The gift that never stops giving...

Most kids love field trips. I despised them.

Actually, I didn't just hate them. I was afraid of them.

Whenever there was a field trip, I woke up feeling sick. Of course, this ailment was all mental, because I was so afraid of the activities...I was perfectly healthy.

The reason I feared field trips so was because I worried that I'd have to go to the bathroom on the bus. And I worried I wouldn't be able to hold it and I'd have to ask the bus to pull over.

However, there was one field trip in first grade that I really loved. I think the main reason I opened myself up to the possibility of an enjoyable field trip was because my mom was going as well.

This field trip was to a very magical place: The landfill.

I still remember standing on this long outdoor bridge that connected one end of the plant to another. They stopped us on the bridge and told us a story about burying tires in a landfill.

You see, if you bury a tire without cutting it in half, it digs itself back up. If you cut it in half, though, it stays buried.

This was all very fascinating to my first-grade-afraid-of-field-trips-mind.

I was reminded of this fact this morning when I was watching the Today Show. They told a story about a man who built his house entirely out of tires.

I find this rather impressive, especially because he plans on spending only around $50 or $100 on gas each month.

This house, in turn, reminded me of the Solar House at Georgia Tech. The house is able to run entirely on solar power and is a step toward increasing sustainable living in the United States.

This weekend, I was lucky enough to see this house in person. I had this wonderful opportunity because my amazing siblings bought me a plane ticket to Atlanta for my birthday.

I was able to spend the weekend with Jim (while extending my birthday even longer-my siblings know me so well!).

The weekend couldn't have been more perfect. Between spending time with his friends, my friends and one another, we had an amazing time.

Of course, as the plane started to take off on my return flight, I became a little anxious that I might not be able to make it until we reached our ideal destination of 10,000 feet before I was able to use the restroom.

But, luckily, I was able to suppress my anxiety just long enough, in order to sit back and enjoy the flight. How blessed I am to have such fabulous people in my life!