Looking forward used to give me anxiety. There are few things more terrifying about your twenties than those weighted decisions that you know will affect EVERYTHING. They are the decisions that take you left or right. About two years ago I looked back at my two years living in Arizona and I felt restless. It was an epic adventure. I traveled. I ate. I danced. I sang. I met some of the best people I’ve ever known. But I knew the East Coast would call me home eventually. So, I packed up my entire life in my Honda Fit. I didn’t know if I’d be back. I didn’t know where I’d end up. But I knew I had to start driving. Looking back, it is almost better that I had no idea what was in store for me that summer. (Hint: he put a ring on it!)
I couldn’t wait for my best friend to arrive at the airport so we could begin our journey. Kate and I had done so many road trips in eight years of living together, and after two years of living apart, I had built up some intense anticipation for this adventure. When I picked her up at the airport, I was so excited that I enthusiastically opened the hatch and a huge box stuffed with keychains, postcards, magnets, and other random things (you know, the really important stuff you pack on a cross-country road trip) crashed onto the pavement and we couldn’t control our giggles. It was a great start.
We started in Phoenix. I wanted to show her everything. We got coffee at my favourite coffee shop/writing spot and ate chicken and waffles at a famous chicken and waffle place. We went exploring up a mountain to see the beauty of the city and the vastness of the desert. I felt the feeling I had every time someone from Canada came to visit me. I was so proud of where I had made my home for those two years!
From there we started our journey. We weren’t sure how long it would take, but I knew that I’d be drinking in every part of it. We drove north up to Flagstaff to catch a glimpse of the mountains and cooler weather. Then we started East and stayed in New Mexico for the night.
Day 1 City Stops: Phoenix, AZ / Flagstaff, AZ / Albuquerque, NM
Day 2 started in Albuquerque. From the highway, New Mexico looked a little bleak. Maybe that’s just how little towns look from the highway. Even though it is definitely the easiest and fastest way to get across the country, I still wish we had had more time to explore and get lost in those back roads instead.
But, when you have a goal of driving across the country in 3-4 days, you drive the road most traveled. We were on our way through Texas and Oklahoma and ended up driving through the craziest thunder and lightning storm I’ve ever seen. We kept trying to catch the lightning bolts on video, but I think all we ended up with were 30 second videos of heavy rain and about 20 blurry photos. We saw at least 15 lightning bolts as we drove into sheets upon sheets of heavy rain. It was crazy. Eventually we did drive out of the storm and made it to Springfield, Missouri.
Day 2 City Stops: Tucumcari, NM / Amarillo, TX / Weatherford, OK / Oklahoma city, OK / Springfield, MO
On day 3 we got the best surprise of the trip. As we entered into Illinois, we saw a sign that said “THE WORLD’S LARGEST GOLF TEE”. Weird. Then we saw a sign for “THE WORLD’S LARGEST GIFT & CANDY STORE”. So yah, we stopped. The gift store was just a stop on the highway. It was amazing. After that stop, we knew we had to see this golf tee. So we pulled into Casey, Illinois. It was a tiny little town that was clearly known for “THE WORLD’S LARGEST EVERYTHING”. Seriously. We saw the WORLD’S LARGEST wind chime, rocking chair, mailbox, pencil, ruler, knitting needles, shoes, and yes… a golf tee.
And all these things were within 4 blocks of each other! Kate and I ended up running around the town for an hour with our candy and our cameras. I’m sure we looked certifiable.
After the excitement, we pushed through the rest of Illinois, through Indiana and had a quick stop for noodles in Indianapolis at sunset. We made it to Lansing, Michigan after dark and crashed after a long, sugar-filled day.
Now, I haven’t yet mentioned our accommodations on this trip. Up until Michigan, they were fine. We stayed in cheap motels and weren’t looking for much more than a shower and a clean bed for the night. The motel in Michigan was the worst. Stains on the bed. Dirty shower. Dusty night tables. And cold! We knew this would be the last motel we needed, and we didn’t have much choice since it was past midnight. The morose woman at the front desk was less-than friendly and made it clear she hoped she wouldn’t see us again. And by front desk I mean dimly lit, small, smelly room with an incredibly loud ice machine, a vending machine with food that I honestly wasn’t sure was from this decade, and a very dead plant in the corner. I’m sure there are nice places in Michigan, but I tell ya, this was not one of them.
The next morning added to our disbelief of the level of weird this place had to offer. We packed up early and came out onto the porch only to be met my two angry Russian men yelling at each other in their underwear. We politely and awkwardly wheeled our bags over to the car and promptly got out of there in search for coffee and somewhere to properly wash our hands.
So it was day 4 that we crossed the border into Ontario and made our way to Kate’s beautiful home in Quebec. And that was our journey. We tracked over 4000 kilometres, drank tonnes of coffee, sang at the top of our lungs, ate fast food, stayed in dungy digs, and laughed a whole lot. It’s a trip that I fondly remember. It’s the trip that started my new chapter back in Canada. I’m so thankful for that ride.