Am I crazy for spontaneously moving 2,208 miles across the country to live with a girl I met on Facebook? Maybe. Am I still going to do it? Yes.
Back in January of 2020 I decided that I wasn’t happy living in Pittsburgh. After I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh is 2018, began working part-time as a Rehab Aide while continuing to work as a Server. For a year and a half I was non-stop working two jobs, seven days a week and trying to figure out what career I wanted to pursue. To say the least, I was getting burnt out. I needed a change.
Working as a serving. 
Working as a Rehab Aide.
I went on a few Facebook housing pages and began to search for someone who was looking for a roommate in Las Vegas. This is where I met Jenny. I saw her post and decided to message her because she seemed nice and normal. We began talking and we got along really well! We made plans to meet up before we signed a lease to make sure we got along in person and that neither of us were a catfish. (My mother thought she might be a man).
In late February, Jenny drove 4 hours from Detroit with her dog Kygo. We met up on the South Side of Pittsburgh, walked around, randomly saw a man on a unicycle, and discovered that we both LOVE food. Needless to say, we got along really well and decided to proceed with signing the lease.
Soon after we signed our lease in March, disaster hit. The COVID Pandemic caused a global quarantine and we were forced to postpone the move. Months passed and we were worried the quarantine was never going to end. Our lives, along with many others, were put on hold.
Slowly the quarantine restrictions began to move from the Red phase to the Yellow Phase. Businesses were able to be open at 50% capacity and travel restrictions were being lifted. We decided that now was the best time to move. On July 27th, 2020 I said goodbye to my friends and family in Pittsburgh and began my cross-country road trip with my friend Amanda during the COVID Pandemic. Little did anyone know the secret I was hiding as I drove towards my new life in Las Vegas…
Below is an overview of the route I took from Pittsburgh to Las Vegas!
Columbus, Ohio
Getting Lost in the 32 Rooms of German Town Book Loft
Columbus was a nice stop halfway between Pittsburgh and Chicago. A lot of people hate on this city, but I loved walking around German Town and supporting the local businesses!
The wine and coffee in Columbus made up for us driving 40 minutes in the wrong direction.
Chicago, Illinois
Spending One Day in Chicago During the COVID Pandemic
Chicago is one of my favorite cities in the United States! Amazing vegan food, a coffee shop that supports mental health, great beer, and The Bean. What more could one ask for?
It was shocking how much the city had changed since I last visited in September of 2019 due to the COVID pandemic. Although a lot of places were closed, we still found ourselves wishing we had more time to spend in the city.
Springfield, Missouri
The site of President Lincoln’s Tomb! A lot of people would overlook this this small town, but it is truly a gem in the middle of Missouri. I’ll admit, I might have been a little too excited to visit this historic city.
It was peaceful to visit Lincoln’s Tomb at Sunset, followed by abrupt chaos of almost falling down a hill in the cemetery. Not to mention making a quick stop at the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle! (Story coming soon!)
St. Louis, Missouri
I honestly didn’t think I was going to be impressed with St. Louis. Wow, was I wrong. To begin, The Arch is truly breath-taking and is definitely a place you should visit. There is also a park full of giant turtles, a haunted brewery, and Forest Park, which is considered one of the most beautiful urban parks in The Untied States.
Plus it was a fun adventure when we ran to the original Anheuser-Busch Brewery in a downpour and snuck into the parking lot to see the haunted Lemp Brewery. (Story coming soon!)
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City isn’t in Kansas? Technically half of the city is in Kansas, but all the fun areas are on the Missouri side. We started off our time in the city by having a cold, craft-beer at a small brewery. It was much needed after I had to hydroplane through a small river on the highway due to the insane amount of rain.
The next day was rainy and my hair was fluffy. We discovered that this city loves to make everything absurdly large, such as the four 18 foot-tall shuttlecocks at the Nelson-Atkins Museum. (Story coming soon!)
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Kansas
Half-way between Kansas City and Wichita, this was one of my favorite stops along the trip.
The view was incredible and I was less than 300 feet away from a buffalo!! (Story coming soon!)
Wichita, Kansas
Kansas is “so boring” right? I tremendously disagree with this statement. I was already enthused about Kansas from the walk at Tallgrass and was excited to see what the city had to offer.
To kick off my time in Wichita, I went to the Great Planes Nature Center. This area was a mix of grasslands and wetlands. I’ll admit I got a little too excited when I saw some turtles and ducks playing with each other.
Two of the highlights from this stop were visiting the VERY FIRST PIZZA HUT and watching the stunning sun set around the Greeter of the Planes. (Story coming soon!)
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Honestly, I was not impressed with Oklahoma City. I’m not sure if it was because of COVID, but there was really nothing to do in the city.
