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<p class="has-drop-cap p1">How I got two <b><i>whole</i></b> weeks off to travel from my part-time retail job- I DON'T KNOW! But I am forever thankful for going on this once in a life time opportunity with my family. And even more grateful that when I came back to work from my long trip no one hated me or gave me a hard time for not being at work. <i>That literally never happens</i>, including when I'm legitimately sick or attending a funeral.</p>
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<p class="p1">Now you must be wondering, "Audree you just moved- how are you paying for rent <b><i>and</i></b> this trip" (quoting it because my mom and friends all said this exact thing to me) in which I responded with "<i>girl</i>, I don't care about either of those things right now- I'll pay for it all somehow or another and worry about the bullshit later". Let me tell you, I still paid my rent on time and had enough money for food and a bunch of souvenirs I didn't need. I don't math very well but your girl can plan while simultaneously be spontaneous *<i>insert sparkles here</i>*. Besides, my grandpa just retired and this was his dream- I'm just joining the fun. Fortunately for me I was actually invited, <i>that also never happens</i>.</p>
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<p class="p1">The RV had only me (navigator #2), my grandpa (RV driver), my aunt (navigator #1 and co-planner of the entire trip), my grandma (because they travel as a team since before I was born) and my cousin (he just moved from Mexico to my grandparents house so it was rude to leave him behind). For a 25 foot RV and four people, it wasn't as crowded as I thought it would be. There were technically three beds and only a couple people had to share beds which still had enough elbow space. I am the only tiny person aboard that didn't have to kneel and crouch for anything, everyone else was well above 5'9" so the space really says a lot. In no way was there <i>anymore&nbsp;</i>space for more stuff and people than what we already had though. I mean I saw my grandpa hauling ass on the freeway at a high, bumpy 75 mph but everyone else on the freeway thought we're probably snailing along at 40 mph passing us up and flipping us off for being too slow in a one lane freeway. So we were probably pushing it on the weight limit for that RV. It was no fancy schmancy machine, <i>not in this family</i>.</p>
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<p class="p1">My aunt, grandpa and cousin spent a week on the road starting from California to Illinois. Since I now live in Oregon I had to meet them in Chicago, where I flew 4 hours non-stop to join the RV crew. Since I grew up in California I had already been up and down that portion of route 66 plenty of times. Missing that part of the trip wasn't a big deal for me. Technically on the map for the mother road, California is actually the end. This entire trip was very exciting for me because I hadn't been to many states and this way we were knocking out at least eight in one go. I had no idea what my aunt had planned for us or what exactly we were going to see along the way back to California. I focused on mentally preparing myself for a go-with-the-flow attitude because anytime my family tried to plan something it usually never goes that way, it's always turns into a late, indecisive type of event that makes me annoyed and angry throughout the day. I wasn't going to be <i>the one person</i> people regretted inviting so I aimed on fixing my attitude. I'll admit at the end of this trip not once was I mad or frustrated, and <i>yes</i> tons of things were still last minute or not planned at all but I really can't sit here today and think of one thing to complain about- so it worked!</p>
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<p class="p1">We spent three days in Chicago parked at the McCormick Stadium parking lot with other trucks and RVs. I got in on (July 2nd) a Friday, my aunt, grandpa and cousin had gotten there just the day before. My grandma and other aunt were supposed to fly from California at midnight the same day as me but their flight got cancelled early in the morning with little to no information. They spent all day calling and talking to representatives on the phone trying to reconnect their flight or get some sort of refund before they were informed that hundreds of other flights from all airlines were cancelled due to a storm. Everything was stressful for a bit because while we were out and about in the city walking around, my grandma kept frantically calling everyone on trip for help since she was confused as hell on the computer and about the situation itself. My aunt had set up everything for everyone including flights so we really had no idea what to do either from afar. It did get situated the same day but we just assumed since the mask mandate all over had been dropped and it was fourth of July weekend things were just crazy because it was suddenly so full of people.</p>
