Day 13

We awoke ourselves early yesterday, with actual alarms and other more adult devices such as laundry machines and dishwashers. It was time to re-enter the real world after 12 blissful days of travel. We finished up the laundry and cleaned up after ourselves, going through the house 7-8 times to make sure we hadn't left anything behind (I did, at least). Then we signed the guestbook, shut the trunk, and were off to the ferry.

We amused ourselves heartily by watching our video log of the trip and going the pictures before boarding the ferry. A few of us got overpriced breakfasts (Soup for Boca and I, wraps for Mess and Rizzo) with varying levels of deliciousness (soups being the clear winner) and started working/reading/napping/watching Community. Despite the raucous game of dominoes going on in the corner, or maybe because of it, it was a good ride.

Fink felt the pull of the road, and despite driving the previous trip he graciously agreed to take the wheel one final time. The GPS once again surprised us, and our estimated trip of 7 hours popped up as 5 hours. Score. The three in the back of the car played more Community (which is BACK, by the way!), while the rest of the car listened along. While we were packed in pretty tightly with the additional passenger, it was simply one more chance to get close to one another. At least that's what it looked like, I got shotgun! After Community, the three in the back fell asleep for the last few hours.

Around 8 o'clock the five of us were once again climbing the hill back home.

I'm not exactly sure if this will be the last post from the gang or not, and I am not exactly sure how to end this if it is. I don't have much profound to say, or any overarching theme or lesson that would make the suitable, fitting conclusion that the trip, and the blog, deserve. Thanks for reading though! We've been pretty amazed at the number of views we've gotten in such short time, and its made writing this little blog even more rewarding. I'm happy we took the time to write this, and I am even happier to have people to share it with.

And I would be remiss if I neglected to thank the people that made it all possible, just one more time. Beth and Stu, your generosity was awe-inspiring, and you made us feel at home even when you weren't around. Scott and Sara, how you continue to put up with us I'll never know, but I'll always be thankful for your hospitality, Cataan skills, and of course the homemade Limoncello. Mitch and Danielle -- Come to Hamilton! Duke though, is pretty awesome (and that means something coming from the son of two Tar Heels), and that's thanks to ya'll. Lowy and the Frisbee team, my only wish was that we could have all stayed around longer, but many thanks for taking us in. Jesse, muchos gracias! You are definitely a busy man, but you still took the time not only house us but dominate us in a game or 2 of taps. Hopefully I'll see you again when you come to visit, right?! Tommy and Brenda, while you may have paid back Fink's grandfather, the rest of us still owe you a ton  for taking us in so openly and on such short notice. Chris and Joanne, I really wish you could have joined us at Lola, the meal was phenomenal, and thank you very, very much.

Extra special shout-outs go to Danny and his father for their bequeathment of the Philly's Guest Card -- we would have literally starved without you. Debbie, for being the most cheerful and helpful guard in Florida. Jay Q, for being the man. And that maitre d' for being so bro-chilly at Lolas.

But most importantly, I'd like to thank the four people that I took this trip with. Forgive the mushiness, but I could have been on the road with you guys for another 2 years, at least. We ran, rode, and wrangled our way through 11 states in 13 days, traveled 3,400 miles, and spent over 2 and half days in the car together. And I loved it. Forgive the cliche, but I will remember this trip for the rest of my life. Cheers, and thanks.

Until  next time (and there will almost certainly be a next time), much, much love,
Nick

Day 12

We woke up mid morning on Friday to 65 degrees and sunny weather with a slight breeze. The porch was the hangout of choice so people could do their work while enjoying the outdoors. I opened up On The Road by Jack Kerouac while Mess worked on solving some knots, Rizzo sunbathed, Nick procrastinated writing his story, and Boca read as well.

After noticing my arm being quite sunburn I decided it was time I got out of the sun. Because it was declared that we would get our hair cut somewhere along the trip and we only had a day to go before heading back to Hamilton, I decided I should just try my hand at it. Taking the pair of KitchenAid scissors (because I couldn't find any others) I headed into the bathroom for a mirror. I figured worse case scenario I really screw it up and have to get a buzz cut. Best case scenario: It's a great haircut and I never have to go to a barber again. It turned out to be alright after Boca helped touch up the patches I missed on the back of my head. Exhausted from such intensive concentration, I went to take a nap while the others did work and showered before dinner.

