Day 2: Firth, NE!

My favorite thing about this roadtrip is having Jillien by my side, always ready with a quip about something I said, but I especially appreciate when she referrs to Missouri as Minnesota/Montana, which has occured about 9 times now. :D

Our second day of roadtripping went smoothly, albeit a bit more tiredly.  We breezed through much of the Hunger Games, so we will be on the lookout for Catching Fire today!  In the early afternoon, we drove through Kansas City and I decided to take a small detour to the area that I grew up in Kansas City.  It is quite difficult to describe the emotions that coursed through my body when seeing the overgrown grass, chipped paint buildings, sidewalks with grass creating huge cracks in it, and the overall feeling of neglect in the neighborhood I spend my early years in.

I have so many beautiful memories of Kansas City: riding my bike in a circle in the basement of our house (it was too dangerous for me to ride on the streets), playing for hours with neighborhood kids in our backyard playset, singing passionately with the people of Fountain of Hope (the mission church in which my dad was the pastor), being passed secret donuts from Mr. Brown (an elderly parishioner with a young heart).

The wonderful church where I had so many people that I adored and seen my Dad change so many lives is boarded up.  This place that seemed to be pulsing with life is stripped of its soul and lies to rot. There are no other words for my feelings but empty sadness.

We passed through Kansas City and up to Firth, NE.  It's a small town south of Lincoln where our family friends, the Drurys, live.  Ron greeted us with their new dog, Nike! We ate outside of their patio with a beautiful view of the Nebraska farmland--Jillien said she could see Ohio from here. :)

 It was great fun to get schooled in music; I have now learned to love Van Morrison, Radiohead, Wilco, and the Black Keys.  We also watched Up! for the first time (well, for me, it was the first time), which was absolutely amazing ( as I knew it would be, which is why a hipster like me wouldn't watch it until way after it was a fad haha).

Crazy building in Kansas City

umm at least you can tell that it's Nebraska?

We got lost so we took a picture with cornfields

Quotes from today:
 "Dinner will be so easy, everything comes in a bag! Chips, salad, cheesecake..."--Ron
"Mmm nothing like cheesecake in a bag."--Jillien

"Minnesota."--Jillien
"MISSOURI. WE ARE IN MISSOURI"--Kaitlin

"He looks ornery"--Jillien.
*Kaitlin gives Jillien the glare of death*
"What does ornery mean, Jillien? I'm pretty sure it means stubborn and ill-natured..."-Kaitlin