Adventures in Nebraska

Written in Brian's perspective unless noted otherwise

Thu visited Nebraska for the first time while she was on winter break. This blog documents the many adventures we had during her time here.

Airport Arrival / Drive Home

As Thu was on her flight from California to Nebraska, the American Airlines app on her phone caused her phone to crash. At that time, we didn't know that the app was the cause. She said that turning it on again or charging it didn't solve the issue. I was very worried that there was no way to communicate with her while she was traveling.

There was quite a heavy snowstorm as I made my way to the airport. I saw some cars on the side of the road that were either stuck in snow or had fallen into a ditch. I was worried that the storm would impede my travels there and that Thu wouldn't know where I was. Nevertheless, I made it there without any adversity.

Seeing each other at the airport brought a lot of joy between us. We hadn't seen each other for months since she was studying at California State University, Fullerton and I was working in Nebraska.

Unfortunately, when we tried to leave the parking lot, the airport did not clear the exit of the snow, which left us and another person stuck in the snow for hours. I called my friend to help shovel snow from underneath. We spent about an hour trying to get my car out but to no prevail. Eventually, we had to call a tow truck to get us out. Not an ideal first experience in Nebraska for her

As we drove home, I asked Thu what she thought of the surroundings since being in a rural environment was drastically different. At the time, she didn't feel different, but that later changed as she experienced Nebraska more. We arrived home at 3 AM and were very tired from the experience. I made topokki to celebrate her arrival. We ate topokki many times back in Cali at one of our favorite Korean restaurants, but this is the first time I cooked it for her. She enjoyed it a lot!

Runza

Runza is a regional cuisine of Nebraska. It is a stuffed breading filled with ground beef, cabbage, and onion, and it's very popular in this state. It tastes a lot like a philly cheese steak sandwich.

During winter time, they have a unique promotion called Temperature Tuesday, where if you were to order a regular runza with fries and a drink, the cost of the runza will equal to the amount of the lowest temperature in Nebraska. For example, if the lowest temperature was 30°, then the cost of the runza would be 30¢. When we ordered runza combos, the lowest at the time was 0°, so the price of the runzas were free!

Museums

Hastings Museum

The Hastings museum was the first museum we've visited. It had a wide variety of exhibits, such as antiques, fossiles, rocks & minerals, wildlife, and weapons. What was unique about it was that also had an exhibit of Kool-Aid, which Hastings is also the birthplace of Kool-aid. Unfortunately I didn't get a lot of photos from it

Great Platte River Road Archway Monument

The Kearney Archway Museum was one of the most unique museums we've visited. It details stories of the pioneers in the mid-1800s who traveled across America to the north to start better lives for them and their families, all the way to the 1950s. The exhibits were set up to feel immersive and like we were actually there. They incorporate many sounds, lighting, and realistic props. Additionally, the museum also has an audio-guided tour, where we could use a phone-like device to connect to a plaque placed on an exhibit, and the audio tour related to that exhibit would play.

I highly recommend visiting this museum if you're ever around the area. It's an amazing experience

On our way home, we've witnessed one of the most beatiful sunsets during our time in Nebraska. The beautiful orange glow mixed with the dark blue sky was a perfect end to our day.

Downtown Hastings

From Thu:

"Hastings downtown is my favorite place to walk around because of its vibe and architecture. The signs there impress me a lot. It's like a present with good wraps. Walking into these stores brings me feelings of peace and warmth. The pace of life is slow, allowing us more time to contemplate our lives and how to improve them. It also encourages us to treat others more gently. Drinking a cup of mocha next to a chimney and reading books while it's snowy outside feels like a retreat for my winter break. I went to The Fahrm Bar when Blue Moon Coffee was about to close and enjoyed the vibe of young people there. I also visited small stores to learn about the lifestyle there. The Frame Lady carries different styles of frames, and there is a store that sells very good-smelling bar soap. There are also stores that sell beautiful clothes and shoes. Yet, there are some office supply stores that have only a few visitors because it's hard to compete with franchises like Walmart. Going around, feeling the vibe, and learning about the culture of the community just makes me happy. It's like a retreat, an opportunity for me to open my mind."

Julie's Xpressions

There's a bead store in downtown Hastings called "Julie's Xpressions." It specializes in making beaded bracelets and necklaces. We went there to make beaded bracelets for each other. The store had a myriad of options to customize our bracelets, and surprisingly for very cheap. The workers there are very kind and patient while they guided us in making our custom beads.

This was Thu's favorite place in all of Nebraska because it allowed her to express her creativity. She would love to return here again so she could spend all day making beaded crafts!

Other Photos

Conclusion

From our experiences, Thu considers Nebraska a great state for vacation, as the Nebraskan life was way less hectic and more peaceful than in Cali. She is eager to come back to Nebraska again in the summer.

We've hoped you enjoyed this blog. We plan on making another blog for our summer trip together. This time, we will document our adventures in Lincoln, Omaha, and more, so be on the lookout for that!