It
had to be done, right? It was a life changing decision, but it was
what was best for the family. Yes, we had to do it. The choice had
been made. We were moving across the country to Seattle.
It
was a hot and humid August day in Terre Haute, Indiana. My husband,
Josh, and I were standing in the Kroger parking lot, trying to get
groceries in the trunk of my old, rusty Buick without throwing up.
The smell of the dirty Wabash River and the paper mill were combining
to create something putrid. This odor was a common occurrence,
especially after a summer rain shower. Once we successfully got the
groceries in the car, I drove us home so we could again battle our
sense of smell and gag reflex to bring the groceries inside our even
hotter, tiny, apartment upstairs.
Josh
and I walked into our apartment building to be greeted with the
pungent aroma of what we assumed to be crack. Our downstairs neighbor
had his door propped open, offering everyone a show of him and his
friends smoking a glass pipe. He noticed our surprised looks and
happily offered to share. I was, very obviously, nine months
pregnant. Clearly, this guy was intoxicated. We politely declined and
continued our journey up the stairs. Once we were safely in our
uncomfortable apartment, Josh received a phone call from his rather
frantic mother. She had heard there was a man stabbed to death in the
park near our home. I could understand her concern; only a few days
earlier, three houses down from us another man was shot and killed.
After assuring her of our safety and chatting for a bit, they ended
the call in happy spirits. Josh and I then started discussing the
unfortunate series of recent events, and how we would love to get
away from this grim city. We reminisced about bonding over our
mutual love for Seattle and grunge music. We decided that it would be
a safer environment with more opportunities to live there. I
suggested we leave as soon as possible.
Three
days later, I had handwritten directions in my favorite spiral
notebook, and we were packing what we could fit into the bed of
Josh’s small Dodge Dakota truck. Josh put in and was approved for
his job transfer to Bothell, Washington. I had returned the key to
our undesirable apartment and begrudgingly sold my old Buick. We said
goodbye to Josh’s parents and started our pilgrimage.
Our
journey took us through many exciting places and experiences.
I
wanted to get us to the Seattle area as quickly as possible, but I
couldn’t help stopping at rest stops and taking in the beautiful
scenery. In Nebraska, during the early morning hours, we decided to
take a break to enjoy breakfast at rest stop; we watched the sunrise
over a breathtaking landscape. There was also a large replica of a
Teepee. We, of course, had to take our pictures there! I had to
remind myself we were on a time limit, so we couldn’t stay longer,
in spite of the magnificent view.
Once
we were on the road again, we needed to find a hotel or motel to stay
the night. My pregnant body was not handling the drive well. I needed
to give my legs some elevation and rest. We stopped at a dozen or
more places, but all were booked because of the Sturgis Biker Rally.
We kept driving into Wyoming. We were running low on gas because the
area we were in was not very populated. We began praying fervently
that we would make it to a gas station. I don’t know if we made it
by answered prayers or great luck, but we finally found a small town
hidden amongst the magnificent mountain valleys of Cheyenne, Wyoming.
They had food, a gas station, and a lovely hotel with a vacancy.
After
a night of much needed relaxation and a shower, I was eager to get
back out on the road. I was afraid I would go into labor before we
ever made it to Seattle. My legs and feet were so swollen that I
could not fit my feet into my slip-on sandals! I was also having
Braxton-Hicks contractions. Our baby was kicking and flipping like a
little gymnast. Josh, sensing how scared I was, checked the water
levels on the truck and secured our load. We spoke with the hotel
attendant, while we enjoyed our complimentary breakfast. After he
noticed the license plate on the truck, he was quite curious what we
were doing so far from Indiana with me being so far along in my
pregnancy. We shared our story; he kindly offered us good luck and
some extra breakfast to take on the road, both of which we gratefully
accepted.
The
next portion of our excursion took us up through many desolate, yet
gorgeous mountainous areas. Nature's own tapestry during the day was
simply stunning. There are not enough words to describe the multiple
hues of the mountains, hills, and wide valleys, or the blazing
sunrise and luminous sunsets on seemingly untouched land. We took
numerous pictures and appreciated every bit of this unique scenery.
As
night quickly fell, we grew profoundly concerned at the sudden
appearance of an informational sign pointing us to a pull off area to
attach chains to our tires. We had finally run into a situation for
which I had not planned. During all of my meticulous planning, I
never thought that we would possibly need tire chains. Again, we
prayed our way through; by luck or answered prayers, we made it
through without them. I must say that for me, driving on mountainside
roads at night was an exhilarating and intimidating experience. We
had no cellular service through most of those areas, Josh was
sleeping, and it was just me and my music. I rolled the window down
and sang to myself in an attempt to stay calm, collected and focused.
It worked quite well, and we made it safely through the night.
At
midday, we happened across a unique rest area in Idaho. I can’t
recall the name at this time. There were adorable chipmunks and
prairie dogs that would eat right of our hands. I thought they were
the most adorable little creatures I’d ever seen. I ended up
feeding them the last few pieces of bread we had. Josh met a guy that
was homeless and trying to make his way back east. They chatted for a
bit, while I took a nap on a picnic table. Josh, being the sweet,
caring soul that he is, gave this guy part of what little cash we
had. I, naturally, freaked out. Josh assured me that it would all
work out because we were being watched over and taken care of.
Looking back now, he was very right. I was grateful we were nearing
our destination because our cooler was leaking and our food supply
was nearly depleted. After resecuring our load and saying a sad
goodbye to our friends, both furry and non-furry, we left.
We
were nearing the Washington state border and joy was filling the
truck. I was determined not to stop until we crossed the border. As
it happened, we did make it over the border, but we immediately had
to stop for gas. As soon as the truck was in park, we tumbled out,
embraced each other deeply, and shed a few tears of happiness. We had
made it to Washington State! A not-so-flattering picture of us being
hot, sweaty, and tired was taken. It’s still a favorite of mine; in
that moment, we felt so triumphant!
The
last few hours of the voyage seemed to crawl interminably. As I saw
the sign for the area of Bothell, I nearly broke into tears of joy. I
had to maintain my composure so I could see to drive. After getting a
little lost, we finally reached the building we were searching for,
Hope-link. We went in to discuss with them where we would be staying
until Josh made it to his job the next day. They provided us with a
motel room for a couple of days. It was wonderful to finally feel
like I was in a safe place with a bright future. It made the entire
journey worth it. Every ache, pain and swollen limb...completely
worth it.
Traveling
across the country served as a starting point for a variety of
experiences, hardships and adventures in Washington State. Our
expedition to the Seattle area is one of my most treasured memories,
as it completely changed my life and my outlook. I am a stronger,
more confident and far more resourceful woman as a result. I found
myself in difficult situations and maneuvered my way out of them. In
addition, my husband I created a far more positive life for
ourselves. As a bonus, it is also a great adventure story to share!
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