October 23rd
Moving day. My family came into Chicago last night. We loaded up their van and my car for my move to Los Angeles. They’re all driving across the country with me: Mom, Dad, and my younger brother Nate. I have a wonderful family. We’re staying in KOA cabins along the way and are going to try to do it in four days. I’m trying not to think of all I’m leaving behind but right now, I’m just incredibly sad.
It was hard saying goodbye to my boyfriend, Joe, this morning. I woke up before anyone and just lay there in bed wishing the sun would stop rising so he and I could stay in bed together for just a little bit longer. It didn’t help anything that it was also raining. I love laying in bed on rainy days. My mom’s knock on the door came well before I wanted it to. We were packing up the last few items and piling in the cars. From the moment I got up until the moment I drove off, my vision was a blurry mess with tears. My last image of Chicago was of Joe standing in the rain as we drove away.
October 24th
I’m feeling a little less depressed today. I’m trying to focus on the long journey ahead of me and enjoy the time in the car with my brother, whom I rarely get to spend time with. Iowa and Nebraska are booooring to drive through though. I’m looking forward to mountains. I can’t believe how well behaved my cat Bella is being in the car. I’d been really nervous about it. Joe claimed that she is a hobo-cat who loved “riding the rails”. He must be right. She’s darn near cheerful!
October 25th
We woke up to snow this morning in Colorado so we had to reroute our journey south. Traipsing through the mountains in the middle of a blizzard was not part of the plan. It’ll add time to the trip, but better that than getting stranded in the cold.
I was really pumped up today. I just wanted to keep driving as late as we could so we’d have less to do tomorrow. Wisely though, my parents voted we stop in New Mexico. The “cities” are few and far between here and if we’d continued on, who knows how long it would have taken to find a place to sleep. It seems like every town is a huge celebration out here because there are so few of them. There are billboards 25 miles out and lots of ‘em. When you get to the town, it turns out to be nothing more than a gas station and a gift shop!
October 26th
L.A. Whoa. Today I arrive. We are only a couple of hours away from my new home. I’ve spent so much time thinking about leaving Chicago and about driving across the country, that I’ve hardly spent any thinking about the end of the journey. Holy cow. Tonight, I officially begin my life in LA.
