For Easter, I go to my husband’s family outside of Milwaukee. One of our traditions is to go see the Peeps Exhibit at the RAM (Racine Art Museum). The first year we went, my husband thought it wouldn’t be that great, but he was pleasantly surprised. This will probably be a tradition for us as each year brings new art submissions. I wanted to share a few photos from this year’s Peeps submissions.

After completing the exhibit, you can vote for your favorite submission. The winner wins the “Golden Peep.” I voted for the Prince-inspired art while my brother-in-law voted for the Godzilla-like dragon. This exhibit is always a blast, and I can’t wait to go again next year.

In the last post of my Virginia/Carolinas road trip, I’m going to focus on Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia. Charleston was our main destination and where we spent the majority of our trip. Savannah was our last stop since Savannah is only a two-hour drive from Charleston. This part of the US is stunning. Both cities strike the perfect balance, featuring Southern charm rich with history.

Our first day in Charleston was spent walking around downtown. Charleston has so many parks. Each park seems to have a historic statue, and the hanging moss trees are often seen in the South. I could have easily brought my book and read for hours in a park. One of the tourist areas, called The Battery, is a seawall that lines the coast. Without The Battery, Charleston would be underwater, as the city is below sea level. Strolling along The Battery is the best way to see all the architecture. The houses are colorful and historically restored. My favorite part about Charleston was staying downtown, walking the parks, and eating a lot of great food.

Charleston is a historic city in the US. One of the historical sites my husband and I toured was Fort Sumter. Fort Sumter was attacked, which led to the beginning of the Civil War in 1861. It was a thirty-minute ferry ride, and we only had an hour on the Fort. It felt rushed as there was so much reading. I felt I had to skim a lot of it. There’s also Fort Moultrie, which played a big part in the Revolutionary War. I love going to a museum while on vacation, and Charleston has plenty.

After spending three days in Charleston, we drove to Savannah. Savannah is a city right along the river. Savannah is a city that has the best shopping. There were several blocks of shops with red brick sidewalks and a Gazebo in the center. There was music playing, restaurants lined the sidewalks, and various tourist activities. The first thing I wanted to do was visit the Prohibition Museum. The Prohibition Museum is downtown, and it’s one of the few museums in the US solely devoted to Prohibition.

Part of the significance of the Prohibition Museum being in Savannah was that Savannah was one of the last Georgia cities resisting Prohibition. The museum featured several displays, old articles, and a video on how to make Moonshine. Included in our museum tickets was a cocktail at the Speakeasy located inside. We felt so bad because there was a huge line with only one bartender. He was awesome, and I was able to Venmo a tip. I had a Gin cocktail which was so strong! I didn’t mind because I like Gin. My husband had a Gin cocktail with champagne, so it tasted sweeter.

After the Prohibition museum, my husband and I stopped at a brewery, along with visiting a comic book store called Nerdheim. I spent about $150 on comics, and I have no shame. After comic book shopping, we strolled along the Savannah riverfront, stopping for a beer or two. Finally, we ended our day by grabbing dinner before going to bed early to begin our drive back home.

This was an amazing road trip. Driving through the Virginias and the Carolinas was one of the most scenic road trips I have ever taken. Both my husband and I want to go back to visit Charleston, West Virginia, Asheville, North Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia, as we felt we could have spent more time there. For future trips, I mentioned a potential Arizona Memorial Weekend trip; however, I decided against this. My husband wants to start house hunting soon, and I want to save for a trip to Seattle for Emerald City Comic Con in August.

Have you traveled anywhere recently? Let me know in the comments below.

Last week, I talked about West Virginia, primarily focused on the Mothman statue. I’m still in awe of how beautiful West Virginia was. For my second recap post about our road trip, I’m going to focus on Virginia and Asheville, North Carolina.

Starting in Charleston, West Virginia, my husband and I began our drive the following day. When I reviewed our route, I found a small town in Virginia that I wanted to stop in. Abingdon, Virginia, is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Western Virginia. I looked at pictures online, and it looked stunning. Abingdon was on the way to Asheville, North Carolina, and I knew we needed to make a few stops along the way to keep the drive from feeling long.

