My most memorable road trip was with my partner, from my childhood home in California to my new home in Tennessee. This cross-country drive allowed me to reflect on what was behind us and what was ahead. We’ve been in Tennessee for 5 months now and it took time to hit. In some ways, we still need some adjusting to do.
I had big, big feelings on the first day of our drive, still trekking through familiar highways and roads. I still remember getting in the car, my grandma waving from the front porch of the home I practically grew up in. I said my goodbyes to the family the weekend before, still not processing that we were really going and doing the damn thing. It wasn’t until we reached our first state line that I realized what was being left behind. With the desert landscapes of California whizzing by in the window, it just felt like a simple vacation. It felt like we would be right back in a few days. With coffee and snacks in my lap, it was time to go. It was time to begin.
On our ride through the desert heat of August, we cruised through Arizona and New Mexico. The 100+ degree weather sweltering beneath our skin. Our first stop was Flagstaff, and I was looking up at the summer trees in awe. I had never seen that part of Arizona before, only the orange red plateaus of Sedona. We awoke early to continue on through New Mexico, stopping by a small town for lunch where we met a young homeless teen and gave him water and a bag of snacks. From New Mexico, we journeyed on toward Texas, where a rare supermoon greeted us with a big, warm welcome. Everything is bigger in Texas, they say, and this moon was no disappointment.
We woke up in Amarillo, and I put on my favorite blue dress to get through Oklahoma to Arkansas. It was a whole lot of nothing, but it was beautiful to see new territory. The plentiful cows and horses kept us company on the road, me yelling out “cows!” every time like a child in wonder. The Ozark was abundant in lush greens and Love’s Travel Stops, our safe haven of gas and chips. I found comfort in every sight there was to see, including the bounty of trucks, never leaving us alone on the road. We eventually arrived in Little Rock, Arkansas, our last stop before Tennessee.
The last day was full of the anticipation I felt on the first day. We zoomed down the I-40, looking forward to what was ahead of us. We crossed the Tennessee state line and could feel the weight of our hope for something better. A few hours later, we could see the skyline of our new city, our exit inching closer and closer. August suddenly turned to September on that last day, and we had arrived at our new home. We input the code to the lockbox, grabbed our new keys, and entered our triplex (thanking the universe it wasn’t a scam). Our empty apartment awaited us for weeks, waiting to be filled with furniture and warmth. It’s been months since we arrived, and I still look forward as if I’m still on that not-so-little road trip, buckled in and ready to see something brand-new every day.
Photos by me
nina writes 
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