I awoke to the exciting news that we would be going out to dinner for a second night in a row, courtesy of the Messerlys (Thank you Chris and Joanne!). We brought up a list of restaurants and their respective menus so the gang could make a group decision on where we'd end up eating. After everyone read through the options we decided to go for the hip restaurant where the young cool kids hang out. We knew it was the right decision after Jack's interaction with whoever answered the phone. Apparently the maitre d' was the "chillest guy ever." Our 9:30 reservation was no problem for them which allowed us to continue the late mealtime routine we'd been getting in the habit of. Excited for a mix of sushi and "bistro," we drove over to Lola 41. The place had a cool, clubby vibe, enhanced by the bongo club music that was playing (check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHuk19jp5eo). We ordered some specialty sushi rolls as appetizers and then indulged ourselves in some quality main courses. Mess ordered a four cheese mac and cheese with bacon, breadcrumbs, and spinach, Nick got a duck hotpot, Boca, a pork tenderloin, Rizzo chose the gnocchi bolognese, and I sprung for the grilled atlantic salmon. All were delicious, and we all agreed that the tenderloin Boca ordered was probably the best any of us has ever had.

Stuffed and satisfied we got back to the house and decided to play a game of Scrabble. Even though we decided half way through that none of us were entirely invested in the game we continued. Boca and Mess used the knowledge they gained from playing Words with Friends over the past couple days to pull away with a win.

No longer stuffed and satisfied we made our way to the kitchen to cook up the pizzas we were originally going to have for first dinner. Boca did some pushups while we looked around for whatever toppings we had left. One pizza came out great while the other, not so much.

Once again full and sure that we would no longer be eating for the night, we went to the bathroom to get our tooth brushing picture (I'm still unsure why we took this picture.) Tired, we all crashed on my parents bed for a few minutes while the noise machine projected ocean sounds that we could have actually heard only a mile away. One by one, like in Ocean's Eleven, we got off the bed and went to sleep. After two great weeks our trip was finally coming to an end. But what a swell two weeks it was.

Until next time,
Fink

Day 11

Another relaxing day in Nantucket...

We all awoke leisurely around noon and found our way to the kitchen, with the exception of a particularly cheerful Nick who was heading out for a run as the rest of us were rolling out of bed. A thick layer of fog coated the otherwise sunny and pleasant day outside.

 I made eggs for the team (eggs + spinach + a hearty dose of mozzarella cheese) to prepare us for the much anticipated beach workout Boca would be leading. We sat around the table for about an hour until Boca said he was ten minutes away from being ready to drive over to the beach. Mess and I, clearly the most motivated of the bunch, put on our athletic attire and ran to the beach where Boca, Nick, and Fink joined us 10 minutes and 45 seconds later. 

Upon realizing the atrocity of a beach without a rugby ball we all piled back into the car and quickly went back to the house to pick it up. Ball in hand we were finally ready to go--- and the workout began...

An hour of sprints, frog jumps, lunges, jukes, RDL's, and glute hams later Mess decided to end the workout with a drill of his own: put a friend on your back and run from the shoreline to the top of the beach. This requires traversing a relatively daunting (in my opinion) sandy hill. Now keep in mind, running on sand is no easy feat-- I put Boca on my back and promptly face-planted into the sand, resulting in a knee to the calf, and an entirely sand-covered body. After everyone else (successfully) finished the drill, we headed to the uprights Fink and I had seen in town at the local high school. 

We kicked and passed the ball around for a bit and then decided to play Taps (all you loyal readers know this has been one of our favorite games of the trip.) However, the difference between playing on land and in water turns out to be quite the game changer. It took sub 5 minutes for it to become clear to everyone that I was not born with the gift of coordination and that I would not be taking home a "W" in Taps that day. 

Next, Fink said he wanted to show us a brewery on the island, Cisco Brewery. Fink told us as we drove that during the summer the brewery attracts island inhabitants from all ends of the spectrum, from wealthy yachters to rowdy sun burnt locals. The brewery had a great vibe. There was an outdoor tent with live music and a homey feeling bar. We sat and looked around for a bit, enjoying the atmosphere. 

Again, we piled into the car and went to check out the beach better known for having good surfing waves. After enjoying the view we headed back to the house to clean up for dinner. After showers (hooray for basic hygiene!) we drove into town to a restaurant called The Rose and Crown. It was a cheerful tavern with live music and great food. The jazz band was fantastic -- especially the one older man who rocked not only the harmonica but also the saxophone and the vocals. Between conversation and listening to the music we enjoyed clam chowder, mussels, sirloin, fish sandwiches, chili nachos, and tortellini. The food was delicious. (A huge thank you to Finks parents who treated us to the lovely meal.) Thoroughly satisfied and pleased with our restaurant decision we made our way back to the house to -- what else -- play Settlers (Fink won). Between games we watched the newest episode of Community- it was great as always. After this, we lost Nick and Fink to the temptation of sleep and Boca, Mess, and I rallied for another game of Settlers (Mess won).

