We moved to Raleigh via a cross country road trip in late August/early September. It was my first time crossing so many states in one trip (Joe has done it multiple times) and I'd do it again in a heart beat.
We set off from LA with a loose schedule, giving ourselves plenty of time to drive, stop, and enjoy the small towns and cities along Interstate 40. We drove through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas (Panhandle), Oklahoma, Mississippi, Tennessee, finally arriving in North Carolina - our new home state. One of the coolest parts was seeing the landscapes transition from the dry Southwest region to the lush scenes of the Southeast. Every state border and visitor center had its own feel - some more welcoming than others - and the cultural differences in the Southern states were extremely obvious. Everyone was so much friendlier!
I loved the exploratory aspect of the trip but what I treasure most looking back on it was the solid time spent with Joe. We talked about everything and anything, sang our favorite songs, set up and broke down camp, stayed in funky motels, worried about running out of gas during extra long stretches of highway, and dreamt up what our new home and lives in Raleigh would look like. Especially with a little one on the way.
I knew that I was pregnant almost immediately but it wasn't until we were in Nashville, Tennessee that a pregnancy test confirmed it. That was a little over halfway into our trip so all the previous bathroom stops and general feelings of exhaustion were fully justified. It felt fitting that our baby was already a little traveler (first Colombia then across the USA) since we of course plan on taking her everywhere we possibly can as soon as we can. Oh, the places we will go with her.
The road-trip was truly a beautiful start to a new chapter in our lives. But even if you aren't moving or making a big life change, a good road trip will make you feel .... good.
Photos top to bottom: / 1 Winslow, Arizona / 2 New Mexico / 3 New Mexico / 4 Somewhere with a pretty sunset / 5 Tennessee Big Hill Pond State Park / 6 Inn Around The Corner B&B, Black Mountain, North Carolina