Season 6 Whats The Dream? Blog 22: Electric Night Ride

 Electric Night Ride

Every year over Labor Day weekend, there is a Greek festival hosted at a Greek Orthodox church in downtown Columbus. My “sisters” and I went multiple times in our childhood, and Kid and I have continued the tradition since the other girls moved away. This year, one of the friends that Kid made in California over the summer was in town with her boyfriend, and they stayed at Kid and Paige's place. I knew that Kid and her friend were going on Saturday, September 2nd, and I was planning on meeting up with them.

September 1st is my cousin Austin’s birthday, so my Aunt and Uncle flew to Pittsburgh to celebrate, and my parents and brother joined them. I stayed at my parents' house and watched our cat, Sammi. At 6:30 on the night of the 2nd, I ordered a Lyft so that I could drink at the festival if I wanted to.

As I walked into the festival Paige (who was doing homework) texted me and told me that Kid and her friend had made it back to the apartment. I had missed them! Fine, I thought to myself, I can have fun by myself! I don’t need anyone. I knew I was lying to myself. It’s not that I don’t enjoy my alone time, but I definitely enjoy time with people more!

By 8:00, I was ready to go. I decided to walk to a nearby bar called Brother’s because it was far enough away from the festival that it would be easy to find the Lyft. However, there was construction on my route. With my original plan foiled, I decided to take the bus. The closest bus stop I knew was the Nationwide building. When I looked at the schedule, I realized that there wouldn’t be one for 40 minutes! I was a bit angry at this point, but that wouldn't last long.

As I looked around, I saw a Lime scooter right next to the bus stop. I knew the bus route back to my parents' house by heart and thought this would be a fun adventure. I got on the Scooter and began riding down the street. The scooter was working at first, but after one block or so, but then I entered a “no ride” zone that lasted for the entirety of the OSU campus. With a ton of perseverance and honestly a little more effort than it was worth, I made it through the “no ride” zone and was allowed to take full advantage of the electric scooter's capabilities.

I was in the bike lane for the entire time I was on the road, but there were still some drivers who were experiencing road rage. It was getting dark, so to stay safe, I took a detour through the local library parking lot, past the tennis courts, and down some side streets. When I passed the tennis courts, I saw my childhood neighbor Melody and her new fiancé Rob. I rode up to them, they asked me what I was doing, and I explained the situation.

“Wait, you rode that thing all the way from downtown?” Melody asked, with a look of shock on her face.

“Yep!” I said.

“Wow, that's impressive,” Rob said.

After saying goodbye to them, I continued my journey home. As I was about to reach my destination, I thought about how shocked Melody and Rob had been. I decided that I had, in fact, reached my goal for the night. No one was with me, and yet I still managed to have a fun night and an impressive adventure to add to my resume!

Have a Greattastic day and be safe 

J. Mitchie Ulibarri

Season 6 Whats The Dream? Blog 21: Mitchmas (26) Part 2: Birthday Tipping

Mitchmas (26) Part 2: Birthday Tipping

On August 18th, Mitchmas Eve, I finished packing, picked Paige up, and drove to Lanesville, Pennsylvania. We got to the Airbnb at around 11:15 that night and went to bed shortly thereafter.

The next day we woke up at 10:00, and after Paige, Arden, Marshall, Aspen, James, and Kid wished me a happy birthday, we went out for a late breakfast. After breakfast, we changed into our bathing suits and went to a nearby lake.

Arden, Paige, and Marshall got single kayaks, Aspen and James got a double canoe, and Kid and I got paddle boards. Paige and Arden’s were closed, while Marshall’s was open. “I think you need a birthday tipping,” Arden said after we had been on the water for 10 minutes.

“Huh?” I said just as Arden and Kid dove into the water and flipped my paddle board.

From there, it became very chaotic, trying to flip everyone we could. After I couldn't manage to tip anyone, I just started swimming around. Aspen had taken control of my paddle board so that it didn't float away. As everyone was leaving, she asked, “Do you want a ride?”

