1) Rental cars cost way too much. It cost me almost $900 to use the cheapest, smallest rental car that the cheapest company had for 9 days. That is just absurd! I'm definitely glad I got to speak at the missions conference last week, but how I wish that $900+$300 for the plane ticket could have just been used for my support instead!

2) Major props to my fairly new iPod classic and brand new Nokia phone this week. I left my iPod charger at home and it didn't ever lose battery power...even after using it from 20 minutes to 4 hours a day. My old iPod Nano would die after a few hours--the stupid thing broke on the way to SK to poor Petra who discovered the corpse upon arrival (still feel bad for that). Anyway, good job new iPod king. Maybe I'll call you The King from now on.

I hate Nokia phones very much, but I gotta say, the battery life on that bad boy is amazing. Thanks stupid Nokia phone. My old Motorolla Razr would die after less than a day but I loved the setup cause I've had Motorolla phones for like 10 years almost.

3) If I didn't have a GPS, I would still be lost in the Pennsylvania country somewhere. Thanks GPS. I gave her an Australian accent too, which I heartily enjoyed.

4) I don't really like flying anymore. I used to really like it cause it was exciting, especially when I was alone. But after years of flying by myself, and hearing of all the plane crashes in the sky, it's just not fun anymore. In fact, I don't remember the last time I got to travel with anyone.

Anyway, once in a while I get kinda claustrophobic / OCD in certain circumstances. It happens kinda randomly, but I definitely had an episode today on the way home. It was hot, I was in the back seat of the plane right by the bathroom and tight walkway-the seat which I call the "butt seat" (well, I call it something else but this is a PG blog) because everyone puts their butt right in your face while trying to open the trap door by the bathroom. Anyway, and this businessman hogged the armrest, and there was turbulence, and I was exhausted, whatever. So I can get a little wacked out once in a while.

Oh speaking of flying: I don't have too much patience in the airport when I'm traveling in a hurry, like my dear friend Craig who has the same impatience. For example, we're boarding this tiny little plane, right, and this big guy spends at least 3 or 4 full minutes blocking the walkway cause he's trying to organize his little briefcase. I can honestly do nothing but stand there with a "HURRY THE *blank* UP!!" look on my face. Like, are you seriously clueless enough to not realize that there are 30 something people waiting for you!? I hate that.

5) I know I've said this to some of you, but Pittsburgh is pretty cool. I think whether or not you like a city has a lot to do with whether you know anybody there, and whether you find some cool places, or have something specific to do. It helped to know my friend Megan there, and also to have a GPS to guide me around. Without those two things, I might have felt differently about it.

Oh, and I used to love long tunnels too...but not anymore...especially the ones with huge mountains on top of them. Even bridges and overlooks too. I've really become a wuss. I think I've seen way too many Hollywood tragedy movies where bridges collapse and tunnels cave in or something--cause seriously I start to kinda freak out inside sometimes, just visualizing this pre-tragedy. It makes me mad cause it's stupid to be afraid of those things.

ANYWAY, one thing I liked about Pitt is that you're sort of in the country for a while, and you pass through this long cool tunnel, and RIGHT when come out of the tunnel it's like BAM! PITTSBURGH SKY LINE! It's really great. Obviously the coffee shop I wrote about on Friday was also a highlight- if I lived near there, I would literally be there all the time. Out of the many cups of iced espresso I had in Pitt, I only had one bad cup--which is a darn fine ratio.

6) I listened to the same 20 songs of The Weepies over and over for at least 90% of the trip. I am a new fan. If you're interested, check out the songs: Somebody Loved, All That I Want, Gotta Have You, Nobody Knows Me At All, Stars, Love Doesn't Last Too Long, and Comfort.

7) For any of you that know Megan Stehle, her apartment in Pittsburgh is awesome! Sooo cute- kinda European compared to southern places.

I'm sure there's more to say, but I'll write more when I'm in the mood.