Road to Nebraska: Day 1

After an entire week of tears and goodbyes, Rick and I finally hit the road to move me to Nebraska. The hardest part about today, or this whole thing really, was saying goodbye to my folks. I've been dreading it. My mother doesn't usually cry for anything, but I saw her cry today. And also my dad. Saying goodbye to my best friends, who I've known pretty much all my life was also heart wrenching. I left the place where I grew up a little shaken, but now I must put that past me. I turn my eyes toward the eastern horizon. (Photos taken with my iPhone.)

After leaving my parents for a final farewell, I began my journey out of Southern California and into Arizona. 

It's been awhile since I've been on the road at this hour, 5 AM. On the other side, headlights and tail lights almost touched. Thousands of people were headed the opposite way, to start their day back where I just left. It was a sight that I won't be seeing very often anymore, I thought.

When the sun peeped over the horizon, we were already in the desert, up by Barstow.

And what a desert sunrise it was!

We passed the Mojave desert not long after. I am always amazed by its vastness and beauty. 

We arrived at the border of Arizona at exactly 9 AM. 

Rick and I traveled through its northern lands, where elk country opened up before our eyes. Snow covered mountains dotted and lined the landscape. 

We entered the Kaibab National Forest, where Rick saw a dead cow elk on the side of the road. What a terrible waste of good meat...

I had never experienced Arizona this way before. It wasn't like the hot, dry desert that I only knew and heard about before. Snow was everywhere, but at least the roads were perfectly clear. 

In Flagstaff, Rick and I stopped by a pizza joint called Fratelli's for lunch, as suggested by a follower on Twitter. The pizza was very good!

By this time, Rick and I were dead tired. The New Mexican border seemed so far away. But at around 4 PM, we finally wheeled on in. 

We had a pretty good dinner at a place called Grandpa's Grill in Gallup. Rick had pork chops with beans and rice. 

I had a turkey burger with a salad, which isn't worth posting up. 









Now, it's time for bed. Another long day tomorrow. Another 10 hour drive. Onward, Oklahoma City!