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<p class="p1"><b>In Chicago</b>, <br>I walked I don't know like 12 miles a day, we took the subway and the bus too but <i>all that walking</i>! We visited the John Hancock skyscraper and ate at its 95th level Signature Lounge. We had expensive cocktails with free unreserved seating at the window with the best view of the city. Of course cute selfies were taken here. Me and my aunt couldn't get over how the woman's restrooms also had the beautiful window views, though my grandpa was butt-hurt that the men's restroom directly next store didn't have that same feature. We did a Groupon boat tour of the riverwalk, which I highly recommend, we learned about the architecture and city history which wasn't boring even with all the booze they offered. I had great Instagram moments and enjoyed the summer weather on a boat- <i>what more could you ask for</i>. The only downfall was my sunburnt skin but that was my fault. </p>
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<p class="p1">The riverwalk was beautiful and popping full of party people. I got to see the Bean and Buckingham fountain next to a pier. Hard to take a picture at both places but still well worth the visit. We also got to enjoy a speakeasy called Untitled which specialized in whiskey, not my cup of tea but it was prohibition themed with live jazz and burlesque performers. At the end of the entire trip I asked my grandpa what his highlight was and he said <i>this</i> bar. He complained about how he didn't want to spend all his money on alcohol, but the live band he absolutely loved- they played all his favorites. It wasn't really jazz music per say, more like soul. The man was clapping and singing along the entire time. Of course while in Chicago we had to also try their pizza, so we went to Lou Malnati's and ordered the Classic Chicago Deep Dish. I wasn't amazed to be honest, I actually think that this eventually hurt my stomach the next day. It was crust, sausage (like a mcmuffin patty), red sauce and tons of cheese on top- it just didn't wow me. Despite the pizza, Chicago was my absolute favorite place throughout this whole trip hopefully I could come back again soon.</p>
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<p class="p1"><b>From Illinois to Indiana</b>, <br>we picked up my grandma and other aunt from the airport on the way to Fort Wayne. Each day we had to wake up early to pack camp and head out to drive, roughly it would be at five or six a.m. sometimes even four depending on how many hours away the next stop would be at. We were planning on celebrating the fourth of July with family, other cousins were also flying out of California to meet up. A majority of the trip actually turned out to be family filled in Indiana which was still interesting for me because I hadn't seen these people since I was a kid. There isn't a whole lot to do in Indiana, most of the itinerary involved drinking all day, all night at home which was fine because our RV driver needed a long break. The one thing that definitely tripped me out, other than the spacious grand housing, was the warehouse-like firework stands. I mean in California the only thing legal was poppers and sparklers but out here people were casually firing off the big guns in their backyard. Like I mentioned earlier, my cousin had just moved to the U.S. this was his first fourth of July. At one point, someone gave him the aux and of course he mainly plays spanish music so I had to tell him that the neighbors were going to complain because we weren't being patriotic. He didn't understand why or what kind of music was considered appropriate for the occasion. The moment we started playing country songs about <em>America the great</em>, was the funniest moment of the night, "<em>what is this?!</em>" in his accent. </p>
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<p>I did get a chance to visit Shipshewana, most famously known for its amish community. When I lived in Chico I was already very used to seeing Mennonites, but never whole communities of people driving literally horse-powered buggies. I don't know much about the amish or their practices still, but after eating at their restaurant I got to say they had some of the best desserts I've ever eaten. I think the restaurant was basically for tourists, I'm not sure if other amish people eat or work there- I saw one girl working there that wore her amish bonnet but the rest of the servers and staff no, not amish. Other than that just the buggie rides were mainly amish operated. Indiana made me self reflect on my life and future self goals. Yes, I want to buy a house but would I move out here and find a successful job? Maybe not until I'm well retired would that be the option then. I had so many laughs and even tears about family members that aren't around anymore, that it really made me cherish and hope that my kids will have moments like this too. <em>The trip wasn't supposed to be that deep but there were conversations and days that really got me thinking, okay.&nbsp;</em>At the end of the week, I left Indiana with lots of invitations to come back accompanied with sad goodbye hugs.</p>
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<p class="p1"><b>From Indiana to Missouri</b>, <br>we were back on the road headed to St. Louis. This time we were parking at a casino parking lot with other campers that were hooked up. It had the nicest view of the Mississippi river and the Gateway Ark. St. Louis was split by the river which also took place as the state border, meaning one side you were in Missouri and the other you were still in Illinois. The plan was to stay for the day so we could drop off my aunt and other aunt at the airport nearby the very next morning. Because we got into the city mid-afternoon the only events that took place were the ark park, it's museum underground, dinner, and some gambling at the casino.</p>