As we drove through Abingdon, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I needed my sunglasses because I couldn’t escape the sun. It was the best feeling. As we pulled into Abingdon, I was amazed. One of the highlights of Abingdon is the Barter Theatre. It’s a historic theatre that’s been historically preserved. There are classic plays and various festivals throughout the year. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to see a play, so we could only walk around and take pictures. There’s a small park right across the street from the theatre that we walked through. After stopping for lunch, we got back into the car to head to Asheville.

Asheville is in the western half of North Carolina. Asheville is known for being in the mountains and for being an artsy town. As I was looking online at what we had time to do, I saw numerous art museums, galleries, and hiking trails. As we approached Asheville, it was busy! People were walking everywhere. We thought that there was some event happening the day we stopped in Asheville. We ended up settling on an outdoor brewery where we had a pint and could enjoy the sun.

Asheville was another city we stopped in, where we wouldn’t hesitate to come back. It’s one of the negative parts of a road trip, as we weren’t able to spend as much time as we wanted in some of the cities we stopped in. On a positive note, I know that if I were able to make it back to Asheville, I know I would love it.

After Asheville, it was another few hours of driving time before we made it to Charleston, South Carolina. In next week’s post, I’m going to finish up my road trip blog post series with a detailed rundown of Charleston and Savannah, GA.

My husband and I got back from our road trip yesterday. It was such a fun and much-needed vacation. Similar to my other vacation posts, I’m splitting this up into three entries: West Virginia, Virginia & North Carolina, and South Carolina & Savannah, GA. This way, I don’t end up writing one long post. In this first post, I’m going to write about West Virginia and seeing Mothman.

We began our trip from Madison, Wisconsin, as my husband’s twin brother lives there. It was a nine-hour drive from Madison to Charleston, West Virginia. For the most part, driving through Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio is flat and boring. Once we reached the Wayne National Forest in the Southeastern part of Ohio, it turned into a beautiful drive. The trees were so green, and there were hills we drove through.

Throughout our drive through the Wayne National Forest, I saw a sign for the Mothman statue in West Virginia. One of my favorite parts about driving is seeing the tourist things along the way. I knew we had to stop in West Virginia to take a selfie with Mothman. From what I know, Mothman is an urban legend stemming from sightings and events from the 1960s in West Virginia. I bought a non-fiction book about this at a bookstore to learn more. As we arrived, we were too late to go through the Mothman museum, so we took a picture by the statue instead.

After another hour of driving, we reached Charleston, West Virginia. Charleston is the capital of West Virginia, and both my husband and I were surprised at how small the city was, especially since it’s the capital. Charleston was surrounded by the river and rock formations on either side. Before this trip, I thought West Virginia was more of a “flyover” state; however, I was blown away by how beautiful the city was.

After settling into our hotel, we drove to 1010 Bridge for dinner. It was located on a hill overlooking Charleston. This came from a recommendation from a coworker to eat here. It was easily one of the best restaurants we went to throughout our whole trip. My husband and I both ordered the Beef Tip Bolognese. It was tasty! My husband and I joked that we would visit Charleston solely to go back to 1010 Bridge.

West Virginia was such a surprise! I wasn’t expecting much, and I was surprised at how pretty Charleston and West Virginia were. Charleston is on a list of cities my husband and I would love to come back to.

By the time this post goes live, I will be in Charleston, South Carolina, with my husband. We planned a road trip through West Virginia, Virginia, the Carolinas, and a final stop in Savannah, GA, before driving home. I haven’t done a road trip since Boston in 2018. I’m a big fan of road trips as I think it’s a great way to travel. I wanted to share my potential traveling plans for the year.

