Backlog: Moving Cross-Country Day 1

My dad, my uncle, and I left Minnesota last Tuesday morning. It was raining, and I cried on and off until we reached Des Moines, Iowa. It was bittersweet. I was happy to be pursuing my dream, and happy to be away from the pressures of my family.

One of the things that made this move so difficult was my family situation. I don't want to hurt my parents by writing about this, but at the same time, I need to find a way to heal myself. Basically, my parents decided to get a divorce shortly after I was accepted to vet school. With the stress of preparing to move my life 1800 miles away, the additional pressure of the divorce weighed heavily on me. Tensions were high as I loaded my dogs into my Mazda, and pulled out of the driveway of the only home I had ever known.

Sonja traveled between the back and front seats to observe my driving skills. We kept in touch with my uncle via walkie talkie (which I think my dad really enjoyed playing with).

I forgot to get photos of leaving Minnesota and entering Iowa, but I remembered as we crossed into Missouri!

Managed to take a selfie before getting told off for taking photos while driving

The drive was easy, with minimal traffic. We stopped briefly to allow the dogs to get some exercise, as well as to refuel ourselves and the truck hauling the trailer of my belongings. My dad and I talked a lot about what was going on, as well as admired the landscape. We laughed together, and even shared quite a few tears throughout the drive. After battling through Kansas City's evening rush hour, we decided it was time to begin looking for a place to spend the first night of our road trip. We drove as far as Ottawa, Kansas before checking into one of the only hotels that allowed dogs.

Neat bridge near Kansas City

Sonja did not enjoy Kansas City traffic; she fell asleep with her head on my shifter!

Crappy photo of the Kansas border

Upon arriving, the room was stifling hot, and the shower was definitely questionable. Nonetheless, I was exhausted from crying throughout the trip, and feeling sick from the drive, emotional baggage, and lack of food. My dad and uncle shared a room, which was located on the opposite side of the hotel. I was slightly frightened to be on my own, and I remember thinking that I would have to get used to being alone, as I was about to spend the next four years living alone.

The hotel was dirty, and most of the occupants were construction workers staying there while they worked on the highway projects. I scarfed down a Whopper Jr and dead bolted the door to settle in for the night. Despite being exhausted, sleep did not come. The dogs, sensing my unease, barked and cried throughout the night, startling me from any sleep I managed to fall into. I soothed myself with the television, and utilized the semi-decent free WiFi to catch up on watching some YouTube videos. Finally, around 4:30 AM, I fell into an exhausted sleep before waking up at 7 to hit the road again.

No sleep happening here!

Stay tuned for Day 2...