I hopped on the back of the board, and Aspen and I balanced our way toward where everyone else was. “And, do you want to try to tip Arden?” I whispered in Aspen’s ear. She nodded, and we slowly moved toward Arden. Arden was right next to Marshall, and as she saw us slowly moving up to her, she got suspicious. 

“Go, go, go!” Aspen yelled.

I jumped off the back of the paddle board and attempted to flip Arden's kayak. She pushed me, and I lost my grip. To keep myself afloat, I grabbed onto Marshall's kayak and tried to pull myself up. Before I realized what had happened, Marshall's boat was underwater and sinking fast!

“Crap!” Marshall exclaimed, swimming under to hold the kayak up. I helped, but it was super heavy, and there was a good 2 minutes where Marshall and I thought we were going to lose it! Luckily with some effort and help from the girls, we managed to save the kayak. Now there was a man in his 60s who had been fishing on a boat, watching this entire thing play out. He was laughing at our antics, and I wish I could have been a fly on the wall when he got home and told his wife about what he saw!

Have a Greattastic day and be safe!

J. Mitchie Ulibarri

Before I end this installment, I just wanted to congratulate Marshall on finally graduating from college! I’m super proud of him because he’s been in school the entire time I’ve known him, and I’ve seen him go through the ups and downs! I can’t wait to see what’s next for you, man!

Season 6 Whats The Dream? Blog 20: Mitchmas (26) Part 1: Best Laid Plans

 Mitchmas (26) Part 1: Best Laid Plans

 On March 12th, 2020, Governor Mike Dewine instituted a statewide lockdown in response to Covid-19. Marshall and I had just gotten back from a spring break trip to Colorado. Now Marshall worked at Columbus State, when he was in school there, he had left stuff in his office. It kind of felt like the beginning of a zombie movie… I know that sounds dramatic, but it really did feel like society was about to collapse. In our panic, when Marshall and I got to Columbus State to pick stuff up, we didn't plan it very well and didn't get everything he had there.

On August 11, 2020, Marshall, August, and I decided to return to Columbus State to collect the things that Marshall and I had left behind back in March. We rode our bikes down the trail and, within an hour, made it to the campus.

After Marshall had collected his things, we started to head back home. We decided to ride through downtown as opposed to the trail on the way back. About halfway through the ride, August said that she was hungry, and Marshall and I weren’t opposed to food, so we masked up and entered a Chinese restaurant.

For years I have called my birthday (August 19), Mitchmas because I think it’s punny. For Mitchmas 21, August,  Arden, Marshall, his friend, Ricky, and I went to Toronto. As we were eating, August, Marshall, and I discussed some adventures we had been on before masks, quarantines, and social distancing.

“…and remember when we went to Canada?!”  August said.

“Yeah, it was really fun!” I replied.

“Yeah… except that I got food poisoning,” Marshall grumbled. After a little more discussion, we decided that we would make another trip to Canada once the border opened.

With Mitchmas 26 approaching, my “sisters,” Paige, Marshall, and James, were asking me what I wanted to do. I thought back to the plan August and Marshall had made, so I suggested a weekend trip to Canada. That didn’t work out as Mitchmas was coming up too fast, but we decided to go to a lake town in Pennsylvania.

Mitchmas fell on a Saturday this year, so we took a trip over the weekend. On the night of my birthday, however, I always have a birthday dinner with my family and, for the last three years, Noah. So on Wednesday, August 16, my family, Noah and Paige, went to Buca di Beppo. After dinner, we went to my parents' house for cake and presents. I know I say this about this dinner almost every year, but I’m thankful that I get to spend it with my friends and family!

To Be Continued…

Season 6 What's The Dream? Blog 19: The Kid Khronicles #3- Roommates

 The Kid Khronicles #3- Roommates

As I explained in "Meet (Half Of) The Andersons," August reached out to Paige on Instagram and sent up a brunch for herself, Paige, Kid, and me, even though I wasn't quite ready for my "sisters" to meet Paige yet. At that point, Paige was not my girlfriend, as our first date had only been a week before. I wrote that installment to set up my motivation for the following one: get my revenge and meet Paige's best friend (Nicole). Because of that, I didn't get to talk about the importance of that brunch in and of itself.