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<p class="p1">The museum was much bigger and more time consuming than I thought it would be, I think it normally takes people about an hour to pass through. I actually got lost at one point and ended up outside by myself for a while, realizing that there was no re-entry. I laid in the grass while bugs were sucked on my blood, watching the boats in the river blow its horn at some people in the park waving then back up to the clouds and the view. If you're like the rest of the world and you own a Netflix account, then you also watched Zac Efron's Down to Earth show- <em>don't lie, you know it was good too. </em>Anyways the moment he is traveling to France and cries in the car for literally no reason- that was me in that same moment I'm laying on the ground not even worried that I'm alone. The day was hot, humid with cloudy blue skies. In pictures the ark looks big but in person it almost blended into the background of the sky- <em>I mean you keep looking up that you're practically laying on the ground anyways</em>. </p>
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<p class="p1">The weather from the beginning of the trip wasn't bad but towards the end of the week there were suddenly flash storms with thunder and lightning. When we had gotten back to the RV for the night, the storm was already brewing in the sky luckily we made it back in time that we didn't walk through the crazy push of wind. My grandpa at this point kept pretending to imitate the bike riding witch in the tornado storm from Wizard of Oz because the winds on the way home were actually kind of scary for me. Once everyone got settled into their sleeping positions I plugged my phone in for the night and knocked out from travel exhaustion, the time difference and the soothing feeling of no longer being home sick. <em>This&nbsp;</em>was what I needed- my family. At home I was stressed about being lost in the mix of not finding a job or any friends. I went from being 9 hours away from my family to being 16 hours away- my mind was frantically grasping for stability and I had nothing to offer for its peace of mind until now. <em>My friends and family have been supporting me this whole time, my mind was finally settled down enough to really confide in that truth.</em></p>
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<p><strong>From Missouri to Kansas</strong>, <br>once again we were up and out by early morning. My aunts were dropped off at the airport just in time to board their plane ride home. I was so nervous to be in the passenger seat, delegated the navigator #2 role. All the stops from here on out were going to be decided by me, including the eating, shitting and sleeping locations- not just the fun sight seeing. I had to use three apps and two phones to figure out all that. Thankfully my grandpa would remind me to look up from the phone every once in a while to really take in the scenery. If you were in the back of the RV you were either on your phone until it died or you were sleeping. The outlets in back of the RV were generator operated, so if you killed your battery now chances are you won't recharge until we camp for the night because the generator took up gas. Gas prices in the midwest ranged from $2-$4, which was much cheaper than California but each time we filled up it was still a good $180-$300 depending on the place. My grandpa is hard of hearing, he's also reluctant to wearing his hearing aids, so he blasts the speakers so loud while driving that the singers were starting to sound distorted. For me, most of my cherished memories are accompanied by the song that was playing at that moment, now when I hear Johnny Cash I think of the plains we were passing in Missouri. </p>
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<p>Sometimes it wasn't always easy to fall asleep, there were a couple times I had nightmares that we'd get into a terrible car accident or a crazy tornado would sweep us away. I actually had a couple nights were I just kept waking up every hour because I would forget where I was exactly- <em>like oh, right I'm in Indiana-</em> one night I forgot, I kept inching my butt up to my aunt thinking she'd cuddle me like my boyfriend because mentally I was at home in bed with my big headed boyfriend. She was not a cuddler and I got no cuddles from her that night, she would just shake me awake snapping at me to move over. Another reason why I couldn't sleep was because everyone (except my cousin and myself) were loud snorers. I'm not that close with my cousin, this was like the second time I spent time with him on a trip or at all I didn't see him much as a kid. I actually had no idea we were the same age. We got pretty close because of this trip, I treat him like one of my brothers. Once the RV crew became just the four of us (me, my grandpa, my grandma and my cousin) we got to talking a lot more, I was learning spanish and he was learning english. My vocabulary limited to "chinga su madre" and his to "huh" and "tho" <em>because I guess Americans say that at the end of every sentence</em>.</p>
