First Post!

As I've written before in other places, first blog posts are inevitably a little odd. You're jumping into a story that's in progress, not necessarily knowing the back story that lead to this moment. But here we go!

The 30 second bio - my name is Jess, I'm 25, I grew up in a suburb outside of Denver, graduated from college in western Massachusetts in 2010, and gave in to my craziest dream and joined the Peace Corps as a Health Volunteer in the West African sub-Saharan country of Burkina Faso (check out my as-of-yet-unfinished blog over at jessgoestoburkinafaso.blogspot.com). It was the most challenging two years of my life, kind of like a growth-inspiring pressure cooker that has changed me in so many ways that I'm still figuring out. In December 2012 I moved back to Tucson where my parents generously allowed me to be one of the many college grads who moves back in after leaving the nest; for the past 8 months I've been taking classes at community college, making amazing friends in a new town, and falling in love with a new desert (with the benefit of air conditioning and a car this time). But now I'm (almost) finished with classes and getting ready to submit my first graduate school application (to UC- San Francisco to their alternate entry Women's Health/Midwife Nurse Practitioner program).

In Peace Corps the end of your service is referred to as "COS" - close of service, and it's often a time when Volunteers take some time to travel the world on their way home to "America-land". My COS trip was fairly short due to starting pre-req classes for grad school applications, so instead of flying to Indonesia or biking across Europe, I'm taking a road trip: The Great American Road Trip! I'm sad to be leaving my new family in Tucson, but I'm super excited to reconnect with friends and family across the country.

Currently I'm still a bit in the "oh my god I'm studying for finals and the GRE and I actually need to plan this trip, don't I?" stage, but the general itinerary of my trip is:
September - leaving Tucson September 2, going to Sante Fe (2-4), Denver (4-25), Ft. Collins (25-29), Salt Lake City (29-1)

October - Seattle (1-6), Portland (6-10), San Francisco (10-15), Las Vegas (15-16), Tucson (16-17), Albuquerque (NM) (17-18) Limon (CO) (18-19), Marysville (KS) (19-20), Springfield (MO) (20-22), St. Louis (MO) (22-25), Evanston (IL) (25-28), Battle Creek and Detroit (MI) (28-30) Columbus (OH) (30-1)

November - Syracuse (NY) (1-4), Albany (NY) (4-10), South Hadley (MA) (10-14), Boston (14-19), Manchester (CT) (19-20), NYC/NJ (20-25), Morristown (NJ) (25-26), Washington DC (26-30), Fairfax (VA) (30-2)

December - Virginia Beach (2-5), Asheville (NC) (5-9), Auburn (AL) (9-12), Orlando (12-17), Pompano Beach (FL) (17-19), Palm Harbor (FL) (19-23), New Orleans (23-29)

January - Austin (TX), home to Tucson

Whew! Now should you be somewhere on that general loop, you should tell me and I'll come visit you! Or if you aren't, I make side trips :) Things at the moment are fairly flexible in terms of dates and route (in September and after Christmas in particular), the only definite dates are underlined. I'd love to find someone to stay a night with between Salt Lake and Seattle (anyone in Idaho and/or eastern Washington?), between Tampa and New Orleans (around Tallahassee/Panama City, FL or Mobile, AL?), and a few more stops across Texas would be well appreciated. :D

In the meantime, I really ought to be studying for a Spanish quiz, but keep an eye out for more updates as I get closer to setting out into the great unknown, accompanied by Oliver, my trusty silver Ford Focus hatchback!