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Published: November 6th 2013
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Bittersweet day today. Leaving a home we've known for almost seven years to return to one that we knew for 26. Met a lot of great people and came through with many accomplishments in our short time in the golden state, but when you know it's time to go then sometimes the feeling just can not be ignored. Starting over is never easy, but at the same time can be a refresher to a life that can appear to be stuck in neutral. We're ready for this adventure, we're just hoping that what awaits on the other end is ready for us.
After saying our farewells to all the people who have become our family away from family, the wife and I managed to squeeze ourselves into the small remaining space of the Green Honda Element which basically consisted of the front two seats. This car has only known the roads of California it's whole life and was now about to embark on a magical journey across the United States. It better make it damn it. We had packed that beast as full as it could get, full of all the stragglers that couldn't make it into the tractor trailer
hauling most of our stuff back east. Those that couldn't make the Element found room in the nearby dumpster.
We knew where our first stop would be. We had known for a long time. Meliss had always told me that one of her dreams was to see the Grand Canyon and now she wasn't leaving the West Coast until that was realized. So on to Arizona we went, a trip of over eight hours ahead of us. It's a pretty decent trek, but one that was made much rougher by the fact that we had partied a little too hard the night before. We were bid a fond farewell by some of our closest friends and either we didn't want the night to end or we forgot that we were leaving at 5 in the morning.
Meliss took the first leg, but this leg was short and stubby. Coffee wasn't helping and it wasn't long before the weight of her eyelids were becoming too much to bear. So over the first few hours, we switched back and forth trying to stay awake while going through the breathtaking views that Barstow had to offer. At least the truckstop there
gave us an encounter with a woman who voiced her disapproval that the DQ did in fact not have butterscotch ice cream. Man, how she loves her butterscotch ice cream.
As the drive continued I suddenly remembered that it was Sunday and that football was on (the Broncos had the week off so i didn't have to worry about that). I fumbled through the channels trying to find a game on the radio but no luck so I was relegated to following the scores on the phone. That worked out fine until it was my turn to drive. The first few glances went fine, but about the third time around we drifted off the road and into the bumps that intended to wake you up if you fall asleep at the wheel. At least they'd be happy to know that they work. Meliss jerked up in a blind rage, throwing her arms around like she was trying to fight off a band of ninjas that were tying to steal her pillow. No more score watching.
The rest of the drive went on pretty uneventfully as we made our way into Arizona and said goodbye to California for the
last time as residents. Missed that picture. After making to the hotel and gearing up for the Grand Canyon, we wound our way up to the National Monument. All the years of waiting and anticipating didn't disappoint. We made our way up the south rim on a bus that carried us to a spot near the top called Mohave Point, a spot infamous for its great shots at the sunset. All that lay before us was awesomeness, truly a sight to see. As Meliss put it, 'it doesn't even look real'.
We snapped a bunch of pictures there and then hiked our way down the rim to Hopi point, another spot that is known for its sunset shots. We battled the chilling wind and the California Condor that hovered overhead to watch the sun drop behind the Canyon. Great sight, well worth the trip. We then hopped the bus back down the rim and then back into town for some food and a quick stop at the local trading post. We were only able to enjoy the Canyon for a couple hours I'm glad we got those couple hours and plus, the Canyon isn't exactly going anywhere. We'll be
back.
We crashed hard that night, and the problem was we hadn't even planned out our next leg yet. We tried, but failed. The night before coupled with the drive and sapped us dry. We knew we where headed to New Mexico next, we just had to figure out how we were going to tackle it. Going to have to wait till morning. See you tomorrow New Mexico, and don't forget your baby buggy.
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