The Weekly Write-Up #28

Happy Easter! He is risen! Welcome to The Weekly Write-Up #28! This newsletter is special because all 4 sections share something in common: they all relate to my family’s trip to Louisville this past weekend! I read the majority of the book in Louisville, I watched the movie in a hotel in Louisville, we drove a Tesla to Louisville, and in the Wild Card section, I’m going to talk all about our trip! So, buckle up (haha, since I’m talking about a road trip) and enjoy this newsletter!

In this newsletter…

• An amazing testimonial book about finding hope in trials!

• The greatest race horse of all time: Secretariat!

• A dream come true: I got to ride in a Tesla Model 3!

• 4 Places, 4 Foods: Louisville, Kentucky Edition!

Literary Picks

LIVING HOPE: GIVING BIRTH TO DEATH BROUGHT LIFE

On the way to Louisville, I started one of my favorite books I’ve ever read! This book is special to me, though, in a different kind of way. That is because Living Hope is written by Christina Varvel, who just so happens to be my aunt (I promise, she didn’t pay me or tell me to write anything below). Since she is my aunt, that may influence me to say that this is one of my favorite books, but I don’t think that should discredit my recommendation of this book. Hear me out...

Through Living Hope, Christina Varvel writes about her journey through grief after her two miscarriages. She talks about how her miscarriages brought her hope and life. She processes her grief and asks God hard questions like why He would allow this to happen to her boys. Even though she isn’t able to answer some of those questions, she is able to find hope in the grief. She puts her trust in The Living Hope, a hope that doesn’t fade away or end. A Hope that is with us in the midst of grief, sorrow, and hardship! What I like most about this book is how honest and raw it is. My aunt writes the book in a very conversational way and pours out her heart in this book. She is extremely honest about how she is feeling and what she is going through. She doesn’t hold anything back, but lets her readers experience the grief and the hardship with her. Because of how honest she is, it makes the book encouraging at the same time. It is encouraging to know that other people go through the same things too and that we aren’t alone in our trials. While not everyone has experienced a miscarriage, everyone (yes, all of us) go through hard times in our lives at some point. It is also encouraging because through this grief, my aunt learned to lean on God and trust Him in the midst of all of the waves of grief that were crashing down on her. I really appreciate how honest and open she was in her book, and I think anyone who reads this book will agree.

This story really impacted me, but not only because it is my aunt writing a book about the loss of two of my cousins. No, it is because through this book, she wrestles through grief, and it is a really encouraging book! I would definitely recommend reading this book (and again, not just because she is my aunt, but for that reason too)! This is a great book for teens and adults, but since it is a really heavy book, I wouldn’t recommend it for younger kids (those younger than 13). You can buy the book on Amazon. My Aunt Christina also has a blog where she continues to write about how God is changing her life and the lives of those around her. You can check that out and/or buy her book at Christinavarvel.com.

Watchlist Wonders

SECRETARIAT

While we were at the Kentucky Derby Museum (see the Wild Card section), we learned about Secretariat, one of the greatest racing horses of all time! That night, we watched the Disney movie, Secretariat! Secretariat is a great movie that tells the story of the real race horse who won the Triple Crown in 1973. Penny Chennery and her horse, Secretariat, go through many struggles and failures in order to get Secretariat to the fame that he now holds.

Secretariat is a great movie, and I think what makes it great is that it is based off a true story. The creators of the movie did a really good job of keeping to the actual story. I really appreciated this because I not only enjoyed a good movie, but I also got to learn more about this amazing racehorse. Since I was just at the Kentucky Derby Museum that morning, it was exciting to see what I had heard “in real life.” It was especially cool since we got to see Churchill Downs, which is one of the places where Secretariat raced. Secretariat’s story is fascinating, and I was very captivated by this movie! I don’t think I have any critiques of this movie since it is hard to critique a plot that is based on a true story (unless of course, the information presented is inaccurate). The movie is also very clean, besides a little bit of mild language. Other than that, the movie is very clean and kid-appropriate.

Overall, Secretariat is a great movie that I totally recommend. I recommend it even to people who know nothing about Secretariat and/or about horse-racing in general. It is also a great movie for kids to enjoy, and they will enjoy it just as much as adults will! You can find the movie on Disney+ or buy/rent it here!

Tech Thoughts

TESLA MODEL 3

Last weekend, during my family’s time in Louisville (check out the Wild Card section), we got to ride in a Tesla Model 3. When we checked Hertz rentals to rent a car, the Tesla Model 3 was the cheapest car we could rent, so we knew that we had to rent it! Throughout the weekend, we got to drive in this car and test it out. Something you should know about me is that I’ve always wanted a Tesla, so this weekend was a dream experience for me! After riding in the Tesla, though, have my opinions on Teslas changed? Let’s find out!

Teslas are unique and are not like any other car that I’ve ridden in. There is so much attention to detail in every respect of this car. The exterior of the car has such a sleek design that I, personally, really like. There is a sunroof that extends across the entire top of the car. There is also a frunk (a trunk at the front of the car), and the door handles are really unique. The inside of the car is the coolest part, though. Since the car isn’t exactly cheap, there is lots of attention to detail, and everything is made out of quality materials. Everything is very minimalistic as there are almost no buttons on the car since practically everything is controlled with the 15-inch touchscreen (think a really big iPad). This touchscreen controls almost every function of the car. The UI (user interface) is very user-friendly. The only other components are a steering wheel, two pedals, and two levers attached to the steering wheel to control the blinkers and to change gears. That is it. Everything else (speedometer, climate control, battery levels, navigation, locks, music, etc) is all controlled in this huge touchscreen. You can even (if the car is parked) play games, watch movies, have the Tesla make farting noises come out of the speakers near passengers’ seats, and so much more!

