Join me on my work travels to Evansville Indiana.
When I’m not writing, I stay busy with my day job bringing technology access and education to under-resourced communities.
I work full-time as a Regional Program Manager for Compudopt, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to bring technology access and education to communities that need it to bridge the digital divide.
Part of that mission includes facilitating technology programs.
I’m a part of the national team, meaning I get to travel to our popup locations all around the United States to kick off these programs and prepare my trainers or sometimes teach them myself.
Working full-time and growing a writing business is quite a balancing act. But I love what I do. My company’s mission is personally meaningful to me.
I love teaching and inspiring kids to work with technology. So many of them are brilliant. I hope they go on to invent new technologies that change our world.
Getting Started!
I recently traveled to Evansville, the largest city in Southern Indiana.
To kickstart our Early Adopters program, a space-themed technology adventure for 3rd-5th grade students.
We partnered with the Boys and Girls Club to host this program.
I’ve been preparing for the start of this program since January and finally getting to see the places and meet the people I’ve known virtually.
It really starts to bring everything to life.
I ordered the program supplies in Abilene, sorted them on my home office floor, and hired my trainer remotely.
I finally set things in motion and saw everything in action.
Arrival and first day of programs at the Boys and Girls Club.
I left for the airport Early Monday morning to start my week.
I made my first trip to the Boys and Girls Club on Tuesday morning to meet Amy, the program director, and my trainer, Ava.
With this being the first day of programs, I like to have plenty of time to set up and get ready.
So we unpackaged all the supplies I had ordered and put them together in my home office.
Luckily, they arrived safely. We also had supplies shipped from Houston and LA.
Everything came together on time and safely. Each student gets their own box of supplies and their own laptop.
The Boys and Girls Club.
As I told Amy about my trip, I learned that several major cities surround Evansville.
I already knew Louisville since I landed there on Monday, Nashville, St. Louis, Lexington, and Indianapolis.
I said it’s different to me that everything is so close together.
In Texas, you’ve got to drive far to get anywhere. And that’s when she said, I’ll never live in Texas!
I also learned how to say Louisville correctly; it’s not Lewyville. It almost sounds like Luvell, like you need to drop your jaw or swallow it!
We got all the supplies and laptops ready to go, and I returned later to start the first day.
My trainer and I prepared to meet the students; oh boy, they were lively! Talkative, smart, interested, and ready to go!
We played icebreaker games with them, talked about what STEAM is, and told them they got to keep their laptops at the end!
Comfort by the Cross-Eyed Cricket.
Afterward, Ava and I celebrated with dinner at Comfort by the Cross-eyed Cricket, an American comfort food restaurant downtown close to my hotel on Main street.
Comfort is a three-story restaurant with a different restaurant on each story.
The outside of the building is tall and rectangular, with a classic and clean style.
The front is adorned with white pillars and a balcony connected to the second restaurant above the first.
A white wooden sign with bold black letters and a little smiling cricket was attached to the pillars.
The road on Main street is made entirely of red brick and is filled with local shops, restaurants, and businesses.
It’s narrow to drive down, especially with all the parallel parking spots on the sides.
After our freshly baked bread with homemade strawberry butter, chicken tenders, and mashed potatoes, I told Ava goodbye. Then, I made my way back to my hotel.
Next stop, the Library and River Kitty Cat Café.
Wednesday, I had more time to myself. Since programs were Tuesdays and Thursdays, I saw more of Evansville.
I explored one of the libraries and downtown near my hotel. Ava and I were training and prepping for Thursday’s lesson, and we visited the EVPL East library.
It’s a grand old historic building open since 1913 and one of two Carnegie libraries in Evansville!
There are only 750 Carnegie libraries in the United States today. It is located near Bayard park and is surrounded by many lands with luscious green grass and tall trees.
The sky was a dull, gunmetal gray, with heavy, oppressive clouds that stretched far out of sight and blocked out the sun’s rays. The smell of rain loomed in the air.
As we approached the grand building, we were in awe of its immaculate façade.
It stands in the middle of a big plot of grass with a long pathway leading up to the entrance, where you can take in the full view of the front.
The building was rectangular in shape, with two large windows on either side, set back by the grand entrance.
As you get closer, you can see the details of the tan stone lining the door and the windows.
The contrast of the burgundy brick and tan stone made this building stand out even more.
The tan stone detailing comes to life with three vertically placed stones at the top of the two large windows and entrance.
The pillars have tiny grooves, and the words “Carnegie Library” are carved above the door frame.
On both sides, two ornate carvings of books encircled in wreaths with lots of intricate spiral detailing decorated the text.
We walked up the steps and through the doors, our footsteps echoing off the marble floor until we were inside.
