Life According to Us: Traveling mishaps + TOMS + Chicken & Waffles

I know what you're thinking. "Is Caleb ever going to write a post?" I have good news. I am sitting down tonight to write about my adventure from Dallas to LA, my first day at TOMS, and what these past 2 weeks have been like (a whirlwind).

After loading up the Penske truck, my dad and I headed west.

I'll shed some light on a few useful traveling tips for traveling across the country. Trust me, it's better to learn from me than on your own.

1. When towing your car behind a moving truck, don't always assume the Penske people attached your car correctly. Always double check their work.
2. Always bring a jacket, not everywhere is 110 degrees like in Texas.
3. Make sure you get the right size truck, and make sure the inside is clean, before having to go back 2 times to get that "perfect truck".
4. Whenever you see a "Meteor Crater" exit sign, don't assume you will get to see the giant hole in the ground for free.
5. When an overloaded, oversized, diesel truck is about to tip over on the highway. Slow down, don't try to pass.
6. When you see other competing trucks (in my case U-Haul & Budget), you must race them down the highway. There's no questioning this...you just have to do it.
7. When a McDonald's in Albq., NM accidently puts a bug in your meal, don't ask for your next meal to be free. You'll probably get a business card with a hand written note that doesn't work in LA.
8. Read every parking sign in LA 3 times, then read it again just to be 100% sure you won't get a $68 parking ticket.

I really have no other way to explain my first day at TOMS other than truly amazing and welcoming. After kissing Jenna good-bye and leaving the house dressed up like my first day of school, I found a place to park (which can be difficult). I walked into HQ, took a tour, met a lot of people (whose names I am still learning), and found my desk! It was a busy first day covering everything I will be doing, but Allie T. and others around me made it a great first day.

Last Tuesday, I set out for a red eye to Atlanta to help with the Catalyst Conference. This is one of our biggest events of the year and it was helpful to see what all goes into making this happen. It was good experience and a lot of fun as well. I was starting to shake a little due to Chick-Fil-A withdrawals, but I loaded up in ATL and I think I should be okay for a while! After a hard day of setup, we went to a famous place in ATL called "Gladys Knight Chicken & Waffles". I cleaned my plate and even downed a side of Mac & Cheese! This was probably one of the best meals I have had in a while! It was truly a great treat! The next 2 days at Catalyst were great. I was able to share the TOMS story to people who didn't know about it, as well as talk to others who are just as excited as I am about it. I enjoyed being able to hear Katie Davis and Francis Chan speak. Francis Chan is an amazing speaker, but better than that, he puts his faith into action and truly lives out a Christ filled life. I saved the best for last and that was TOMS Chief Shoe Giver, Blake M. and he did an awesome job of representing TOMS in front of 13,000 people. He talked about giving sight to people in need and it almost made me cry. (Here's a cheap plug, but if you haven't heard TOMS sells eyewear now and helps give sight to a person in need, One for One)

After Catalyst I flew into Dallas for an amazing wedding for now Chase & Stacey Oliver! They had an awesome wedding and glad I was able to be there for it.

Well, my long overdue blog post is done, and I probably won't make an appearance for a while. So I hope you enjoyed it and I'll leave you with some pictures from the last few weeks!