Hard part is the settle in the settling down

I can't travel forever, yes Dad I do know this :)  But the problem is where to stop traveling. My family and friends mean the world to me.  But I am pretty sure I cannot live in the craziness that is So Cal.  I have always known this.  My mom knew that even though I loved where I grew up , I was drawn to a smaller town vibe.  That is why I picked Chico for college.  And also how I ended up in Grapevine, TX for awhile.

What I know for sure is that I want to live in a small town by a body of water near a big city.

I love the feel of a small town vibe with a sense of community but I need culture and the excitement of a bustling big city.  Water, why water just calms me.  I grew up at the beach and I cannot imagine not being by some sort of water.  It also gives me a feeling of being able to escape at any time.
In the meantime. I travel...

50 cent/stem roses in July. Like!

Accidentally posted

Posted this picture from my phone before adding it to my post of Milwaukee and my friend who shall remain fully named, Mary Marckwardt !  :)   But she said it looked like a dating website picture. She thought I was holding back on her . So wanted to make clear that at this time in my life I would rather remove my own appendix with a crab fork and a swig of Don Julio then go on a dating website. But hey that's just me, I don't judge.

Mader's restaurant.  insanely divinely good german grub!

4th of July, from 4 million stars to 4 stars

After camping, we headed to Milwaukee for Summerfest.  Jamie got us a great deal on priceline at this rad 4 star hotel.  I really like Milwaukee.  It is kind of funny though, it is a little bit of a ghost town or like James says like you would imagine Coney Island from the movies.  We watched fireworks over Lake Michigan from the penthouse of the hotel.

I can't really explain but life at the hotel kind of felt like we were on a sitcom.  We became pals with the bartender Jeff, he was hilarious.  Def Leppard was staying at our hotel and some ball players and we kept seeing the same people over and over.  We had a blast.  Summerfest was pretty fair like and pretty lame the day we were there.  But still glad I experienced it.

me and some English bloke

walking on the river walk

the Bronze Fonz

salted pork products

I blank camping

Okay, I will say it. My name is Brandi and I %#$^@ camping. I know it is cool to like it so color me uncool !! I hadn't been camping in eons.  Let's talk history. I am not from a family of campers.  The only camping we really did was beach camping to my dad's favorite surf spots.  We went to San Onofre a lot as a kid. Well, turns out beach camping is way different than midwest summer tent camping. I did go to camps as a kid, including Lazy J (remember that one girls?) or basketball camps (Cathy Rush, remem
mber that one girls? oh yeah, prob not you were all at volleyball camp while I was at dorky bball camp) but that was always cabins and cots.  But I love the outdoors so I thought I would love camping but knowing myself I was a tad hesitant.  So when James and Steve invited me along with Jame's sister Ranae and her fiance Tim, I said a nervous yet enthusiastic , Oui !   But they were camping for 2-3 nights and I thought I better just meet them for 1 night, phew on that one. :/
So I drove up to Mirror Lake in Wisconsin in the dells by Baraboo.  
Let me say that this was the highest end tent camping you could do.   The only step up would be a cabin or RV.  These guys are serious campers and had all the fancy equipment.
When I got there my tent was set up (thanks guys :) and the whole campsite was rigged up to the tee!  
So not to go on and on, I will tell you what I liked.
I liked the company, the campfire !, the stars , actually I LOVED the stars!!, the deer,  and the lightening bugs especially since James caught some for me :)  aww what a pal.  
But what I didnt  like was hmm, umm oh pretty much everything else.  The dirt , sleeping in the dirt, the bugs, the bathroom being 1/2 mile away, and the daytime was a smidge boring, and the scenery was pretty much dirt and shrubs. oh and I didn't like the dirt.
I was a pretty good trooper Jamie said, Steve didn't say a word, I think he thought I was a cry baby. But in my defense I ended up sleeping in my car because I was soooo cold and I walked by myself through the dark woods 3 times in the middle of the night to the bathroom.
What I learned about myself was although I am afraid of the dark, I would rather walk to the bathroom in the dead of night with a head lamp and be hatched up into pieces by a crazed park ranger then wake/disturb the people I am with to accompany me.  
Addendum: I would definitely go camping if a log cabin was involved and a RV I would consider.  

My tent , I lasted 4 hours in it.

:) James catching lightening bugs for me <3

My favorite, we walked to a nearby supper club and ate escargot and bruschetta

Really big lightening bug !  oh nope, that's just Tim

LIGHTENING BUG!!!

smores, I would put on 3 marshmellows so I could end up with at least 1 marshmellow. haha

Spanks for the memories...  :/