Oh, how I love a road trip! It’s an American tradition. Since back in college, road trips represented freedom. You drive and you eat at random places. Seeing tourist signs for things like ‘The worlds largest ball of twine!’ or ‘The Corn Palace’. You stay at the closest hotel when you’re tired of driving. It’s awesome and unpredictable! And tonight, after Jeff gets home from work, we are heading to my parent’s with our UHaul truck full of things they can use, and boxes they’ve agreed to store for us. I feel like we’re in college again!
Last night, we loaded our king-sized adjustable bed into the truck – that was fun – and a couch for my son, and other boxes and treasures we are planning on storing there. Things I don’t want to go on a ship that could be lost forever.
This morning, I’m buzzing with excitement! We are driving to Portland in January. So the weather might present challenges. But Jeff will do all the driving, so he’ll swear and clutch the dashboard a lot less. And I get to look out the window at the scenery like a Golden Retriever! It’s going to be fun.
The last real road trip Jeff and I took together was when I took a job in Phoenix. But that trip was filled with nervous anticipation as we hadn’t yet found a place to live. Our SUV was full of all the stuff I thought I might need, until he moved down when the house was sold – with the rest of our stuff, the cats and the kids.
I had brought 9 large suit cases of clothes and a few other things. At one point, in Salt Lake, we were stopped by the police who were doing random searches for drug cars on the highway – seemed strange.
‘What’s in the back?’ asked the cop to my husband.
‘Those are her clothes.’ explained Jeff
‘That’s all your clothes?’ he asked – completely skeptical.
I leaned in to help smooth the way.
‘And shoes too.’ I clarified – just so he would understand. ‘I know. Just the essentials.’
My husband gave me serious side-eye. I wasn’t being helpful, apparently.
‘She has a new job in Phoenix, so we’re moving her down there to help set her up before we sell the house in Seattle.’
The cop looked at me like I was an alien.
‘Who are you working for in Phoenix?’ he asked me.
I told him, and then he asked who I worked for in Seattle and BINGO! the light went on.
‘Ah. OK I get it.’ he waved us away to head back to his car.
‘Wow! I never realized being in possession of too many clothes and shoes was a crime.’ I said to Jeff.
He looked at me in disbelief, and for a long moment he said nothing – then he sighed and shook his head before starting the car.
We won’t have that same problem this time. We’re just two people in a Uhaul – like probably hundreds of others on any given day across this country. Moving our stuff, complete with our cats – Clubber and Lucy. Heading off to new horizons. I’ve got the drinks in the cooler and the road food ready to go on the front seat. Now all I need is my driver!
Viva Espana 