Now, all equally tired, we headed to bed. The end of another fantastic day in Nantucket. No complaints, I could easily stay here forever. 

<3 Rizzo

Other Notables:

"My g-string hurts" - Jack Messerly

"I just really love crashing these guys into each other" - Nick Geisler

Day 10!

Ahhh, the first full day in Nantucket. No alarms to wake us up, no packing up the car, no driving! It was wonderful. Considering how we stayed up until ~5:30 am the previous night, we all slept peacefully until about 1:00 pm. Just to let you know, waking up that late really throws off your eating schedule. You'll notice soon enough. We ate a breakfast of Special K with Red Berries, Raisin Bran Crunch, yogurt with granola, orange juice, and coffee while we enjoyed the beautiful weather on Fink's porch. No surprises, it was another absolutely perfect day. It was our first opportunity to check out the landscape around the place, and we discovered we could see the ocean (about a mile walk) from the porch. Fink also has an awesome telescope set up looking at a hawk's nest a few hundred yards away.

Although the eight mile run we had all agreed upon the night before (at 3:00 am) sounded somewhat less appealing, Rizzo still laced 'em up and went for a run along the beach, while the rest of us lazily hung out on the deck. She made it back just in time to join the four of us on a walk through the forest/swamp/river.

Following a trail through Fink's back yard, we didn't really know what to expect. We entered the really cool looking forest, and soon found some trees that were just asking to be climbed. We answered the call, and soon Fink and Boca occupied one tree and Nick and I the other. Thankfully, Rizzo was there to document this event, as well as make sure we all got safely down. The forest halted abruptly, so Nick and Fink peeled off their shoes and entered into the swamp, sinking deep into the mud, releasing the smell that we later referred to as coming from the gates of hell. We followed closely behind - everyone in their bare feet - through the stinky muck. Fortunately, I had decided to wear my Chacos, which allowed me to maneuver through the swamp relatively unscathed. By the time we got out of the swamp, they all smelt reeeeaally bad and were covered in (probably) disease-filled mud. Man, talk about lack of hygiene!

We then continued to hop into the river with the intentions of walking to the ocean. Well, it was further and slower moving than we had thought, so we turned around. Considering we'd brought along two cameras, three cell phones, and two book and moleskin filled backpacks, we were very careful not to fall. Nick, however, came darn close (see picture in attached link). When we were getting out of the river (not an easy task), I video taped all four of them exiting onto the bank, but, to my dismay, they were all successful.

We got back to Fink's and they attempted to wash the filth covering their bodies while I relaxed on the porch, clean as a whistle and smelling great, like always. It was around 4:00 pm by now, and we were hungry, so we decided to make some burgers for... lunch, I guess. We played Bananagrams while Nick prepared the burgers, and they were fantastic. We also watched the first half of the Wales - France Six Nations game on YouTube. Go Wales.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with more relaxation - mostly naps and reading. Eventually, we got a game of Settlers going, and Boca pulled out a fairly easy, but deserved (as well as lucky - three victory points in five cards, for all our fellow Settlers) victory. We decided to play another game, and you won't believe what happened:

Ladies and gentlemen, after countless (although we roughly estimate somewhere between 50-100) games played, and countless efforts that have come up short, I am proud to report that...

Rizzo won a game of Settlers!

It was a glorious occasion, and all sarcasm aside, congratulations to Rizzo. It was very much deserved. We then started dinner - Rizzo cooked the beef, Nick prepared the shells, lettuce, and tomatoes, and I grilled the chicken. Fink got glasses of water for everyone, and Boca was making sure everyone was in good spirits.

We sat down by about 11:00 pm, and devoured everything on the table. We were all pretty exhausted (although I don't know why, we had been up for about 11 hours at this point), so we decided to watch a  modern avant garde film (thank you, Fink) called Bronsan. It's about a famous English prisoner who loves fighting, to make a long and extremely confusing story short. It was an extremely odd movie. It didn't really have a plot, but had some really cool shots and good acting. The more we discussed it after, the more it grew on us, but I'm not sure if I would recommend it. We were all in bed by about 1:30 or 2:00 am. 'Twas a great day.

<3 Mess

Day 9

GOOD MORNING CONNECTICUT! Today I woke up around 11:30, rearing to go, because today was the day I got picked up by the gang. I was told they would arrive at my friend Andrew’s house in Newtown, Connecticut at 1 to grab me before heading out to Fink’s house on Nantucket.

