Since I had a couple months of unemployment before I had to leave the country, I thought that this would be the perfect time to go on that road trip I've always wanted. But just because I really want it, doesn't mean that I'd actually plan it. The only plan I had was that I'd leave on the 18th, and be in Denver by the 23rd. But, on the first week of December (or maybe it was the second week), I got a call from my cousin who invited me to go to Orlando for a week, because she and her sisters are going for winter break. I did want to go to Orlando another time before I leave the country, but I thought I'd go some time in January, after my road trip. So I thought about it a little, looked at a calendar to try to figure out the dates and if it's possible to get to Denver by the 23rd, and I went. Of course I went. It's a 16 hour drive to Orlando, and I was driving alone, but I was sure it was doable.
So, I put as many Nerdist podcast episodes as possible on my iPad, and early morning on December 15th, I loaded my car up and started driving south. It really was an easy drive, because I only had to follow I-95 South the whole day. It does get boring, going straight on a road for hours, but at least it wasn't too tiring. I only stopped 4-5 times, for gas, bathroom breaks, and food. Got to Orlando at around 2 am, spent 3 days at Disney World and 1 day at Universal Studios, and then headed out to the rest of the journey.
Here's the trip I ended up with:
By the end, I was exhausted and realized I've spent way too much so I kinda rushed home (hence the loooong drives of Oklahoma City-Nashville and Nashville-home). I planned on stopping in Lawrence KS (to see the university my dad went to, KU), and Memphis TN. But I checked the weather forecast that there'd be a snowstorm here on the east coast, and I really wanted to be back before then. I thought about staying away until after the storm, but I didn't like the possibility of getting stuck away from home, in case the storm is pretty bad.
I was only there for 2 days, but I fell in love with Colorado. Denver is a nice city, and Boulder seems like a cute little town, and I love the beautiful mountains surrounding them. I really would love to be able to live there; although, the roads would probably be really scary when it snows. But I just like the fact that there's a big city (which looked really clean btw) right next to mountains for great outdoor activities (I *will* get into hiking if I live there). Plus, everyone there was very friendly! I am now looking for jobs in Denver. Best picture I took this trip is from Red Rocks, Colorado:
I spent Christmas in Moab, UT. Went to Arches National Park, which is very interesting, and we got lost on our way back. Since it had recently snowed, we didn't know where the trail was. We also weren't wearing the best clothes for hiking, so my feet, only covered in thin socks and Converse shoes, were frozen. We did finally find our way back, but it was quite an adventure; climbed a rock covered in ice/snow, slid down an icy hill area...it was quite fun. The saddest part is, this is the second Christmas in a row I spent eating at a Denny's. There's not much that's open on Christmas Day, so we didn't have too many choices. It's still really sad, though.
Oklahoma City has this interesting area, near downtown, called Bricktown. Old warehouses are turned into cafes and restaurants, and with its Riverwalk Park, it looks unique and beautiful. I'm not the best photographer; it looks much nicer than this. It probably looks much better at night, too.
From Oklahoma City, I went to Nashville. My previous plan was to stop in Memphis, because Justin Timberlake, but by that point I just wanted to sleep in my own bed pretty badly. But, on my way to Nashville, I did stop in Memphis for dinner; I luckily was around the area at 8 pm. Stopped for a quick bite, drove around the city a bit, before heading to Nashville. Right when I was exiting Memphis, the first exit was to Millington, which is where JT is from. I actually thought about taking the exit and drive around a bit, see if I can find his childhood (his mom's) home -- I assume it's a huge, fancy house, since Justin has mentioned that his mom still lives in his childhood home, but in an expanded version. But that would be too stalker-ish, right? The next day, New Years Eve, I had a pretty good pulled pork sandwich in Nashville.
And then, from Nashville, I drove straight home. It was a 14 hour drive. It's a little daunting. It's shorter than my first drive from New Brunswick to Orlando, but that was my first day so I was still full of excitement and energy. This time, I was already tired. Plus, that means I would have to welcome 2014 on the road. I went anyway, because I didn't want to spend more money on another night at the hotel. It actually wasn't too bad. One episode of Nerdist podcast is usually about an hour, and a few episodes of them help the drive seem a lot shorter than it was. I did see a few fireworks along the way (there was one at 8:45 pm, for some reason). Got home at around 4 am and I just crashed. It was one hell of an experience though.
One thing I learned from this trip: my iPhone needs new songs. I have no idea how many times "The 20/20 Experience" CDs (both parts) were played in my car, but I'm still not sick of them. It was a pretty awesome way to end my 2013: an adventure. Next time I go on a road trip, I hope to have more money in my savings, hence more time on the road, and a warmer weather.
No comments:
Post a Comment