Go Midwest! (What?)

When my friend Lindsey Phillips originally asked me to go with her, her mom, her grandma, and Jenna Hetmansperger to Mall of America for a few days, I was pretty much thrillled. I mean, Mall of America! This was going to be one awesome trip. Me and two of my best friends, on a road trip. Final destination: Mall of America.

It's Sunday now, and we left on Thursday. Thursday was pretty much just getting to the Wisconsin Dells. We got stuck in a TWO HOUR traffic jam in Chicago! It wasn't too bad though, considering I was with two awesome people and the movies Rumor Has It and Toy Story. It went a lot quicker considering we were watching movies and talking a whole lot. Anyway, after we finally got through the traffic jam, we got to our hotel a few hours later and didn't do a whole lot that day. Friday, we spent the day at the water/theme park, called Mt. Olympus at the Wisconsin Dells. That was so fun! Although I was a little paranoid about getting my sunburn even MORE sunburned. I had to walk around all day with my towel over my shoulders. But hey. They have one awesome indoor waterpark. I'm talking like 6 or 7 water slides, a couple of pools and a few lazy rivers. The outdoor water slides sure were fun too. That was a good day, definitely one I won't forget.

On Saturday, we drove the rest of the way to Bloomington, Minnesota, to spend the rest of the day at Mall of America. That was fun. There's 560 stores, and 4 floors! It's a good thing we planned on staying the entire day at mall, because we definitely needed it. And honestly... despite all the hype it gets, it really is just a MALL. A big one. I really was expecting a little more than it had to offer, but it sure was fun anyway. But boy, did we do some walking! Friday we had a little run-in with a mall cop... it turns out that on Fridays and Saturdays after 4pm, kids 15 and under have to be with their parent or guardian. We, however, did not know this. So... that was probably one high point of the trip!

The other high point of the trip was DEFINITELY going to the home furnishing store, IKEA. I saw it on the side of the road, and started freaking out because I've wanted to go to one since forever. My sister originally introduced me to it by buying me an alarm clock, a throw pillow, and a couple storage containers that she knew I would love. She also got me the catalog, which was the icing on the cake, what really made me fall in love with IKEA. Unfortunately, we don't have any near us in Michigan. So we spent a few hours browsing, and I definitely got my imagination going. I can't wait to be a homeowner!

All in all, we had a fantastic time. I really enjoyed it, and definitely plan on coming back in the near future. Thanks, Mall of America!