We sat at Northstar on Sunday, March 26th. "So, are you in school?" August asked.

"I go to Columbus State," Paige replied.

"Oh my gosh! So do I!" Kid exclaimed.

My fate was sealed. Paige and Kid exchanged numbers, and they discovered that both of their first classes were in the same building. So before class, they would get coffee almost every day, and Kid took Paige home on more than one occasion. I didn't realize how much trouble I was in until April 8th.

It was the day before Easter, and Arden and Marshall were in town for the holiday. One of Kid's friends had a show that night, and we all planned on going. Once Paige (who was now my girlfriend) had met Arden and Marshall, we headed to the show. That whole night I watched Paige integrate herself into my friend group through Kid with ease.

When Mat Kearney played the most recent private show for Sam's Fans, Paige and I went together (Legend). While we were mingling, Paige got a text. She pulled her phone out, and I noticed it was from someone named "ex-wife." I was confused, and she explained that there had been a running joke for a while that Nicole was her wife, but they "divorced" when Nicole started dating her boyfriend. "So, are you just dating me to make Kid your next wife?" I joked. A mischievous grin spread across Paige's face. Mostly to mess with me, she changed Kid's contact name from "Arlo" (her real name) to "Wifey."

Now Kid was planning on spending her summer in California working on a farm, and she ended up having a wonderful time. A few weeks after the Mat Kearney show, I went to the Anderson's house and found Paige in Kid's room. "We're looking for apartments!" Paige exclaimed.

"We might move in together once I get back from California!" Kid clarified.

I was admittedly a little taken aback at first. Honestly, I think most of it was a shock, but the ridiculousness of my "sister" moving in with my girlfriend was not lost on me. On Tuesday, August 8th, Luke, Josh, and I helped Paige move in, and by the 10th, they were both completely moved in (more or less). I'm so excited for you guys, and I can't wait to see what happens next!

Have a Greattastic day and be safe! 

J. Mitchie Ulibarri

Season 6 What's The Dream? Blog 18: Return To Norris Lake

 Return To Norris Lake

As I said in "Rules for a Greattastic Life (Taylor's version)," Paige went on a cousin's trip (her dad's side of the family) on June 30th for about a week. She was only back in Columbus for a few days before she went on a camping trip with her mom's side. As a result of her travels and my family trip to Colorado, Paige and I only saw each other three times in July before the Norris Lake trip.

You may recall my cousin's family, the Mitreys (Uncle Andy, Aunt Melissa, Alex, Maci, Nicholas, and Ellie), own a house on Norris Lake in Tennessee. The Mitreys have had extended family over since they got the home in 2021, and my family has gone every year. My family left on Saturday, July 29th, but that was the day of Paige's best friend Nicole's 21st birthday party, so Paige and I planned to go on the 30th. We got to the party 20 minutes after it started, and I spent the entire night socializing with Paige and Nicole's high school friends. The next day after Mass, I finished packing, and Paige and I drove five and a half hours to the lake house.

My Aunt Cyndi, her fiance Jeremy, and her two children, Caitlynn and Cameron, were at the house when Paige and I got there. My Uncle Bob would arrive the following day. The next morning, Paige and I put our swimsuits and sunscreen on and went on an hour-long paddle-boarding date. I know the first thing I did on the trip was go on that date, but after that, the days blurred together, so my timeline is a little questionable. But here are some highlights from the trip:

There was a stray dog that was roaming the area. He was very friendly and liked Mitrey's dog, Daisy. I'm pretty sure the dog is going to become the marina dog.

Uncle Andy took Paige, Cyndi, Caitlynn, Cameron, and me, tubing on our own. On Cyndi, Jeremy, Kaitlin, Cameron, Ellie, and Uncle Bob's last night, we went to the marina, ate dinner, and won $50 from their trivia night.

