Day 1:
The plan was to leave at 4am. Hitting the road super early and putting distance between us and home is my road trip strategy, because a road trip is definitely a game. The coolers were loaded with Coke Zero and La Croix, but lacking any other type of sustenance. We had discussed packing breakfast, lunches, and snacks to save money, but somewhere between scrambling to get the garden in at school & STEMapalooza, it was lost. Thankfully, Enrique was my MVP, as usual, and gathered all of our camping supplies. While it seems extra to take two cars to the other side of the continent (24 hour drive without stops), I really want to have my car in Colorado this summer. I told people that with the cost of flights and transfers, I’m saving money, but the truth is I’m a little stressed about being in a new place with strangers and having no way around. I didn’t want to have to buy a bunch of things we already have, nor did I want to limit my gear to one suitcase!
We hit the road at 4:20am, which wasn’t too far behind my highly publicized schedule. The trusty Subaru made it all the way to Tennessee before it took a rock to the windshield, now she’s looking every bit of her 160k miles. It hurt my feelings a little, but as long as the crack doesn’t spread too far, I’ll wait to fix it until I get home.
The day’s drive was long, we headed west out of Atlanta to Birmingham, through Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and finally into Amarillo, Texas where we stopped for the night. The drive was tiring, so I would set my cruise control (Enrique is allergic to his) and drive for a bit. I swear I wasn't speeding, but he was driving slow! I'd pull off at a rest stop and walk a little to relieve the leg pain while I waited for him. Sunset was stunning, at home we are surrounded by tall pine trees, so we miss sunrise and sunset. I tried to take a picture of the sunsetting behind these massive wind turbines, but between the filthy, cracked windshield and speed, it wasn’t meant to be.
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