March 2022 – Carolinas

My husband and I knew we wanted to do a road trip. There were several places we had in mind, but we ended up settling on the Carolinas. I have been to the Appalachian Mountains when I went on my road trip through Nashville in 2017; however, I have heard lovely things about the Carolinas. Someone I went to college with has a family cabin in North Carolina, and she raves about the area. We will end up stopping in Charleston, South Carolina, for the majority of our trip, and I’m really looking forward to a beach day.

Memorial Day Weekend Trip – Arizona?

Phoenix Fan Fusion is happening Memorial Day weekend, and I thought it would be fun to attend. The only concern I have is whether I would be able to get up to the Grand Canyon and Sedona on the same trip. I’m more than likely to be flying into Phoenix, which would mean either renting a car or figuring out if there’s a bus or a train I can take to get there and back. Another option I considered was Portland, Oregon, Salt Lake City, Utah, or Las Vegas. This way, I can be in one city without having to travel long distances.

Emerald City Comic Con – Seattle, Washington

Could this be the year I make it to Seattle? I was supposed to go to Seattle in March 2020 before the pandemic altered my plans. I ended up re-scheduling which was the right choice. Emerald City Comic Con has been rescheduled to August, and I really want to go.

This is an ambitious year for traveling, and I’m motivated to make it happen. With the pandemic stalling travel plans, I feel like I have a lot of traveling to catch up on. Let me know your travel plans in the comments down below.

I saw a tweet on Twitter the other day that I identified with. The tweet said they were sick of adults saying to grow up and give up hobbies that are deemed as juvenile, such as video games, comics, collecting toys, or cosplay. The second half of the tweet mentioned how it’s ironic because it’s usually in our 20s and 30s that we can afford to invest in our hobbies. This is so true! I have a rad comic collection because I can afford to keep a pull list at my comic book store. I wanted to talk about how, as I’m getting older, I have no plans to grow up.

When I was in middle school, my friend and I were still playing with My Little Ponies. We were made fun of, although my friend was targeted more for other reasons. I think of how silly this is now because there are Bronies, or male fans of the My Little Pony TV show. While My Little Ponies always remind me of my childhood, I’m still a toy collector. I have a few Funkos, including my Percy Funko from Critical Role Vox Machina, and superhero figures on my DC comics shelf.

One of the more expensive hobbies I have is cosplay. Cosplay can be extremely expensive, with the accessories, and if there are any weapons associated with that cosplay. I’m finding that, in my late 20s, I finally have the money to start investing in more well-built cosplays. Besides cosplay, I can now afford to travel to conventions out of state. This has been a fun experience being an adult because I can explore a new city and attend a convention. It’s the best of both worlds. While I wish I could travel on a monthly basis, I need hobbies that help me find joy in my daily life.

Fortunately, I have had many adult role models exemplify this message. My mom has Twilight posters all throughout her house. My mom read the Twilight books while I was in college and absolutely loved them. My uncle is still a big gamer; he has a Star Wars X-Wing collection and plays the game regularly. One of my best friends, her mom, still goes to the Renaissance Festival, and I occasionally see her at CONvergence when I go. I have never been made to feel ashamed by anyone close to me about being who I am and having my hobbies.

This post is a reminder to have no shame about the hobbies carried into adulthood. Life is precious, so find hobbies that make you happy, not to please anyone else.

Yesterday was my mom’s birthday. My mom is an extraordinary person in my life. She’s equally geeky like I am, and she is such a selfless person. While I have talked about my mom in previous posts, I wanted to write a more personal essay about who my mom is as a person, so you can understand why I love her and appreciate that she’s a big part of my life.

My mom was born and raised in Minnesota, along with my dad. The above picture is literally my dad and my mom as babies holding hands in the same baby carriage. My aunt (dad’s older sister) taught my mom and her sister (aka my aunt) dance lessons when they were little. While my parents knew each other as babies, they didn’t reconnect until the 80s. My dad was working in radio in California when he found out his dad died of a heart attack (my grandpa, whom I never met). My dad moved back to Minnesota to be closer to family, and that’s how my mom and dad got together.