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<p><strong>In Missouri,<br></strong>we did a few things: the Meramic Caverns, the Jesse James museum, the Cuba murals, the world's largest rocking chair and the mother road musuem. The Meramic Caverns were basically those long underground tunnels of caves with the pointy dripping rock ceiling. The place was also a camp site where you could cabin camp, park your rv, canoe and zipline. It was full of touristy gift shops. The area was the only other stop in the literal Ozarks so you'd see buses drop off people and campers headed the same direction. I actually have never heard of this infamous outlaw Jesse James until we got here. There was history about how during the civil war the unionists were hiding ammo in these caves and the confederates discovered it after chasing Jesse James through them. The museum is right outside these caves, you had to pay a fee for this family owned shop. Inside you can't take any photos or videos either because the shop is so small they mostly make all their money off that portion of the building. If you grew up knowing this story then I guess after officials chase Jesse James out of the tunnels and he gets away they really don't know where or what happened to him, most people thought he died right after the event. The museum basically proved that he was alive the whole time and lived to be 100. I didn't really care much about him, but the only piece of info that really stuck with me was that he married his first cousin and had like six kids- <em>gross</em>. </p>
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<p>All throughout Missouri we actually passed by tons of proud confederate flags, which deeply worried me. The "red rocker" and the Cuba murals were very small, short stops. The rocking chair was just <em><strong>that</strong></em> on a long lonely road, but it had a busy route 66 gift shop because it was the only restroom available for miles. The Cuba murals was actually this tiny town, some amish people lived here too. This spot had nothing to do with Cubans, a bunch of artists just painted many murals on this historically kept town that had much to do about history of indigenous peoples. The sad thing was that COVID-19 killed many businesses of this barely surviving town, much of it boarded up with closure notices.</p>
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<p>We were mainly passing through Kansas, the route 66 had only one stop on the map. The Cars inspired "Cars on Route" town. They had life size Cars characters like Disneyland, the gift shop worker even pointed out Doc's garage, gas station and the hanging stop light. It was cute! As we rolled out to our next stop I played Life is a Highway at least three times.</p>
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<p><strong>From Kansas to Oklahoma,</strong>&nbsp;<br>I noticed so much history and pride for our<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; </span>nation's military. My grandpa served in Vietnam when he was a teenager, every time he sees anything related to museums of the sort we stop. My grandma on the other hand, she's a foodie- <em>I mean who isn't</em>. Between Kansas and Oklahoma there's miles and miles of land covered with large hay roles, like a painting, when we would actually get into an area with fast food or restaurants she's the first one to holler stop. </p>
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<p>At one point she managed to get my grandpa to stop at a dairy queen, a big walk-in and drive thru type (<em>a rare site for a dairy queen</em>). Per usual the parking lot was too tiny making us park a block away. After my grandpa spent 20 minutes trying to u-turn somewhere, getting lost for a second before finally find a parking spot big enough, my grandma was so giddy for ice cream that I was the one trying to keep up with her. The woman was speed walking- that says a lot because she has a condition. We get our ice cream and everything was peachy until we walk outside and it starts pouring. <em>Obviously we wouldn't be going through all this trouble if it wasn't ice cream eating summer sweating weather.</em> As we are racing back to the RV with our ice creams in hand, it starts pouring harder- I'm thinking it's going to hail. To get into the RV my grandpa has to manually unlock/lock the door, he's struggling to get the keys out of his pocket while we are standing out in an open empty lot just getting soaked. By the time we get into the car the rain suddenly stops, my grandpa was all flustered saying, "<em>All because you wanted your damn ice cream</em>" while I'm laughing my ass off in the passenger seat and my grandma is content with her sundae rolling her eyes at him. We all had a laugh, it was pretty funny- maybe not so much now that I'm reading it back <em>definitely a had-to-be-there-moment.</em> We (well, me and grandpa) didn't even eat all our ice creams either! You would think that after <em>all</em> that trouble but my grandpa and I are both lactose intolerant, there were only two dairy alternatives on the menu which we ordered that both came out pretty half assed. </p>
