“Tamara, it’s Tuesday. Did you do the blog post yesterday?”
“Crap!”
Can I write a blog post in 5 minutes? Let’s see! Happy Tuesday!
I write to you today from a Love’s Truck Stop in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
Since last week we’ve:
- Watched the Astros destroy the Twins in Minneapolis
- Visited a rainy Duluth and saw Lake Superior from a distance (Great Lake 1/5)
- Did some good hiking and trail running at Devil’s Lake State Park
- Explored the largest farmers market in the country in Madison
- Walked along Lake Michigan (Great Lake 2/5)
- Became the Bobbleheaders of the Week at the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame
This week, we’ll spend a bit more time in Milwaukee and then head down to Chicago.
Since I don’t think this week has been particularly exciting, I think I’ll write a quick, sappy story to tell you how much Jason means to me. Besides being my best friend and traveling around the country with me, he’s introduced me to a lot of stuff! Utz Chips, Arnold Palmers, board games, baseball… But the biggest one, and the one for which I’m the most thankful, is Dunkin’.
Growing up, I always thought Dunkin’ Donuts was just some inferior Krispy Kreme that Yankees* seemed to hype up. But it’s actually a full-blown coffee shop with tasty, reasonably priced drinks and pretty good food. Who’da thunk it?
I’ve gradually become accustomed to having Dunkin’ every now and then (err… absolute minimum once a week?). I didn’t realize how much I loved it until it was taken away. Look at this map:
You see, the orange-tinted states do not have a single Dunkin’. Not one. We spent almost 2 months in these states.
The withdrawal wasn’t immediate. All was fine the first week. But then the dreams started. I’d wake up in the middle of the night sweating. I’d start seeing Dunkin’s on the side of the road that didn’t exist. I slowly developed a thick Boston accent and became a terrible driver.
Is that a bit hyperbolic? Yes. I haven’t been to Boston yet, so I can’t say for sure that they are bad drivers.
Anyway, we really wanted Dunkin’ by the time we got to Minnesota, but a lot of them were drive-thru only. And our van doesn’t fit through the drive-thru.
So – and I really hope you aren’t angry or expecting more – the whole point of this story is to provide context for this photo of Jason:
That’s it! We both miss you all and will catch up next week.
Bye!
*This is how I was taught to refer to everyone in the Northeast. Sorry! I love you all!
Love this! Miss you!