When I was born, my mom was the breadwinner in our family. She worked full-time while my dad worked part-time to take care of my brother and me. My mom worked a stressful job and took the bus to work, so my dad could have the car. Her commutes were long, but she did this so my brother and I could live in a stable home. I admire my mom for working a job she may not have loved, so my brother and I could have a fulfilling childhood.

For those who have never read any of my posts, my dad passed away from cancer when I was 12. All of a sudden, my mom had to work full-time and raise my brother and me. Now that I’m married to my husband, I think about the pain I would feel if I were to lose him tragically. My mom felt that plus be strong for us. I will forever be grateful to my mom for raising my brother and me in such traumatic circumstances.

On a light-hearted note, my mom is geeky like I am. She loves action movies, including James Bond, any Marvel movie, and thinks Baby Yoda is the cutest thing. There are various trinkets around her house, including a Baby Yoda stuffed figure, Daniel Craig posters, and a few Twilight posters in her room. She’s fully embraced wearing geek t-shirts, including her Gryffindor hoodie, which she purchased in Orlando during a family vacation. I hope that when I grow older, I will be like my mom, who will love what she loves no matter her age.

To celebrate my mom’s birthday, we went out to dinner at a nice restaurant. After dinner, we went back to my apartment, where we played a few board games. I introduced my mom to the card game Exploding Kittens. She has asked my brother to buy her a copy, so she can keep playing.

My mom is my rock. I’m so fortunate and grateful that my mom loves me for me. She’s someone whom I aspire to be in every aspect of my life. She’s someone who has had to overcome adversity and showed me how to be independent and to get through life’s challenges. I hope that if I ever have kids, I’m as selfless as my mom. Happy Birthday to my lovely, caring, and wonderful mom.

Happy Valentine’s Day! While Valentine’s Day means a lot to some, I personally don’t care much for the day itself. I think there’s a lot of stigma still with those who don’t have a romantic partner, and I think that sucks. Happiness doesn’t equate to being in love or with someone romantically. Galentine’s Day is helping to normalize being single, but the stigma still exists. My husband and I don’t create huge Valentine’s Day plans; as a result, however, we still had a date day to ourselves.

My and my husband and I celebrated Valentine’s Day a day early because we didn’t feel like going out today. We made reservations at Hope Breakfast Bar in St. Paul. Hope Breakfast Bar is a brunch spot that took over an old fire station. I prefer a savory breakfast as opposed to a sweet one, so I ordered a spicy bagel and avocado breakfast sandwich while my husband ordered Pina Colada French toast. Here’s the weird thing: my husband’s French toast had cotton candy on the side. Cotton Candy?? Why would you have Cotton Candy underneath French toast? My husband swears the menu didn’t list this; otherwise, he would have asked to leave it off. We joked about how funny it would be to order and say, “Can you please not put cotton candy on mine, thanks”. I would definitely come back to Hope Breakfast Bar, especially because of all the breakfast options I’d like to try.

After breakfast, we drove to Nina’s Coffee Cafe. Nina’s is also located in St. Paul near the Cathedral. As a side note, St. Paul is a city with beautiful architecture and restored homes. Nina’s is in this beautiful red historic building. I ordered their special called the Love Potion, which was a latte with Oat Milk topped with a dusting of sugar and cardamon. My husband ordered his usual iced mocha with dark chocolate. We took our coffee and drove home, so we could have a lazy afternoon before the Super Bowl.

My husband and I like to exchange small gifts for Valentine’s Day. I bought my husband a Peacemaker Pop Funko since he loves the show on HBO Max. I received three mini candles with assorted scents, along with a pack of Oreos.

While I’m not big on Valentine’s Day, this was such a chill way to celebrate the day. I’m all for drinking coffee and eating breakfast food.

Late last year, I was scrolling through Instagram when I saw that NADDPOD had listed tickets for their live show in Minneapolis. I was ecstatic! Minneapolis gets skipped over, as Chicago is the bigger Midwestern city. After confirming that NADDPOD would be in Minneapolis, I immediately purchased tickets. Originally, I was going by myself because I didn’t know anyone else who listened to the podcast. My husband offered to come with me, so I didn’t have to go by myself. He’s so sweet. As a disclaimer, I think we should normalize going to events or doing activities by ourselves. I’m happy I was able to see NADDPOD live.