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<p>After that whole scenario we caught a glimpse of blue whale! The Blue Whale of Catoosa that is. It was a tiny bay of turtles, you could even walk into the whale's mouth. For days I kept pestering my grandpa to let me drive the RV, after this stop he finally gave him. I drove for an hour maybe two to Pops. A soda shop with a giant light up soda bottle outside. It was also a giant gas station and gift shop. Driving the camper was hard. I didn't realize that this part of the way was going to be so windy and narrow. My cousin was in the passenger seat while I was driving clamping the side handle screaming. I wasn't a terrible driver, at one point some motorcyclists passed us up with the middle finger and my grandma said I was going to fast&nbsp;<em>but I wasn't terrible.</em> I just gave up offering to drive the thing after that. It was pretty awkward seeing those same motorcyclists at the soda shop when we got there. This was the most expensive gift shop by far, sodas were $12 a piece and shirts were close to $30. We ate some burgers from their little diner until we decided to head to the final destination of the day. </p>
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<p>We were all a little tired from all the driving, I had found us a spot to set up by a lake right outside Tulsa. <em>I forget the name sorry.&nbsp;</em>Grandpa is a lifetime senior park holder, meaning he gets free admission to any state or federal park. The campsite had tons of friendly deer, these creatures were so used to cars and people they would let you get as close as a foot away before walking away. The lake was a still beauty maybe one small boat within sight, the recent storms were making it over flow swallowing up trees and camping areas. This area had a nice view but the public showers and bathroom could've been better and closer the bright side was that I didn't have to worry about possible bears in this area like other sites. Our RV had a shower and bathroom but we weren't allowed to go ya know number two, because my grandpa had to dump it often. The shower in the RV is tiny and needs the generator to heat up the water. The shower had to be quick, to not fill the tank and to be courteous to others, also because the water was either scorching hot or freezing cold. Public showers were just easier for those reasons. I realized I had three days left of vacation before heading back home. Three days to make it across all of Texas, New Mexico and half of Arizona. We needed to haul ass.</p>
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<p class="p1"><strong>From Oklahoma to Texas,</strong> it was also going to be another short stop pass through. Grandpa grew up in Texas he had already visited once in the year. After I made my realization we quickly mapped out a faster route to guarantee my safe arrival home. I worked the very next day of the end of our trip and I would've had to find a whole other way to get from California to Oregon if I had missed my flight. My grandma wanted to see the world's largest cross, this random church that had bible scenes and a very religious gift shop. There were pastor's ready to bless these gifts. After she got her gifts or shall I say <em>blessings</em>, we were on route to the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo. This restaurant was know to have an eating contest to finish a 72oz steak- <em>everything's bigger in Texas, am I right?&nbsp;</em>Famous youtube eating champions have tried it and the restaurant live streams each attempt. Apparently the current record holder finished this dish in under 20 minutes. Unfortunately, the restaurant was full but we still enjoyed their little arcade, bar and souvenir set up before we were back on the road again. I'm going to have to make a list of places to revisit and really spend some more time at.</p>
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<p class="p1"><strong>From Texas to New Mexico,&nbsp;<br></strong>I was really expecting to see hot air balloons in the sky at some point, <em>that never happened</em>. I was also trying to keep up with the rest of the Bachelor Nation on this season's The Bachelorette Katie Thurston in staying Albuquerque, New Mexico. You know, when you were super star struck about other teenage stars like Justin Bieber or Hannah Montana you thought you'd see them casually hanging out in Hollywood while you were visiting-<em> No?</em> Well, even though I knew that wasn't even remotely possible I still had my vivid day dreams. Anyways, when we got to New Mexico our first stop was at Santa Rosa Blue Hole. It's labeled as a lake, though it looks nothing like what you're thinking. It looks more like a small cove people go hunting for in the Southern California private beaches, the kind that can be dangerous enough to suck you up through its small bottom hole that is the ocean. This crystal blue sink hole was actual 80 feet deep, deep enough to scuba dive in frequently, which they offer. It's a swimming pool today that has little ledges to cliff jump into. Our visit here was supposed to be short and sweet, we weren't actually planning to get in, but my cousin and grandpa pressured me last minute to jump in with my clothes on so I gave in. It was 100 degrees outside and the water was 60 degrees, I plopped in and swam out pretty quick. </p>