The day everyone listed above left (Cyndi's family went to Dollywood, and Uncle Bob drove Ellie home so she could attend a track camp), Alex took his remaining siblings, my brothers, Paige, and I tubing. Paige and I were last in the rotation since we had already gone. On Paige's turn, she flew off the tube, did three cartwheels in the air, and continued rolling when she hit the water! She was totally fine, other than a pretty big bruise on her leg, But I'm kind of mad I didn't get the epicness of that crash on video. For the rest of the trip, we either relaxed in the lake, played games with the neighbors, or played Mario Kart.

As you may recall last time I went to Norris Lake (Swimmer's Ear), it wasn't as fun for me as it should have been. Two things went wrong. First, I flew off the tube on my first day, got water stuck in my ear, and got an ear infection. Secondly, on that trip, I had to break up with my ex-girlfriend Gabby. Knowing that I was going on this trip, I preemptively got drops in case my earplugs didn't work, and even though I was in the water every day, I didn't get an ear infection.

Paige coming was excellent too! Paige had already met most of Mom's side of the family, so I already knew that they loved her. But she spent the entire week with my family and got along with everyone the whole time… Like; it's not that I wasn't expecting her to get along with everyone, but actually seeing everyone get along with her the entire week was super cool. I don't know, it was just such a fun trip, and I feel like Norris Lake has redeemed itself from last year!

Have a Greattastic day and be safe!

 J. Mitchie Ulibarrri

Season 6 What's The Dream? Blog 17: 14er

 14er

At 2:15 pm, August drove me to a parking lot outside the Denver Airport. A few minutes later, my family pulled up, having already picked up Ryan and Luke. After I said goodbye to August, I got into the van, and we drove the last two hours to Breckenridge.

Now where we were staying near, Breckenridge is 10,000 feet above sea level, and Denver is about 5,280. Breckenridge is the highest I've ever been, though I still didn't get altitude sickness. On our first night, we reviewed our plans for our first few days. My Family, Ron, Anita, Tanner, and Alex, did a ton of hiking, rode 37 miles on e-bikes, and went white water rafting. But the highlight of the trip was climbing a 14er.

Ever since Arden moved to Colorado in 2019, I have heard the term 14er in passing. A 14er is a mountain that is at least 14,000 feet above sea level. At 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 19, my family and both generations of Wallaces got ready to go, and we were at the Quandary Peak trailhead by 8:00.

Dad and my brothers were in one group, and Mom, the Wallaces, and I were in the other. Dad and the boys went ahead while the Wallaces, Mom, and I took our time. The first third of the hike wasn't spectacular, though it was at a constant incline. Once we reached that second third, we ran into the scree. Scree (according to the app, all trails) is a bunch of loose rocks and stones covering a mountain. The second 2/3 of this hike was just climbing up scree!

Now the second third of the hike culminated in a false peak. A false peak is exactly what it sounds like; from below, it looks like the top of a mountain, but once you reach it, you realize that the actual peak is still far away. When we were about halfway through the second third, Ryan called Mom (I have no idea how they had service) and informed her that Josh had left the group and had run to the top of the mountain as soon as they got to the false peak. We later found out that he fell asleep when he reached the top!

As we approached the false peak, a group of moutan goats came to us. We couldn't tell the males from the females, as they all had horns, but there was an adorable baby one! I took out my phone and started recording. The one that I assume was the mother walked up right up to me, so close that I had to back up! I think she was trying to show her baby that humans are safe. They were very social creatures; in fact, on the hike down, they walked with us until we got out of the scree as if they wanted to make sure that we got home safe!

Once we reached the false peak, Ron, Anita, Mom, and I ate a snack while Tanner and Alex continued to the top. At this point, our group started to break apart. Once we had finished our snack, we continued through the final third, but Mom and Anita took breaks every few steps because the air was so thin. Ron and I would wait for them, but eventually, they told us they would meet us at the top. Whenever I thought I had reached the top, I would look up and see more scree between me and the summit. It started to feel like I was climbing up a treadmill. Finally, with much perseverance, I made it to the top! When Mom and Antia were close enough, I went down a little bit to offer moral support. Once they reached the snow about 100 feet from the top, Anita convinced Mom to lie down and make snow angels with her.

