1. We Moved to Arizona

So, as previously stated, on May 15th, 2009 we packed up everything that we could fit into our new car and drove across country. Anything that didn't fit into our car we basically got rid of in one way or another. We had a few boxes of things which we planned to have shipped out to us once we got settled, but for the most part, if it didn't fit, it wasn't really that necessary. It's amazing what you realize you can do without when you need to fit your entire life's possessions into 32 cu. ft. (Yes, I actually looked it up!)

Here are a couple of pictures of just how crammed our car was.

There was so much weight we were afraid that the tires were going to rub on the wheel well!

-Thankfully that didn't happen!






Did I mention that we planned to SLEEP somewhere in there? Here's how that looked.






























I didn't have too much of an issue with finding a comfortable position, but Nick on the other hand-especially where he's so tall, definitely didn't get the best sleep. He's a trooper though! Even though he didn't sleep all that well, he still drove the majority of the trip. Nick gets car sick really easily, and gets terrible headaches unless he is driving, not only that but I had also come down with a terrible sore throat. We almost thought I was going to have to stop by a hospital to check to see if it was strep or not, but with ibuprofen, chloraseptic sore throat spray, and lots of fluids, I was able to make it through. It finally started to get better once we were in Arizona.

I can't say we slept in our cars the whole trip, we did rent a hotel room one night in the middle of the trip to try to catch up on some much needed sleep. It probably was the best sleep we had gotten in a LONG time. At least it felt that way after sleeping in the car for the past few days. Plus, we were able to SHOWER! I don't think I ever realized how good it feels to feel clean!

A little slice of Heaven on Earth!
























With any good road trip, we had some good laughs, listened to lots of great music, talked a whole bunch and took some funny pictures. I'll post some of the best ones here.

One of the most exciting things about a road trip across country is the time changes!

We didn't go through too many major sight seeing places, but we did see the The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri.

We did take a little detour and visit the Kirtland Temple. But we forgot our camera! So here's a googled image :)

And this one is for Mike and Ariane, We thought we needed our own Sonic photo. :)

There were some hilarious billboard signs on the
way. This one is pretty simple and straight forward.

Other memorable ones, which we were unable to get a photo of were, "Hitchhikers may be escaped convicts." and "Do not drive into smoke." Both of which were in Oklahoma.




A famous moment from our trip out there was THE WORST rest area EVER.

At first you see the tepees over the picnic tables and you think, "what a great idea, it will protect you from the sun while you're eating" or "Aww how cute!"

You decide pull in. Then, like any normal person who's been on the road for a few hours, the first place you head to is the bathroom. That's where the real horror begins. (We just had to take pictures, it was too ugly not to)

Never mind the 80's pink and black decor. You step into the ladie's room and you're met with cold, hard, stainless steel, The toilets look like they came straight from an airplane. To top it off- Yep! You got it, CURTAINS instead of doors for privacy.

The Men's room, also suited with the lovely pink and black decor, was equipped with a urinal that looked like a cereal box. When they flushed there was blue water that looked like a waterfall rushing down the back of it.

All this AND MORE can be found in the lovely state of:
(This is Nick's "unhappy" face)

Onward with our journey! We went through Texas, (Who's rest area was in stark contrast to Oklahoma-It was the BEST rest area we had seen the entire trip!) and then onto the long haul through New Mexico- This is what we saw for HOURS...NOTHING!
















We made it to Arizona that night, and decided to spend one more night at a rest area in the car. (We had another 3 hours to drive from the New Mexico/Arizona border to Mesa) This is the sign that greeted us.

We never saw any, but that's when we knew "We're not in Kansas anymore."

We were finally in Arizona! We were so excited to be on this great adventure, and to Finally be done with all that driving!












We drove for a total of: [To be updated once I find where I put my notebook of the trip]