To start off, NADDPOD is a Dungeons & Dragons podcast. There have been two campaigns so far, with a third on the way. Their most memorable campaign was Bahumia, DMed by Brian Murphy. The campaign centers on three characters: Moonshine Cybin (played by Emily Axford), Hardwon Surefoot (played by Jake Hurwitz), and Beverly Toegold V (played by Caldwell Tanner). I credit NADDPOD as an influence for getting me into Dungeons & Dragons.

Each NADDPOD live show is a one-shot centered around their characters in Bahumia. In this show, the characters competed on a Bahumia version of Survivor. The show featured several funny moments where the characters and the NPCs were gossiping about who to vote off the show. Additionally, the characters participate in Survivor-like challenges involving dice rolling. While this is meant to be a light-hearted show, some dice rolls put me on edge. One example is when Hardwon was one of two left in a challenge. The crowd was rooting for Hardwon to get immunity in the challenge, which he did.

The show started at 7 PM, and it ended close to 9 PM. I thought that was perfect because sometimes D&D podcast episodes can get long. I rarely listen to one NADDPOD episode in one sitting, so I’m glad that their show wasn’t longer than two hours.

I’m so glad I went to the NADDPOD live show! I’d definitely go again if they ever visit Minneapolis; otherwise, I’m open to traveling to another state to see their show, too, as I’m a big fan.

Happy New Year! I can hardly believe it’s been two years since the COVID-19 pandemic. It feels like we have accomplished so much and so little at the same time. I’m looking forward to 2022 and all the adventures waiting to be had. As each new year feels like a new beginning, I wanted to write out my New Year’s Resolutions.

Watch at least 3 different Anime Series (by EOY)

A few months ago, I purchased an ongoing Funimation subscription that I barely used. Anime is something I want to dive more into. For this resolution, I want to watch at least three different anime series. I will probably start with a more popular series, such as My Hero Academia or Demon Slayer, to at least get an idea of what I like before diving into other anime.

Start Watching Mighty Nein Critical Role’s Second Campaign

I’m on Critical Role’s first campaign, Vox Machina. I’m almost halfway through. I hope to finish Vox Machina this year and move into their second campaign, Mighty Nein.

Attend an Out of State Convention I Have Never Been to Before (excluding: Gen Con, C2E2, and Planet Comic Con)

I love traveling to a convention. It’s a perfect trip because I can explore a new city and go to a convention. I have a few ideas of which cons I would like to attend, depending on whether the dates work out for me to go.

• Emerald City Comic Con (Seattle, WA) August 18th through the 22nd
• Rose Comic Con (Portland, OR) September 9th through the 12th
• Baltimore Comic Con (Baltimore, MD) October 28th through the 30th
• New York Comic Con (New York, NY) October 6th through the 9th
• Phoenix Fan Fusion (Phoenix, AZ) May 27th through the 29th

I’m hoping to attend Emerald City for sure, and with Phoenix Fan Fusion being Memorial Day Weekend, that could be another convention I could potentially attend.

Play and complete 4 Different PS4 or Console Games (includes: Nintendo Switch, Xbox, etc.).

I have a few games lined up to play this year. I’m currently playing through Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, which so far is pretty fun. Additionally, I have Far Cry 4 waiting to be played. I’m also behind in Life is Strange, too, so I’m hoping to play through that series sometime this year as well.

Play through Marvel’s Spider-Man on a Tougher Difficulty

My final resolution for this year is to replay Marvel’s Spider-Man on a tougher difficulty. The sequel should be released in 2023, so I want to have a fresh playthrough in my head before the game comes out.

I’m ambitious for 2022. I have been trying to be better about time management, so I think I can fit everything in for this year. Let me know what your pop culture New Year’s Resolutions are in the comments section below.