Tales of an unspoken fun,
A path so vague; its not bothered,
You're on one,
And I'm there on the other.

When My mother told me about it, I had no clue whatsoever of what it meant. She told me it was a term, just like love. There was no one definition to it. There was never a solitary understanding to it. I had but myself, my memories, and my thoughts to guide me. This was how it went.

Why was it termed a cross path? Why was the meeting of two people so sacred? Don't we meet people all the time? Could every face that we walked by, breaths that blew by, presence that were only felt for a second be people in our cross paths? These were the initial questions I asked myself. I later understood that for us to say we were in a cross path, the 'other' had to be one noticed. We had to have a form of communication either verbally or non-verbally. he/she had to be present in my life. He/She had to be a part of it.

When I asked a friend of mine about cross paths, she said to me "it can be special at times because sometimes, these people that cross your paths in life actually teach you things you were never aware of".

It got me thinking for a while. From the people I met what had they taught me that I might have taken for granted.

The easiest way to find an example would be to think of people who you don't communicate on a regular basis anymore as you would before. These would most likely be ex partners, old schoolmates, forgotten friends, previous acquaintances and so forth. Everyone is not spared from cross paths. Now, think of a person that you wish you were still in contact with and come with me.


Reminisce the past. Relive those moments.


"Do you remember how we met?"

It's funny because often times, the people dearest to us come into our lives in the funniest and strangest ways. Don't you think so? It could be as weird as dropping something, knocking into one another, an airport bar,a fight, a misunderstanding…you name it, we've lived it.

Life will always be good then. However, occasionally you'll wonder if the bond will die. You know you don't want it to and you tell yourself it won't happen. But often times, people move on. "Yeah, it was nice to know you and I had a great time". We always notice when the other is drifting apart and without fail, we always feel left out. We feel that we're left behind while they have 'moved on'. It always happens.

Actually, we do it too. We move on too. It's a part of life, it's a cycle. It has to happen. Sometimes when I meet these faces of the past, I wonder if this is a sign that the cross has been fulfilled or maybe we're still in the spot, the center of the cross. Sometimes I really do wish things hadn't change. But then again, maybe it's just me.

If I have to say what cross paths has taught me, generally I think it has taught me to always be strong willed. We live in a complex society whereby we see foreign faces more than familiar ones. Learn to let things go if they must and to have commitment if it is to stay.

The golden rule – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Cross paths are a sad realization that we cannot have everything or everyone we want. For a cross to happen, two lines must come from separate sides, and meet. Regardless of how far back they came from, they will eventually…have to part. We can only have so much.


X marks the spot and it is the heart where the softest spot is.


At times, I just wished we had stop at where we met, turned around, and formed a triangle. That way we would always meet and end up together and not have to part.


At times…at times.

The Bureau of Printing & Engraving is where they print "MONEY" for the Federal Reserve. There are only two such locations in the United States, one being in Fort Worth and the other in Washington D.C. This place is fabulous and they give you a guided tour through-out the facility. Arrive early because the lines could get long. A must see for anyone visiting the DFW Metroplex.

Ok here is another trip I gave Bridget. 

She was my date at the Navy Ball, she had her hair done and I bought her the dress, shoes and earrings.

Also here are some photos of our room and Fort Worth, TX and photos at the base.

What a great trip! We met back up with AJ and the fam!

We flew from Portland Oregon to  Denver Colorado on May 1st at 2:11pm. We caught another flight to Dallas/ Fort Worth and arrived in Texas around midnight their time.
Me and my husband stayed until May 3rd (my son stayed in Fort Worth)

Before Drew headed off to work and before we got back on the road again, he wanted to show us around the Fort Worth area.  Drew took us to the Fort Worth Historic Stockyards District.  The Fort Worth Stockyards are the last standing stockyards in the country.  

PHEW!  We made it to Texas.  After driving about 17 hours the Dallas/Fort Worth skyline was a welcome site.  We were lucky to have free accommodations for the night at Mar's friend Drew's house in Fort Worth.  Drew was such a great host with a spare bedroom.  After our late night arrival, Drew took us out for wings at his favorite bar/hangout...sorry can't remember the name...I was just glad we were not the ones driving!   Back at his place, we three chatted a bit before it was of to dreamland!  Need rest deparately...tomorrow was another long day of driving!

It's a Zoo. What more do you have to say? Wild Animals and lots of kids stuff. Great fun for the Family!!!

