticut.  I'm not a big gambler, but my two friends are avid poker players.  I was playing blackjack while they hit the poker tables.  I doubled up, and took home some money, while they lost big at the casino.  Despite their troubles at the casino, the drive to and from the casino was a lot of fun.  We spent the 45 minutes listening to Curtis Mayfield, and observing our surroundings.  There is not a whole lot, when you drive out to Foxwoods, but we were driving alongside another car for two or three miles, and until the third mile this person did not realize we were watching their actions.  They were clearly on the phone, and he was very frustrated.  As the roads changed from three lanes to two, then two to one, this man was missing the road signs and would have to quickly merge.  The tree's blew by us, until there was a clearing and we saw the lights of the casino.  It was almost as if we could hear the bells ringing and the opportunities that awaited us within the large structure.  The trip home was a bit depressing for the others, but we stopped at a pizza joint and I bought us all some slices, so the trip took on a brighter feeling with some cheesy goodness in Connecticut.

Sunday Funday

Sunday Funday was another uneventful day, filled with laziness and boredom. My day consisted of playing Madden football, and cleaning the house.  One thing that is worth telling you about is the walk I went on.  My friend had her yellow lab, Sally, here for the weekend.  We took the dog out for a walk to the beach and a fishing path down past Roger Wheeler Beach.  It was a beautiful February day?  How are we having such nice weather right now?  I could have played more golf now than I could have in February.  That is besides the point though.  On our walk, I was completely focused in on Sally.  That dog was so happy to be outside and going for a walk.  She found every little thing so amazing, a leaf blowing in the wind, a passing car, the breaking of the waves, and the random seagulls scattering the beach and parking lot.  Since its offseason at the beaches, there is no maintenance, and we found some pretty cool, rustic looking crab cages.  On our walk home it started to get a little cooler, and we made the trip home a little more pep in our step.

Sunday Drive

Today I took a drive along Ocean Drive just to get out of the house.  Although it was a bitter day, driving around the coast with the heat blasting and the tunes bumping was so peaceful.  I was able to block out the stress of taking seven courses this semester, and focus on the road, the landscape, and the music.  Driving across the Newport Bridge, there was a caution sign for fallen debris, I didn't think much of it, and then all of a sudden there were two lawn chairs sitting in the middle of my lane.  Luckily I was the only traveler on the bridge so I was able to avoid it.  That was the only setback in my drive today.  The rest of my trip was filled with great views of amazing houses, the mansions in Newport, and the water crashing and breaking on the beaches of Newport.  This was one of the best drives I have ever taken because now I'm back home studying for my history quiz tomorrow.  Hopefully I didn't spend too much driving around, because I need to do well on my quiz.  Wish me luck!  Hope everyone else is doing well, have a good week at school and enjoy your Presidents Day this coming Monday!!!!

All Roads Lead to Home

       I was chasing solitude and happiness, so my friend and I took the wheel and trekked the eleven hours up to Moosehead Lake in Maine.  The trip was a spur of the moment idea, which took place in the few remaining weeks of our summer.  The scenery on our way up became more aesthetically pleasing as we passed Boston, and the land around us became more spacious and aromatic.  Navigating our way through Maine, using road maps and intuition, we found ourselves traveling on some dirt roads, and through towns made up of tiny populations.  I could tell already that the trip to Maine would provide the solitude my friend and I were seeking.  The picture on my blog is of Mt. Kineo on Moosehead Lake.  Upon our arrival to the lake, we took the hike up Mt. Kineo and other mountains for the next few days.  Our days were long and tiresome, but neither of us had a thought of home, or the coming semester which would bring stress, late nights, and last minute study sessions.  Ten days and six mountains later, it was time to make our trip back to Princeton, New Jersey.
       The second we saw that big green "New Jersey Welcomes You" sign, we felt our journey come to an end.  It was not depressing, but it felt as though we had paused life to escape to the mountains of Maine.  As we got closer to home, and saw the familiar businesses, landmarks, and people, we once again felt connected to the community we were a part of in Princeton.  While our trip to Maine dramatizes the joy of returning home, I feel this same sense of belonging and comfort every time I turn onto my street, Chicory Lane.  Every time I walk through the door and smell that constant aroma of my house, and the meals my parents have cooked, I feel that blanket of comfort come over me.  Home is a sanctuary that always provides one with a sense of belonging and love.  To me, the word home is not representative of the actual house, but the love and sentiment received by his or her family.