Roadtrip Day 2: The grandeur of the Grand Canyon

The second day of the roadtrip was my favorite. That's because it included the Grand Canyon! I've always wanted to visit this world-renowned landmark and this was my opportunity to do it! It takes about 5 hours to get to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas. The drive towards the canyon is mostly flat and deserty (is that even a word?!) with a few plateaus and cliffs along the way. It was so different from the landscape in California, or anywhere else I've ever been to.

After stopping at a country-themed steakhouse for lunch, we drove into the Grand Canyon park in the late afternoon. Until you actually pay and drive into the park, you can't see the Grand Canyon from the road. Once you're in though, the view is breathtaking! We quickly parked our car, put on some sneakers and headed to the Canyon. I couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of God's creation. The Canyon stretched as far as the eye could see. It was deep, majestic, and made you feel very small in comparison. I snapped lots and lots of pictures, so I'll let them do the talking! Enjoy!

Dad being his ol' goofy self!

"Hey Inna, take a picture of me like this!" - Dad

"If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your hand will hold me fast."

This was our view leaving the Grand Canyon that day! Simply phenomenal. 

After leaving the Grand Canyon, we drove to Flagstaff, AZ to spend the night. The hotel (although supposed to be 3 stars on Priceline) was slightly better than a motel and cost more than our nice hotel in Las Vegas. The only good thing was the free breakfast, but oh wait, we slept through that! Thank God for Starbucks!

Day 3 and 4 of the roadtrip were not very exciting. Just a lot of driving through deserts and fields. We did stop at a Native American rest area somewhere in the middle of New Mexico and I bought a really cool Native American picnic blanket/rug. My dad thinks it's ugly but I like it a lot! After driving all day, we spent the last night  of the roadtrip in Amarillo, TX (which smelled like cows). The hotel was really cute and homey, and the staff spoke with a heavy Southern accent. It was so bad that my dad couldn't understand what the guy was saying! I had to translate! Let's just say we were both really amused at how different the English language sounds just a few states away!

Roadtrip Day 1: A night in Vegas

I promised to fill you in on my awesome roadtrip from Sacramento to Dallas, right? Well, here it is, photos and all!

After stuffing (and I mean stuffing!) my car with all my stuff, my dad and I set off on our roadtrip. It was a four-day ordeal with the first stop in Las Vegas! Neither of us have been to Las Vegas so we didn't have any idea what to expect. As soon as we entered the city, the thing that stood out the most is the amount of people EVERYWHERE! It was just about sunset and the people were all coming out for the night. Traffic was horrible and there were crowds of people on every sidewalk!

I've been to the Trevi Fountan in Rome and the Vegas version is just about the same size and grandeur!

To make the trip more of an adventure, we didn't have any of our hotels booked, so the first thing we did was look for a Starbucks so that I could hook up my iPad to wifi and book a hotel. After bidding on several hotels on Priceline with no luck, we gave up, parked our car, and went walking along the Vegas strip. Let's just say I was really glad my dad was by my side. There were lots of shady people around, most of which were high, drunk, or both. Little old ladies on street corners were advertising "Girls in 20 minutes." It made my stomach churn. Prostitution was rampant here, completely in the open, and pretty much glamorized.  No wonder it's called Sin City. It made me sick!

The Venetian! Riding a gondola (but in real Venice) is still on my bucket list.

We walked for a while, taking in all the sights around us. All the hotels are themed and very beautiful. We walked into several of the hotels and just looked around. Nightly rates were in the $300 range for most of them - meaning, way out of our price range! My favorite hotel was the Venitian. With gondolas reflecting on the water surrounding the hotel, it had a magical, almost-Disney feel to it. My dad's favorite was the Rome-themed Caesar's Palace. He couldn't help but take pictures of all the tile on the walls and floor. That's my dad!

Selfies are my dad's favorite. Can't you tell??

Welcome to the Palace!

After walking for what seemed like hours, we were finally tired (and hungry!) so we asked around for the best buffet in town. My dad loves buffets and especially seafood ones! We ended up going to the buffet in the Wynn. It wasn't a seafood buffet like we had hoped, but it was still really delicious. For around $30 a pop, we filled our plates with crab legs, oysters (my personal favorite!), meat, sushi, Italian food, and anything else that seemed appealing! It was overwhelming how much food there was! And, don't get me started on the dessert! I wanted to try every kind of cake, gelato and mousse they had! Thank God they had tiny portions so I tried about 2-3 of each! By the end of dinner, we were both stuffed and very satisfied.

Hooking up my iPad right there in the restaurant, we booked a hotel for the night that was about a block from the Strip. Although not as ritzy as the Venetian or Caesar's Palace, the Westin was modern and comfortable.

Overall, Day 1 of the roadtrip was a success! Although Vegas itself was a bit overwhelming for me, and not really a place I'd ever want to visit again, it was cool to see what all the fuss was about.

