A week can pass in a heartbeat, as was the case when I drove with Ben to Dallas to see his family. I was fully committed to taking as many photos and videos as I could, no matter how seemingly dull the shots would be. I don't want to take moments like these for granted; while it's certainly not a trip to sunny California, I was treating it like one. I firmly believe Ben felt the same way, especially since he just completed the monster that is Step 1. I've heard from several people how daunting studying for the exam was but I am just happy that they were able to finish it and enjoy the rest of their day. A part of me is still envious of their struggle but I'm trying to change my perspective on the matter. There will always be naysayers but what I choose to believe is something I have control over.

So this road trip signifies a lot of things for me. How it feels to hit the road. A sweet reminder of being on my own. A chance to spend quality, face-to-face time with Ben. (And the first time driving Ben's car!)

On the way to his home, we stopped by our old university. There's a lot of construction and I was surprised to see the brand new science dormitories. It was actually orientation week so we headed over to the SUB to grab Dr. Pepper floats—delicious! We also grabbed lunch at Viteks because it's been so long since we've had a gut pack! We were lucky that day because the sun wasn't too overbearing and the breeze was nice. I insisted on dragging Ben over to the Elizabeth Browning library so I could read him a sappy line from one of Robert Browning's poems:





I wished I had done more exploring in my time there but maybe we always feel that way when we revisit places from our past. I definitely want to make new memories in a new place sometime in the near future. Before we left, we had some time to grab cheap movie tickets to see 'This is the End,' a comedy film with actors playing hyperbolic versions of themselves. There were some laughs and winces but neither of us expected anything groundbreaking. Afterwards, it was just another short trip to Dallas. Home!

I was lucky to have spent a lot of time with Ben's family when I was staying in Ft. Worth. Seeing Ben's younger brother (now 13! time passes swiftly!) dredged up that old longing for siblings. He's getting really tall and I hear he wants to pursue a career as a professional tennis player. Whatever his dream is, it seems like anything is possible. And I find it completely fascinating to watch brothers interact. Rough play just seems to come naturally. How is it with sisters I wonder?

The first thing Ben did when we arrived at his house was to drop off our bags and head out to Game Stop so he could buy the new video game, 'The Last of Us.' I was actually blown away by the plot and characters of this game. How often do movies try to portray endearing characters and a substantial plot—and fail? The voice actors were spot on and by the end of the game, I felt like I had watched a really good movie (or read a really good book).

We spent a lot of time relaxing at his house, but we were able to fit in a cafe visit, a cupcake shop visit, and boba shop visit. Ben also got a new prescription for glasses and contact lenses. I beat the brothers at Monopoly (first time!) And I had my fill of Vietnamese food! Everything tastes great, I'm so lucky to get introduced to this cuisine. Overall, I had the fun I had been longing for and my only complaint was how short it all felt.

The highlight of our trip back was stopping by Terry and Jo's Food for Thought. I got Ben obsessed with salsa back when we were in college, so he was quick to get the 16oz size of salsa to bring back to his apartment. We both ordered nachos (nacho mama for me, chicken nachos for Ben) and a peach smoothie. We spied on other couples sitting nearby, and I wondered how we looked to them. Did we blend in? Most likely. But it feels like ages since I was sitting in their place.

I want to do another road trip. With Ben and with friends. It would be a dream come true.