At Last!

At the moment I am sitting in the RV, chilling with the bun buns, in Texas!! Yay!

After almost a two week delay everything (fingers cross) on the RV was reading to go Wednesday. I did my final prep, packed water for the toilet - as I couldn't fill the water tank until I was in warmer weather, and had my second final meal with my parents.

Before the sun's first rays lightened the sky Thursday, I was up and ready to depart, with a plan to stop and test out teaching on the road during a stopover in Albert Lea.

As a leader of many trips, I always tell travelers: "You're not going to a developing country, so don't worry, as long as you have your ID and money you can buy anything you need when you get there." This is a mantra I live by. It really makes traveling much less stressful.

Why am I sharing this? About a half hour into my drive I, all of a sudden, had a thought that almost made me vomit: 'I don't remember putting my wallet into the RV.' The two things I say you must remember when traveling might not be with me! I tried to calm myself. It wasn't the end of the world. Better now than when I'm running out of gas, several hours from my parents' house. I took a calming breath and the next exit. After pulling into the deserted lot of a Home Furniture, I slipped out of my seat and into the living quarters. And there, sitting innocently on the couch, was my wallet. I almost cried with jubilation.

Test teaching went great and I was soon on the road again, podcast playing over Bluetooth and my phone attached to my awesome dashboard holder so I could see my GPS. Well, at least it did until it fell, then fell again, and again. The dumb thing just couldn't withstand the vibrations of the RV, it eventually shook loose! It is officially the bane of my existence! I will win, however, because . . . well, because I'm stubborn.

Iowa was uneventful, contained no good rest stops, and my GPS didn't even welcome me to the state like it did the rest; as if it wasn't sure I wanted to be there, so thought it was better if we just pretended we were still in Minnesota until we got to Missouri. The only excitement was that I stopped and cooked my first meal on my cooktop.

The original plan was to microwave leftovers, but I realized that it was easier to turn on the propane than fire up the generator! Always adjusting.

Missouri, on the other hand welcomed me with style, as well as much cheaper gas! The welcome center had these cool metal sculptures buffalo and a Native American rider that I of course had to investigate!

Time flew. I highly recommend listening to podcasts or audiobooks when driving long distances. I always feel that listening to something that engages the brain and draws you into the narrative makes a long journey not simply bearable but enjoyable!

As the sun set in stunning fashion, I found myself approaching Kansas City.

Up to this point my city driving hadn't been too bad. Minneapolis, a city which I am not only familiar but is also following a work-from-home-if-possible order so had only minimal traffic at 7:30am. After that there were few cities that large and/or had highway 35 going straight through the middle. This lulled me into forgetting what was possible.

The sun disappeared as I entered to first of the two Kansas Citys. After 9 months of driving in the Twin Cities with little to no rush hour traffic, 5pm on a Thursday, in the dark, in an unfamiliar city was a rude awakening! Especially a city which seemed to take pleasure in seeing how many highways and byways could be tangled in its center! After a jumble of directions, and no wrong turns, the second Kansas City threw me out of its clutches and on to a two lane highway - blissfully alone except for a few vehicles traveling in the opposite direction.

With just enough route shifts to keep the drive interesting and little towns, some cute and some bleak, to add variety, I found myself going, and going, and going. Finally, at 9:30pm I decided I should go in search of a place to park so I could rest. With ease I found a Walmart just down the road. Though I arrive after close, so I couldn't ask permission to Wallydock, the dozen semitrucks already parked provided ample information regarding the acceptability of my staying for the night.

Early the next morning I rose, grabbed a coffee and apple fritter from a local bakery's drive-thru - thoroughly confusing the other cars by being there on foot - and headed out in search of reasonably priced gas.

If you have never driven an RV let me tell you one thing you should keep in mind: You will be stopping for gas about as much as a parent with a potty-training toddler stop for the bathroom. But as searching for the best price on a common commodity is a genetic trait, I treat gas station hunting like a strategic game. There are several key elements to this game: timing, location, and rewards programs. In this age of information, you don't have to guess how much gas will be down the road. This is especially true if you have a rewards card that is connected to an app. Know you'll need gas a certain distance down the road? Check your route, open the app, and see how much each station is charging. My final fill-up was as I was entering Dallas, I got gas for $1.65 - just down the road it was $2! I felt like I had won at life! Though when your tank is 50 gallons and you only get about 8 miles for each of those 50, my little game will really add up on the savings!

Just before 11am this morning I crossed into my final state for this first trip: Texas.

As this was only the second welcome center I had successfully reached (I definitely missed the exit for Kansas and was in the middle of nowhere when Google Maps welcomed me to Oklahoma), I was excited to stop. As with all things Texas, they went big, and a little Captain America? I'm sure that wasn't their intention, but you see it, right? They also didn't Welcome Me! So far Missouri wins on that count. Texas just told me that I was at the TEXAS visitor center, though I think I got that by the five state flags (to the one national one).

At last I was nearing my destination, but first I had to navigate the calamity that is the Dallas-Fort Worth highway system. I'm just glad I didn't have to do it in the dark, so Kansas City does win this trip for worst part of the drive. However, Texas wins for most inconsiderate drivers!

After many underpasses and high flying bridges the bun buns and I arrive at my sister's.

As you can see, Benjamin needed some serious attention but soon was stretched out and eating.

Our first voyage was a rockling success. Thankfully, we won't have a long-haul trip like that again for a very long time!