Road-trippin'

My FJ Cruiser was packed to the ceiling and an additional cargo carrier latched to the racks above my car also held luggage. An array of music and snacks were prepared for the arduous 28 hour road-trip ahead of me. Good-byes and see-you-laters were exchanged all throughout the week before my departure. My heart swelled with mixed emotions of excitement and anxiety as I prepared leave behind my state and the people who make it my home. After weeks of planning, budgeting, packing and moving out of my apartment, I was finally ready to traverse the country for my two month internship at the Desert Sun newspaper in the searing sands of Palm Springs, California.

Though I was leaving behind my family and friends for my brief stint in the desert, I was bringing with me a few pieces of my heart for a five-day adventure. My girlfriend, Summer; my cousin, Brennan; and my friend and Summer’s sister, Brandi, crammed into my car to make the cross-country trek with me. I was joyed to have companions for a few reasons. First, it meant delaying the inevitable loneliness that would ensue once on my own in the west. Second, I was going to need entertainment for the undertaking. Finally, I wanted my friends to see part of the world that too many southerners will never experience — the sunny state of California. 

The plan was to leave early Wednesday morning and drive 14 hours to Fort Stockton, Texas, where we’d spend the night. The next day would bring 10 more hours of travel to another hotel in Phoenix, Arizona. Finally, we would drive four more hours and arrive in Palm Springs around lunch on Friday. Seems easy enough, right? 

You'd be surprised.