After staring into space for a couple minutes, I roused myself and walked into the kitchen to find my host and friend Andrew already showered and dressed. At least, I think he was showered. For those of you who don’t know him, Andrew has perpetually immaculate hair so you can never tell... He was definitely dressed.

Together we made a breakfast of cereal, sausage, and eggs while jamming to a little Regina. We decided to go with scrambled, after we botched making poached eggs the day before (we ended up frying them. probably would have helped to have had some idea of how to make them). As we ate, I looked out into the yard and smiled. Another day of balmy blue skies. Unfortunately, If my iphone was to be trusted, my time of 75 degree weather would be up upon leaving Newtown. Eager to squeeze everything I could from my last perfect day, I texted Fink to see if they’d be up for tossing around a little disc... sling some fris... slap some d... and he quickly replied that they would. 

With that news in mind, I began my preparations. It felt good to lose myself in the predictable busy work of folding laundry. Shortly after noting my pleasure, I realized that I always enjoy doing chores, and yet I always postpone them or neglect them entirely. Hmm. Sorry, mom. Love you.

As usual, I finished my work only a little while before I had to. In what felt like no time at all, Andrew’s mom- wonderful woman- said my friends were here and I stepped outside with my monstrous suitcase and backpack. Lo and behold, there was the gang standing in front of the car with giant grins on each of their faces. Could have been an Abercrombie ad if they’d had better clothing. And if they weren’t sunburnt. And if they were taller, had better hair and an aryan look to them. Other than that, definitely could have been an Abercrombie ad. 

Anyway, I gratefully greeted and embraced my models and we headed to the park for some frisbee action. Highlights: Rizzo’s catching, a behind the back throw from Fink, Nick boxing out Rizzo like nobody’s business (don’t know how he managed that), and me bounding like a australian shepherd with ADD. They thought I had too much energy, but let me ask you: if it’s 75 degrees, sunny, and the last day of warm weather for at least a week, who had the wrong amount of energy? 

Yea, that’s what I thought.

Next, Andrew took us to a favorite local deli of his. Mess fell in love with his sandwich and decided to get a second one even though when i had asked earlier what the criteria was for our eatery he only said, “inexpensive.” Subsequent text, “*super inexpensive.” 

Once lunch was done, I thanked Andrew for having me, then we loaded into the car for our 4 hour drive to Nantucket. Only a couple minutes into the ride, one of the great mysteries of the trip was laid bare for me. Parents, I’m sure you’ll appreciate this. Call me maybe is a song. It is the theme of the trip. For those of you who are curious, please follow this link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWNaR-rxAic&ob=av2e Gotta love youtube ads. Shout out to William Marsden, we did your dance move.

Despite the energized start, everyone except for Fink (thank you for driving) and I konked out after 20 minutes. Second revelation of the trip: Rizzo is a very active sleeper. She was visibly sprinting in her sleep. Heavy breathing, arms and legs pumping and everything. Oh, but first we played some Sound of Music (lonely goatherd what whaaat). Yep, I had arrived.

Time flew, and in a short while we were picking up provisions at a grocery store near the ferry. Along with a lot of dairy products- turns out we really like cheese- and some other items, Mess convinced us that a cosmo would be worth a dollar apiece. We were skeptical, but his dramatic readings in the car and aboard the ferry soon proved our doubt unfounded. After we’d burned through cosmo, we moved onto settlers, which mess won. We were all astonished. 

An hour later we arrived in nantucket and drove to Fink’s gorgeous summer house, where we opened up a bottle of wine and Nick treated us to a lovely midnight dinner of pesto pasta and chicken. Talented chef, that one; I see a voluptuous wife in his future. 

Because our dinner was so late and our company so good, we stayed up talking until 5 in the morning. I thought I might be disappointed with my decision the next morning, but I’m not. I couldn’t be more pleased with my initiation into the trip.

-Boca 

Shout out to Lowy. Hope you liked that.

Day 8

Apologies for the short lapse, but here's the exhilarating adventures of Day 8!

We awoke to a pancake breakfast in Charleston courtesy of the wonderfully hospitable Brenda and Tommy. It was by far our earliest morning, but we had 11 hours to Philly, and the day awaited us. After breakfast and obligatory play time with the puppy, we hopped in the car with me in the driver's seat. Izzy and I party rocked the front seats and bumped our way up I-95 with only minimal bursts of road rage. Luckily, we had a whole new set of South of the Border signs to admire (Favorite: Put some junk, in your trunk!).

We cruised up the eastern seaboard with little to no excitement. It was a long day in the car. We continue to look like hobos eating meals off of the top of the car, and our hygiene, across the board, was somewhat lacking.