Now, we’ve talked about the interior and exterior of the car, but what about the specs? Let’s just say, this car was fun to ride in. It can go from 0-60mph in 3 sec (something we did test out), the top speed is 162mph (don’t worry, we didn’t test that), and the range is 272 miles on a full charge (which is pretty good). The coolest part of a Tesla is definitely the autopilot! The Model 3 that we rented didn’t have full autopilot (which can entirely drive itself), but every Tesla does have autopilot to some degree. We tested it out on the interstate, and it was honestly really impressive. It followed curves in the road, slowed down if it sensed a car in front of us was moving slower than us, navigated to where we needed to go, and it even dinged when a traffic light turned green (this applies even if autopilot is turned off). This isn’t the full extent of what a Tesla can do (you can pay much more), but it is still really cool!

A main question to consider when it comes to electric cars is charging and how it compares to gas-powered cars. Is it worth it to have an electric car, or would a gas-powered car be better? I already mentioned that the range for the base model is around 270 miles which isn’t bad! Since my family was driving from Indianapolis to Louisville and back, we had to charge it pretty frequently. Even though there aren’t as many chargers as gas stations, there are more chargers than I realized (hotels, parking garages, grocery stores, etc). The rate of charge really just depends on the charger. Some chargers can charge up to 200 miles in just 15min which is fantastic! When it comes to price, electric cars are definitely the better option! Electric charging is a fraction of the price of gas, and a lot of places even let you charge for free. While electric cars (especially Teslas) tend to be more expensive, you are going to save loads of money since you won’t have to buy gas! Finally, using electricity is much better for the planet than burning fuel, so there is that to consider as well. So, in conclusion, a Tesla is a fantastic around-the-town car as it is going to be much cheaper and more convenient to charge it overnight at home and take it out for the day. This is going to be much better than gas cars! When it comes to road trips, either way, you are going to have to fuel up/charge along the way. If you are charging, you are going to have to wait longer, but you can always stretch, get food, go to the bathroom, etc. during this time. Personally, I think that a Tesla (or another electric vehicle) is going to be the better option.

What are my takeaways from riding in a Tesla Model 3? Well, I think the Tesla Model 3 is a very cool car, and that certainly didn’t change after riding in one! Would I recommend buying a Tesla? I mean, a Tesla Model 3 (the cheapest model) costs over $40,000, which is pretty expensive! I would argue that it is probably worth this price tag, but a Tesla probably isn’t the best use of someone’s money. It is DEFINITELY a very cool car, though, and I’m glad I got to ride in it! You can learn more about the Model 3 and other Teslas at Tesla.com.

Wild Card

4 PLACES, 4 FOODS: LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY

The Places

1. The Kentucky Derby Museum: One of the places my family visited was Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby Museum. If you don’t already know, the Kentucky Derby is a horse race that takes place every May that determines which horse is the fastest. We got to see the race track and explore the museum. Even though we didn’t get much time there, it was still really cool to see such a historic and iconic place. Click here to learn more!

2. The Louisville Slugger Museum: This is another very iconic place in Louisville. The Louisville Slugger Factory is where many baseball bats are created. It was very cool to check out the museum and get a tour of the factory! We got to see how the bats are made, and it was just a really cool experience! Learn more by going to the Louisville Slugger Museum website!

3. Mega Caverns: Louisville is home to a huge cave that was formed by miners. Mega Caverns is located inside this huge cave and allows you to do many activities inside the cave! My family did Mega Quest which was a ropes course. I had a blast doing this challenging but very fun ropes course inside of the Mega Caverns! Mega Caverns also has other activities like Mega Zips which are zip lines that go throughout the cave (beware: this is over $150 per person)! Check out their website to learn more!

4. Activate Games: THIS was quite possibly my FAVORITE part of my family’s trip to Louisville, Kentucky! Activate Games is a super cool place that has many different rooms with all different sorts of games (everything from dodging lasers, climbing walls, quickly hitting buttons, jumping onto lit-up tiles, and so much more)! There are many game modes and difficulties to choose from. I had an absolute BLAST here! It is a great place for kids and teens (and adults), and I would DEFINITELY recommend coming here! They currently have 3 locations in the US (5 more are coming soon) and 6 locations in Canada. Check out the Activate Games website to learn more!

The Foods

1. Buca Di Beppo: During our time in Louisville, we ate at Buca Di Beppo, which is a delicious Italian restaurant. Buca Di Beppo is unique in that it serves huge portions to be shared between multiple people. This place was amazing because the food was so good! I was very stuffed after eating here! You can go to their website to learn more.

2. Los Aztecas: Los Aztecas is a Mexican restaurant that we ate at in Louisville. The Mexican food was quality and delicious. I would definitely eat here again! Los Aztecas has 3 locations in the Louisville area, so if you are ever in Louisville, be sure to visit! Check out the website to learn more!

3. The Comfy Cow: The Comfy Cow claims to have the “Best Ice Cream in Louisville!” I agree with this because The Comfy Cow is a cool, local place that has many different flavors of great ice cream! I would definitely recommend coming here! View their menu and learn more here.

4. Louisville Cream: Louisville Cream is another ice cream place that my family enjoyed! They have many delicious flavors at this Louisville-local place. Being someone who really likes ice cream, I thought this place was great! Check out their website here.