After finding a quiet table to work at, we spent some time admiring the beauty of the Carnegie Library.
River Kitty Cat Café.
After we were done working, Ava told me about the River Kitty Cat Café, also located on Main Street in Downtown Evansville, and I just had to go.
We are both cat lovers, and she adopted one of her cats there. I’d never been to a cat café, so I was excited to attend.
It’s a one-part kitty room and a one-part café with a big cat room where you can pet and play with the kitties.
They have coffee named after cats and macaroons and lots of stickers, t-shirts, pins, and buttons, all cat themed.
I got the iced kitty coffee and paid for 30 minutes in the cat room. You can sit in there, play with the cats and pet them.
They had a cute calico who loved pets but hid around the other cats.
Then, lots of sleepy and playful kitties came to greet us.
One black and white cat with a Charlie Chaplin mustache tried to jump in my bag, her name was Ms. Toast!
This is a great place for cat, coffee, and wine lovers, of which I am all three!
After we parted ways, I headed to my first Cyclebar class, got caught in a rainstorm, spent the evening relaxing in my hotel, and got ready to tackle Thursday.
Walking the Ohio River and Exploring Downtown Evansville.
On Thursday, my last day, I walked the Ohio river and around the Historic Preservation District downtown.
I left my Behemoth Ford Explorer in the hotel parking lot, walked across the street, and entered the riverwalk at the Korean War Memorial.
The Ohio River separates Indiana from Kentucky. The sun was peeking out from behind the clouds, and it was a bit windy—a perfect day to get some fresh air and exercise.
One side leads downtown, and the other leads into Mickey’s Kingdom Park, Evansville Museum, and the planetarium. The walkway is made up of red brick and hexagon-shaped stones.
The sidewalks are lined with trees and lamp posts, and the side overlooking the river has green metal fencing.
There were some places to sit and watch the river, war memorials, and benches dedicated to passed loved ones.
I saw a glimpse of CenterPoint Energy, the electric and natural gas company sponsoring our programs in Evansville.
As I headed to the park, I got to sit on one of those benches and look out over the river.
Small white puffy clouds floated in the sky with the sun peeking through, and the wind blew my hair to one side of my head.
I looked out and over the water and had a wonderful ah hah moment.
It is a blessing to savor a moment like that when you can walk outside on a Thursday morning during work hours to exercise, inhale the fresh air, and enjoy being alive.
It was almost lunch, so I walked to Penny Lane Coffee House, about 10 minutes away.
Historic Preservation District.
On my way to Pennylane, I strolled through The historic preservation district. Next, I passed by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and many houses.
The road is made of brick, the sidewalks lined with tall trees, and the people walked up and down the sidewalk with their dogs.
It was quite a site to take in, some of these houses looked like castles, and the walk was scenic and relaxing.
The places I passed had various architectural styles, including Victorian, Colonial Revival, Renaissance revival, and Italianate. Finally, I passed another church and made it to Pennylane.
Pennylane Coffee House.
I love local coffee places, and when I travel, I always want to know the best places to get coffee.
Pennylane has got retro, hippy vibes, local artist’s photos, paintings on the wall for sale, local jewelry, and a 3 giant bookcase pushed together to make one large bookcase with lots of books and vintage decorations.
It had a large box sign with light-up letters, “saying John Lennon Rock ‘N” Roll.” Table tops with old rock stars and actors and some with red and white checkered tablecloths. Delicious coffee!
I got a lavender and vanilla latte, rested on a couch, and enjoyed the scenery.
This place is way more than about coffee. Instead, they say, “It’s about people, life, and taking time to sit back, forget about your worries before your day starts or after and focus on you for a while.” which I love.
The sandwich I got came with queso, and it was amazing! And it was named “Dazed and Confused.” Taking the rest of my coffee, I hurried out the door.
I walked back through the historic preservation district to retrieve my Behemoth from the hotel parking lot and headed to the library.
This time I booked a study room at the EVPL Central downtown, a massive two-story library.
I had a quiet place to work and remotely visit with my colleagues before the programs.
After my time was up, I headed to the Boys and Girls club to do a run-through of the curriculum and set up with Ava before the kids arrived. It was another great night.
The kids actively participated, got to start creating their planets and colored their supply boxes.
I said goodbye to them at the end and headed out on the two-hour drive back to Louisville.
Returning home.
I flew home Friday morning and proceeded to sleep the whole weekend. Travel is both fun and exhausting!
I look forward to returning to Evansville in April to see Ava, Amy, and the kids again. But, for now, that ends my first trip to Evansville, Indiana!
Have you ever been to Evansville? Tell me about your trip in the comments!
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