Rizzo took the wheel after lunch and I promptly snoozed. Awaking hours later in D.C, we engaged in some hearty philosophizing on the nature of free will, ultimately reaching no definitive conclusions. We'll get back to you when we figure everything out.

Finally arriving in Philly, we were greeted once again with open arms and good food. Dinner was excellent, as was the homemade Limoncello, and the evening was everything we could hope for after 11 hours in the car. After the food was cleared, the Bananagrams were unleashed (along with the aforementioned Limoncello), and many of peel was had.

Unfortunately, because of work (who has to work?!), Scott and Sara had to leave us, so we went downstairs to play some youthful games of luck and skill. Not that it matters or anything, but Jay and I totally won. Just sayin'...

Aaaaaannnndddd that's all folks! Tune in for the next installment, when the Wolfpack grows by one.

--Nick

Day 7

And on the 7th day...I rested...while Nick, Mess and Rizzo went for a run.

After they got back and I finally got myself out of bed we cleaned up Jesse's apartment and packed up once again. Because the prospect of driving for as long as we could before finding a wonderfully cheap motel was not the most alluring option, we continued our search for a place to stay. My mom had read that we were still looking for a place to crash and recommended contacting my third cousin(?) Tommy who lives in Charleston, SC. I gave him a call telling him our situation and was happy to hear that he was excited to have us.

With a concrete destination in mind we headed out. The four of us said our goodbyes to our new friend Debbie, who worked the guard house of the apartment complex, and began our trip back north. Everyone passed out within minutes which makes a lot of sense when you think about how tiring watching Community and playing Bananagrams can be. Around the time the three passengers awoke we began to see signs for "The Orange Shop." Pretty persistent with their billboards, the fresh-fruit store left us with no choice but to pull over and check it out (although this tactic didn't work on us for South of the Border). We tried some different free jam samples on Triscuits  and purchased two bottles of fresh squeezed orange juice: one for ourselves and one as thanks to Tommy and his wife Brenda for giving us a place to stay on such short notice.

Once we got back onto the highway we decided that it was necessary we try some southern BBQ before we made our way back north. We found a place called "Shorty's" that had great reviews and was only an hour and a half away. Described as being located between a Wendy's and a BP, Shorty's seemed to be the same barbecue restaurant that we choose fast food over less than a week before. Upon arriving we we saw that the eatery in front of us was called Molson's. We were hungry and so we were unfazed by the name change. We ordered a half rack of ribs, two pulled pork sandwiches, 10 wings, and a 1/2 chicken sandwich (which was actually half a chicken!). We washed the meal down with the orange juice we picked up from The Orange Shop and some warm Arnold Palmer that had been sitting in the car. We cleaned the barbecue sauce off our hands in the Wendy's we had come to know and love since our last visit in Kingsland, GA and then once again got back on the road.

At this point we experienced our first rain of the trip. The sun shower lasted only a few seconds and was immediately erased by one swipe of the windshield wipers. Sadly, the have probably been more bugs that have hit our window than rain drops. We passed some of the time listening to intellectual lectures because, well, we are college students after all. Mess had a file of Richard Feynman describe curved spaces in two dimensions which went straight over my head, although the others may have understood it (or at least said they did). We also listened to some TED talks which were more my speed.

Around 7:30 Rizzo got pretty deliriously giggly although we are unsure of the cause.

Tommy told us about about a "delectable Scottish Cuisine that we probably didn't have in New York" so we took his word for it and treated ourselves to McDonalds. Tommy is a jokester for those of you who don't know. After raiding the Dollar Menu for dinner, we made our way to our place to stay for the night where I met a family member for the first time. The first thing I noticed was how much Tommy looked like my grandpa. After only minutes of conversation I knew they had to be relatives from his recitation of poetry and epics with ease. Tommy and his wife Brenda were awesome hosts, giving us beds and offering us plenty of ice cream. After his third cup of vanilla Blue Bell Tommy said "Who wants more ice cream? I do!" We were lucky enough to partake in his ice cream night Sundays. While in Charleston we played with the new puppy Brenda got an hour prior to our arrival as well as her beautiful birds (a golden macaw and three others, all of whom were able to whistle or talk). After hanging out and discussing our favorite movies, music, and literature with Tommy we decided it was time for bed since we had to get up for our early departure back to Philadelphia. It was a surprisingly eventful day that I am very happy worked out the way it did.

Sincerely,
S.L. Finkelstein, Esq.


Special thanks to Tommy and Brenda for opening up their home to us on such short notice! You guys are truly awesome and we can't tell you how much we appreciate your hospitality. I'm also so glad I got to meet people so close to my grandpa!