As I said earlier, I've known about 14ers since Arden initially moved to Colorado. The thing is, my "sisters" and Marshall always talked about how ridiculously hard these things were. Up to this point, I haven't been an avid hiker. I mean, I enjoy it, but I haven't been addicted to it the way that they are. In my head, these things were almost equivalent to Mt. Everest! Because of how they had set my expectations, climbing this 14er was a lot easier than I had anticipated! Honestly, climbing down was more challenging because the scree hurt my legs and feet more from that angle. On top of that, I had forgotten to put sunscreen on my neck!

There are some tasks in life that can seem daunting, but if you don't go through them, you won't get the reward of seeing the world from an incredible new perspective!

Have a Greattastic day and be safe

J. Mitchie Ulibarri

Season 6 What's The Dream? Blog 16: Colorado, The Long Way Round

 Colorado, The Long Way Round

Since I've worked at New Story, I've only had a month of summer before I had to return for a three-week summer school program. This year, however, my family went on a vacation to Colorado in the middle of that program. I've been to Colorado multiple times, but there are a few differences this time. 1. Every other trip has been for me to visit my "sister" Arden and (once she moved there) my other "sister" August. It's never been a Ulibarri family trip. 2. Before Arden moved to Cincinnati, she always lived within an hour of Denver. August currently lives in Arvada, about 20 minutes outside of Denver. My family was going to Breckenridge. 3. I've always flown into Denver, but it's cheaper for a family of six to make the drive instead of buying that many plane tickets.

My parents' college best friends, Ron and Anita Wallace, their son Tanner and his wife Alex, were meeting us in Breckenridge. Cousin Simple had a show on Friday, July 14th, but we were initially going to leave on the 13th. The plan was Mom, Dad, Josh, and I would leave Columbus right after I got off work, get as far as we could that night, and get to Breckenridge on the night of the 14th. The following day Ron and Anita would join my family in going to Denver to pick up Ryan and Luke, and I would spend some time with August. However, that was slightly unrealistic, so my family and I didn't leave until Friday morning.

At 7:28 a.m., my parents, Josh, and I piled into Dad's big white work van and headed west after quickly stopping at his studio. My favorite part about flying to Colorado is the time change. Colorado is two hours behind Ohio, and it's a three-hour flight. What this means is I can get three hours of writing done in about an hour. The problem with making that drive is that you have to go through two time zones, which is very discombobulating, and Kansas is very boring to drive through. So for most of the journey, the first day Josh and I either slept in our seats or in a cot that we had set up In the back of the van.

Ron and Anita got to Breckenridge on the night of the 14th, but it took them a while to get through Denver because Taylor Swift's "Eras tour" had made it there. In fact, Alex was going to the show. Knowing how crazy Cincinnati got when I went to see her, we wanted to stay out of downtown to avoid any complications. But I still wanted to see August, so when we were at dinner in Kansas, I called her, and we found a location to meet up at that was close to the airport and would avoid most of the Swifties.

We got up the next morning and drove the final four hours to a relatively small suburb of Denver called Aurora.. August and I met at a place called Stanley Market at 11:20 a.m. Now as you might remember, August is pregnant. The last time I saw her, even though she was pregnant then, she was at the end of her first trimester… now she's practically in the third. While I've known since April, seeing August with a baby bump was surreal! In the time before Ryan and Luke landed, August and I got lunch, coffee, and ice cream!

While we couldn't do much on the way to Colorado, I still enjoyed the journey! Yeah, fine, I was asleep for most of it, but when I wasn't, I was having fun! Sometimes in life, you have to just enjoy the journey. Even if it could be more interesting overall, where you are going is worth it!

To Be Continued…