I was really hoping to see the Bellagio Fountain rendition of Andrea Bocelli's "Time to Say Goodbye," but no such luck! Still beautiful though!

One week with a bunch of seminary students

Ok, so I've survived my first week living in Washington Hall - the student apartment building here. Here are just a few quick things I've learned so far:

1. Seminary students are not the stereotypical nerdy kids who have deep theological conversations all the time. Actually, I have yet to hear a single deep theological discussion. I have heard discussions about boys, coffee shops, movies, college days, shoes, culture, etc. Basically, seminary students are just normal people. They just happen to love Jesus and want to serve in ministry.

2. Ukraine is big here. Already, I know a few people who are pretty much obsessed with Ukraine. I guess going on mission trips to Ukraine will do that to you. It's just interesting to find Americans who've been to Ukraine more times than I have. It kind of messes with my mind.

3. The American Christian culture is WAY different than the Slavic Christian culture. So many things that I was taught to consider as "sin" growing up are just part of culture here. DTS has a no-alcohol policy so that's not what I'm referring to. But, things like secular music, movies and dancing are totally ok here. Dating is also big. Apparently, there's lots of that going on. (Not that I think dating is a sin. It's just not as common in the Slavic Christian culture that I grew up in). American Christians are just more chill, and not so uptight about debatable or questionable things. Don't get me wrong. I'm not taking a side here, but just making an observation.

4. Southerners are really awesome people.  Seriously, the girls I've met here are just the sweetest. Everyone is really nice, hospitable and friendly. One afternoon I was leaving the apartment only to find a candy bar and note by the door for me. It was from a really sweet girl (also a DTS student) that I met at the Village Church on Sunday. How precious is that?!

The adventure has begun

Oh were do I even start? The past week has been a crazy blur of activities and of course emotions! After almost 4 full days of driving, my dad and I finally made it to Dallas. I still can't believe this is real.

My dad and I made this trip from Sacramento to Dallas into a fun  little big roadtrip, driving through Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. The last Daddy-Inna roadtrip happened when I was 9 or 10 and it's probably one of the fondest childhood memories I have with my dad. This roadtrip is a close second. More on the roadtrip (and more photos!) in a later post. Back to my reality in Dallas.

Just a preview of the majesty of God's creation - the Grand Canyon!

Just in case you're wondering, I'm writing this from my bed in my new apartment in Washington Hall. And, it's past 3 a.m. One of the wonderful couples here at DTS, who used to live in Sacramento, invited me over for dinner at their apartment and we stayed up past midnight playing this board game called Settlers of Catan which apparently is the new rage among college students. Anyway, I had a great time at Anna and Yuriy's house just enjoying a yummy meal together, chatting, playing with their sweet little baby Gracie, and of course losing at this Settlers of Catan game. Go Anna! Did I mention I drank two large mugs of tea? THAT is why I am still up at this hour. Coffee? Nah. I can drink a whole cupful and doze off no problem. Tea? I'm wide awake, even 3 hours later. Note to self: don't drink tea. Ever. 

Other than not being able to fall asleep tonight, I've been adjusting to life here in Dallas very well. Granted, this is only Day 3. And, it's only my first day on my own. I dropped off my dad at the airport earlier today. By the way, my dad loved Dallas - all except the hot, humid weather. I'm no fan either, but you can't have it all, can you?

Dallas skyline
(from the 12th story of the Crowne Plaza Hotel)

I moved in all of my stuff and still have a bunch of cabinet space in the bathroom to spare! I guess I didn't bring that much stuff after all! My closet is a bit tight but still very comfortable and spacious. The Native American rug that I bought at a rest area in New Mexico turned out perfect for the closet! The floor of my apartment and room is buffed concrete so rugs are a must. Everything else is coming together fine too. All except for my bed, which I'm still waiting to be delivered (hopefully tomorrow!) So, right now, my bed is just a mattress on the floor. It's not ideal, but in a way, I kind of like it. It gives my room a modern edge. I'll post pictures of my space when it's finally all complete. Right now, there are still boxes in the corner and lots of blank walls and empty space. Boring, if you ask me. 

How's my roommate apartment-mate? She's awesome! Kristina has a very fun and bubbly personality, speaks with a slight Southern twang and is passionate about the Lord. She also walks dogs for a living and hates slimy food (like mushrooms). She has been nothing but welcoming, helpful, and sweet! I feel like we'll be great friends in no time!

As far as my emotions go, everything is still new, exciting, and fun. I haven't felt a bit lonely or homesick. Yet. I have a feeling it's all going to come at once in about a week or two. Pray for me! In my world, when it rains, it pours! But of course, God is with me even in the downpour, so I'll be alright. 

So, I guess this is it - as far as an update goes. More details to follow! Stay tuned.

Dallas, here's to the beginning of many adventures!