Considering that this place used to be free, its a bit disappointing to find out it now costs $4.00 per Adult, and $2.00 per child. But if you are looking for a quiet walk in the woods and want to see some wildlife roaming free, this is the place for you. There is a Buffalo pen and parking on the main road leading into the Park; most days they are at the feeding troughs and you can get up close and personal with thes enormous beasts! As well as the many deer and other wildlife that roam free in the 3600 acres. It is not unusual to be walking along and have a deer or rabbit dart across your path, running in fear of course from your intrusion, but still an awesome site. The Buffalo pen is quite large and you will walk past it on a couple different trails. Prairie Dog Town is your next stop, just around the corner from the Buffalo pen, and there is parking available as well at this stop. There are large shade trees and flat open terrain in which the Prairie Dogs live and roam. You can see 100+ easily in the Spring time! Park at the Welcome Center and from there you have several options for trails and scenery. There are routes ranging from 1 mile to the full Greer Island Trail that takes you winding through the woods for about 6-7 miles and then onto Greer Island. I make this journey almost every 2 weeks with my dogs for exercise and fresh air! It's a great place for family and pets, but be sure you have your leash handy! It's an ON LEASH park for dogs, but once you get out into the woods, I'm not going to tell on you. ;-) Bring plenty of water on hot days because there are no drinking fountains or utilities out on the trails. The best time of year is in the early Fall and late Spring as the heat and humidity of Texas really takes its toll out here! Please be respectful and pick up after yourselves!!! I have been taking my dogs out here for 4 years and the cleanliness has gone down recently due to so many people leaving their trash behind. So grab a trash bag on your way and help keep nature beautiful!!! Animals I have seen in the park (captive and wild): Rabbits, Squirrels, Buffalo, Prairie Dogs, Buzzards, several different Falcons, field mice, Boar (down near the water usually), frogs, lizards, and all the other small animals you expect in nature! There are several animals on display at the Welcome Center but since I always have my dogs with me I have never been inside. This is one of my favorite places to go in the DFW area!! :-)

Seeing as I live in Fort Worth I thought that I'd be more than qualified to write about the nightlife here. Fort Worth has traditionally been more of a bar scene with very little if any clubs. Lately though there have been a rise in upscale "Lounges" that have incorporated the table service that only really existed in Dallas or any other major city. The bar scene here is very vibrant with a wide variety of people. Everyone is very local for the most part. You will rarely find anyone from anywhere east of the city. There are several bars here but there are only a few that I really see worth pointing out. First off, there really aren't any "tourist" bars so whether you decide to go downtown (which as a visitor, that'd be the only place I'd go) or to a smaller more cozy bar outside of downtown, you'll be fully submersed with the local feel. Houston street in downtown Fort Worth is where you'll find the most exciting time. Friday and Saturday nights are the only nights you'll find a lot of other people, other than those nights, Fort Worth is very quiet. Pour House one the corner of Houston and 5th is a great spot but expect to pay a small cover on the busy nights. Library on Houston which is a hop skip and a jump away from the Pour House is also very busy and your less likely to find a cover there. Drinks are cheap compared to Dallas or any other major city in the United States. Most bars are very quiet until about 11pm here. If your in the mood for some live music and want to get away from most of the college kids then 8.0's is a good bet. Its once again very close to Houston and it features a live band outside covering everything from Gun's and Rose's to Weezer. You'll find a great mix of people here in age as well. If you just have to get to a club or disco and can't make the 40 min. drive to Dallas then City Streets is where you need to go. Its a very big place and for a visitor you should have a good time, there is also a wide variety of people here as well. When it comes to new, good looking and a more hip crowd then Aqua Lounge, Bent Lounge or Bar 9 are the places to be. Fort Worth is very new to the swanky lounges that have been in other major cities for awhile. These places have a dress code for the most part but a nice collard shirt and some jeans will do. These places have bottle service so if your used to having your own bottle and place to sit then take advantage. The bottle service here in Fort Worth is a no brainer!!! Bottle service starts at a measly $135 - $145 for a bottom shelf liquor compared to $250 - $300 in Dallas or $450 in Vegas. Overall the nightlife in Fort Worth is very vibrant and alive. I did show a friend from France around and he greatly enjoyed himself so if I seem to have dulled Fort Worth down since I live here ignore it. Fort Worth is very laid back and easy going but it has that swagger if your looking for it!

I was 14 years old at the time, but we had fun. The hotel had a lot of hiding places for kids. We got away with alot. The rooms were a good size. Pretty clean. The bathrooms were emaculate.

WEll... if you are going to stay for a couple days, don't worry about paying five or tens dollars more for a good quality hotel such as Holiday inn. otherwise, you may catch yourself cursing and cussing to yourself. However, it is more than a week, then ı strongly recommend Holiday Inn. Trust me it is really good. Also there is one another hotel which i will keep it to whoever specificially ask about it.

Hey All!!

I FINALLY updated! Sorry it took me so long. :(

In just a few hours, we will be hopping a plane and heading to cold Dayton, Ohio. When we leave lovely Fort Worth, we will have just 15 cities left on this tour. Incredible! I can't believe how fast the last few months have gone, how much I've learned, and what a different person I am now than I was last summer.

I've had a serious illness, made many new friends, been reminded of the importance of the friends that have stood by me for years, traveled the US extensively, learned to have patience in large quantities, pushed myself to places I never thought I would be brave enough to go, had several reality checks, grew to love my family even deeper, and realized that I can do anything I set my mind to.

Reading the entries from my first few weeks on this tour, I can't believe how different things are now than they were then. I have learned so much, and hope that the next 7 weeks bring many fun new experiences, many job opportunities, and never again the experience that we all had in Waco, Texas.

xoxo

We had a short layover in Fort Worth, TX. I was getting a little tired being in my seat for such a long period of time that I got off the train and walked around the station. There was a man selling brats outside the station. Surprisingly, they were very good.

Back on the train and down South again towards Austin and San Antonio.