THE BIG DAY IS FINALLY HERE! Shot up at 7:15 am when my alarm went off to get ready for the big drive. After packing some final things – because we had packed most of the car up the night before – and showering etc we left Miami around 8;15 am. Our first stop was Tampa, FL to have lunch with Sam Smith (not the Grammy-award winning singer, the girl that worked in creative arts at Wekeela in 2011). On the way to Tampa we got caught in some commuter traffic leaving Miami. We stopped to get gas at BJs, spoke to Ephram Caflun on speaker phone, and made a quick pitstop at Walgreens for caffeinated drinks, snacks, and caffeine pills.

We got to Sam’s house around 1:15 pm after driving over all 739 speed bumps between the end of the highway and Sam’s drive way. Sam’s house is super cool! There are vintage phones, a vintage pinball machine, a vintage and functional vending machine, and a pool. I saw Sam in Chicago in April but as always it was great to see her. She hadn’t seen Alex since 2011 so that was cool too. Her dad made us the Tampa version of Cuban sandwiches (apparently there’s a big rivalry versus the Miami version) on homemade bread with a salad and chips. Really really good. We stayed until 3:30 and then hit the road.

We got to Tallahassee at 7:30 pm, making really good time from Tampa and only stopping once for gas. We drove through FSU which was really big and really pretty. After driving through campus we arrived at Vanessa Jollay’s house not too far from campus at 7:45. She came out and greeted us with a big hug – I hadn’t seen her since the summer of 2013! After getting settled in her house and meeting her roommate Kayla and friend Gaby, she and Gaby went to an Afro-Cuban performance she had been planning to go to. Alex and stayed back and chilled out, eventually leaving around 9:30 to explore the FSU area and get some food.

After driving for a while we landed on Po Boys Campus Cafe at 10 pm for a late dinner. This was the first disappointing meal of our trip. Alex got a buffalo chicken po boy (panini) and I got a red beans and rice platter with chicken, cheese, onions, and peppers. Both VERY sub par. The server was attentive at first but ended up ignoring us later while she was flirting with some guy. After paying for the meal we drove by downtown Tallahassee, passing by the state capital building which is apparently  the only cool thing around there. We were back at Vanessa’s by 11:30. Alex slept on the little couch, generously giving me the bigger and more comfortable couch. The only way he could fit was by putting his feet on the arm of my couch, which was adjacent to his.

Tomorrow we want an early start. We’re planning on going to Mobile. Alabama for a bit before heading to New Orleans for the weekend. Tomorrow is also the 14th anniversary of 9/11/01, which is very surreal. On the positive side, my favorite basketball player of all time – Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo – is getting inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame. All of the hard work that Josh Warhit and I have done over the years spreading the gospel of Dikembe has finally paid off.

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