Crazy Spring Break Adventure...

I planned nothing more than twenty-four hours in advance on this entire journey…

Last Thursday, I departed in a whirlwind of emotion and confusion. I whined regularly on the phone to my family and friends, but otherwise crossed the entire state of South Dakota in silence. You have to be pretty messed up to manage that…

I arrived on my sister’s doorstep almost exactly eleven hours later, which, as she oh-so-helpfully informed mother, probably meant I was driving too fast.

Duluth Overlook

Duluth is beautiful. The city was somewhat slushy during my visit, but still very enjoyable. Probably more so, without the bitter cold. I spent a lot of time with my sister and her boyfriend. We went out to local restaurants (even dressed up, once), attended a UMD hockey game, walked along the lakeshore, gambled at the casino, and watched movies. Oh, and snuggled with my sister’s new furry child, of course. This year, my sister’s Valentine’s Day present was a kitten, an extremely cuddly one. That may have contributed to my motivation to visit…

The Furry Child

Dinner Out

Blue Ice On Lake Superior

I caused some homework disruption, not exactly at the best time, either. My sister and her boyfriend were leaving early for spring break mid-week (skipping a few days of classes) to run off to Mexico. After four days, it was time for me to be moving onward.

I have all but made up my mind to attend graduate school. One school I have been considering is Michigan Tech. Relative to my normal location, it was downright nearby. They were on spring break, but I asked someone that interned with me to show me around. Then we went to the bar, and I proceeded to get drunk in the middle of the afternoon. It is spring break, after all…

Michigan Tech seems like a good school, but…it was very isolated. It’s not like I attend school in a metropolis, but this tiny town in the middle of nowhere…pushing it.

I decided to visit one more school…the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Not even relatively close, but there was plenty of time. I left at midnight…in a blizzard. Crazy, I know. This trip hasn’t exactly had sanity as a main theme, though.

Blizzard In Houghton

The next day, after driving nearly the entire length of Wisconsin, I arrived at the University in the evening. A friend of a friend, seeking his PhD at the school, agreed to take a couple of hours and show me around. I asked questions, looked around, and fell in love…with the school! The school originally appeared on my radar due to its location. That is ironic, because it is a highly ranked school. However, I find myself now wanting this school based on its merits, not its proximity to a certain someone.

Chicago Skyline

The following day, I made the return journey. I normally take two days for this trip, but this time I just drove straight through. I stopped for dinner with the former boytoy. Fun, as always. Things between us are relaxed enough these days, sometimes it hardly feels like we were ever dating. At least it gives me somewhere fun to stop on my long trips.

Night Bridge

Seven days after it begun, the crazy adventure had ended.