A new journey

Last Thursday i started a brand new journey. It's a pivotal point in my life that no matter what happens years later i will always remember the time i moved to Chicago when i was 20. Last week my dad and i packed my life into boxes, loaded up my Ford escape and a small U-Haul trailer beginning our drive towards Boise Idaho.
After a few set backs and running out of gas we made it to Idaho for the first night out of our five day trip. This was all new to me, i'd never been on a road trip longer than only a few hours, and i was about to drive 2100 miles to my new home! Arriving in Boise, my dad and i were both exhausted and happy to be in a warm hotel room and not stranded on the side of the road without any gas! The next day we got a late start and adjusted to the first time change (1 hr ahead.) We drove until we reached Salt Lake City to visit my aunt and uncle who live in park city. We got there early in the evening and were able to catch up for a bit before Ryan's flight arrived. This was the part in the trip where my dad would stay in Utah, and Ryan would graciously continue to drive me to Chicago. We were both sad that we couldn't take more time in park city. The snow and ski parks were calling our name but there was no way we would be able to make it to our destination on time if we took a leisure day in Utah.
Reluctant to drive for 8 hours instead of shredding the slopes, we got in the car and set our sights on Denver Co. The drive was filled with endless windmills, snowcapped mountains, cows, and wheat fields as far as the eye could see. The sun set on the mountains before we knew it, and arrived in Denver around 8pm. At this time we had not reserved a hotel and relied on Ryan's technology and my phone calls to book a room for the night. We found the perfect place for cheap right in the middle of Denver. We only had one problem; the trailer wouldn't fit in the parking garage and street parking was nearly impossible at this time on a Saturday night. After much discussion we convinced the valet parking to let us keep the car and trailer upfront until the morning. After that bump in the road we checked in and enjoyed the Blackhawks game and a late night supper at a local brew pub. I, of course got distracted by a chocolate shop and stopped in to get a few goodies to satisfy my sweet tooth. It got late and before we knew it the morning time was here. Ryan sweetly moved the car and we took a few ours to walk around the city and see what it had to offer. it was a great place, cooler than we would have liked but its always an adventure to see a new place! By early afternoon we were back on the road, making our way to Kansas City.
It was the longest stint of our trip and by this point the snowcapped mountains were exchanged for sprawling valleys tucked in a blanket of fresh powder. It was a drastic change and i was starting to understand that everything i was used to was about to change. Getting to Kansas was by far the most draining point in the trip. we arrived around 1am without any plans or idea of where we could stay for the night. After too many phone calls we finally found a place that would suit both our budget and our location.
We checked in and our tired bodies were ready for some sleep. At this point we were getting to the end and i was ready to not see the inside of my car or pump another tank of gas for awhile. The next day was a breezy drive of only 5 hours! We road to the Quad cities to stay with Ryan's mom for the night. Along the way we saw tipped over trucks and cars steered into the ditch and realized that we had just missed the worst of the cold front day before. it was my first time to meet Ryan's mom and she was just as pleasant and sweet as he had described her being. we met for dinner, and then i got the privileged of enjoying some true authentic caloric heart attack called Whitey's Ice Cream. I got the recontamination to try a malt in which you can choose your ice cream, and topping of choice and the whip it into a thick shake that makes you wish you could stomach the whole thing without feeling sick. I picked my flavor (Reese) of course and we all headed back to the Martin's for our last night on the road. The bed never felt so amazing and we were all ready for a good nights sleep by 10pm.
The morning came too fast and after enjoying a Ryan original breakfast and meeting his adorable baby cousin we were on our way for the homestretch. Only 3 hours left. These were probably the hardest and most emotional 3 hours of the entire trip. Although short it was overwhelming to realize this was real. As obvious as that sounds i was here, there was no going back and i was suddenly hit with the reality that i was in a very different environment than i was used to and everything would be new and take time to adjust to.
The whole night was full of unloading, unpacking and struggling to fit my entire life into a glamorized box. Although a box it was my box. My little tiny room in a very big city. This was the start of this new adventure and with each new day i will learn, struggle, and laugh about where im at. Keep on reading in the days to come!