But I will say that looking back, the time I spend in the city was overall enjoyable. I spent the night in a unique treehouse in an art installation, had a random adventure in a parking garage with strangers, and drove on the Historic Route 66 by Lucille’s! (Story coming soon!)
Washita Battlefield National Historical Site, Oklahoma
This location is a place to walk and reflect about the lives lost in the battle that occurred here during the Great Planes Wars. On November 27, 1868 the US Calvary conducted a surprise attack on the Native American Cheyenne Village.
Getting to this location proved to be a bit of a challenge. What I expected to be a peaceful walk through the flat lands turned into a stressful events that forced me to conquer my fears. (Story coming soon!)
Amarillo, Texas
As a vegan, I was very out of place at the Big Texan Steakhouse. I drank my flights of beer and attempted to eat a hot pepper. I will say that our limo driver was really nice and thought it was hilarious that he drove a limo with giant horns on the front.
The next day I visited the Historic Route 66 and Cadillac Ranch! (Story coming soon!)
Wildcat Bluff Nature Center, Texas
Was I crazy to hike 2.9 miles in a dress? Maybe. Did I still do it? Yes.
I had a great time walking through the Nature Center, looking at rocks, and getting lost. (Story coming soon!)
Santa Fe, New Mexico
I love Santa Fe. I camped in a hut in the middle of the desert! I wasn’t sure if my car was going to make it on the sketchy, dirt road. The moon was full and I could hear the coyotes were howling in the close distance.
The next day I woke up and took a relaxing sunrise hike to start the day. I packed up my stuff and headed into town where I explored the shops. After this I hiked at Dale Bull’s Trail, where I dropped my phone and cracked it on a rock.
The next stop was Canyon Road. As I was walking on the road, a man told me to go into an alley to check out some local art. I was a little hesitant at first, but decided to check it out. (Story coming soon!)
Albuquerque, New Mexico
This was short stop on the was to Las Cruces. I hiked up the Sandia Mountains on the La Luz Trail. The hike was cut short when lightening struck right in front of me 1.5 miles up the mountain! (Story coming soon!)
Las Cruces, New Mexico
The day ended with visiting the Recycled Road Runner, watching the sun set over the Organ Mountains, and driving four hours to Tucson on where I may have hallucinated a creature on the side of the road. (Story coming soon!)
White Sands National Park, New Mexico
I visited White Sands National Park! This was my favorite stop along the road trip. Pictures cannot capture how magnificent this place truly is. Plus, last minute, I found out that you are able to sled ride down the sand dunes! (Story coming soon!)
Tucson, Arizona
I almost died hiking up Tumamoc Hill, took a sunset hike in Saguaro National Park, and visited the Mission San Xavier del Bac. (Story coming soon!)
Additionally, the Air Bnb cancelled on me and Amanda so we had to sleep in the desert for two nights in 110°F. To make matters worse, our tent flew away while we were out exploring the town. (Story coming soon!)
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix was HOT. I think I was non-stop sweating the whole time I was here.
I began my time in Phoenix by hiking around the Thunderbird Conservation park in 115°F weather. The vegetation along the trail was burnt black and I saw a cactus start to smoke.
At night I met up with my old friend Shea and new friend Abby for a night on he town.
The next morning I hiked up to The Hole in the Rock! (Story coming soon!)
Flagstaff, Arizona
There are trees in Arizona? It gets cold in Arizona? Yes and yes. I had low expectations for Flagstaff, but I was pleasantly surprised.
I ended up having delicious vegan pizza, bagels, and coffee. I hiked Buffalo park at sunset and into the dark. I get a crystal from the super friendly Air Bnb host. I hiked the Sandy Seep Trail and climbed a giant rock. Plus I bought a $10 Mystery Bag from Beaver Street Liquor! I’m really curious to see what’s in the bag! (Story coming soon!)
Grand Canyon, Arizona
Camping at the Grand Canyon was one of the highlights on the trip. The first day I hiked the South Rim Trail, watched the sun set over the canyon, and opened the Mystery Bag from Flagstaff!
The second day I hiked 3 miles into the Grand Canyon on the Bright Angel Trail. Hiking down into the canyon was a strenuous and unreal experience. (Story coming soon!)
Las Vegas, Nevada
After 13 days of driving and countless adventures, I finally arrived in Las Vegas! It was late at night when I reached the city and the lights were shining bright in the surrounding darkness.
I got to my apartment and began to unpack my stuff. Because I only had what I could fit in my car, I had to sleep on the floor in my sleeping bag.
The next day consisted of trying to get my life together. But even though I was slightly stressed, I still wanted to go hiking. I bought my America the Beautiful pass and hiked Red Rock Canyon. What was supposed to be a short hike turned into two hours because I went off the path and got lost… (Story coming soon!)
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