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<p class="p1">After my jump my grandpa ran back to the RV to change into his suit and jump in too. <em>There goes my spontaneity thriving again.</em> Because I was soaking wet and we still had a whiles away of driving, my grandpa demanded my clothes and <em>chanclas</em> be outside for air drying. I was able to shower real quick before we took off. I guess my grandpa thought I was done and sitting down at some point during my shower and took off while I was still inside the bathroom. I came out thinking he must've grabbed my stuff for me while I was inside but I couldn't find them anywhere. We were about 30 minutes out when I finally asked him where he put my flip flops and clothes. <em>"Aye, chingow- I left them outside!"</em> My grandma chimed in like "<em>Reuben, I told you something flew off the car and you told me it was nothing.</em>"- casual bickering between my grandparents like this was to be expected. I have never seen my grandpa flip a u-turn so fast, thinking he was going to see my size 6 sandals somewhere on the road. It wasn't that big of a deal I was okay with the loss, I was just laughing in the back thinking <em>I'm glad I brought other shoes.</em> But we get back to the same spot and there's one sandal! Barely saw it while we were speeding 40 on a 25. My cousin had to run out from the RV into the middle of traffic to grab my dirty sandal. Then a mile up the road there was my other sandal. I can't believe this. How embarrassing I would've been fine with new sandals but my grandpa felt so bad. It was just funny. </p>
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<p class="p1">Even after the small set back we still made it in time to explore Santa Fe. I thought this place was so beautiful, it really reminded me of Mexico but with a more indigenous enriched culture vibe. The only weird part was that it was overflowing with hippies and gentrified over-priced shops. I felt bad buying anything "mexican" or "indian" history related because I really didn't see anyone there selling it (or buying it) who was my same skin color. There were tons of buildings and especially churches that were boasting about how the indigenous made these buildings by hand but wasn't it all pain and misery? I didn't want to make it political or anything but it just didn't sit right with me. </p>
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<p class="p1">Grandpa was on the hunt for an authentic new mexican restaurant, it was supposed to be different than the normal mexican food I'm used to. We found one right in the middle of their downtown area, where they we have a mini market with a live band. We ate a a place called Plaza Cafe, it had a patio overlooking this small plaza, I'll admit the food was pretty good but this new mexican twist menu was either a bowl of beans with fritos chips or like a version of beignet mixed with an empanada- it was just <em>different</em>. Of course we got lost finding our way back to where we originally parked, it was beginning to be too much walking for my grandma plus it got pitch black pretty fast. We ended up staying overnight in a nearby truck stop that also had hookups for RVs. The next day my grandma insisted on walking around Old Town Santa Fe some more before heading out. This was the hottest, driest day of them all and my body was really starting to give into this exhaustion that was now becoming dehydration. </p>
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<p class="p1">We ran out of food and snacks in the car so we had to restock at a nearby Sam's Club, when we finally sat down to eat I didn't realize what we had gotten gave me an allergic reaction. My body was so tired that a couple bites literally knocked me out in my seat. I woke up from a two hour deep sleep groggy, face swollen full of hives. <em>This is how I learned that prosciutto has hazelnuts (my worst enemy).&nbsp;</em>My face took a beating but I anticipated that some time during this trip that was to be expected, now I never go anywhere with Benadryl and Zyrtec. These were my final two days before arriving into Arizona for my ride home. The days passed by like a blur, and I was starting to realize that I didn't know when I'd get any more moments like these next.</p>
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<p class="p1"><strong>Lastly from New Mexico to Arizona,&nbsp;<br></strong>my boyfriend was going crazy at home by himself. He was counting down the days until he was able to see me again. I missed him but it wasn't the end of the world, I live with him now and probably will for a long time after. I wasn't really thrilled to go back to a work full of strangers and stress. I'd rather live my days like this, imagining myself doing this type of trip again in a smaller van in the future. I'm getting ahead of myself again, besides I didn't go to college just to become a hermit quite yet. I had bills to pay and commitments to deal with. These are the things that began to fill my mind as we were driving the empty desert and forest range of Arizona. It was 100 outside and inside despite the AC blasting. The road seemed to go on forever, but it wasn't lonely everyone else was going the same direction. This part of the journey there was no way around the Petrified Forest, you had to go through some mountain range. We actually planned to make a stop through the forest but because of COVID-19 they close the forest at 5 o'clock. We made it to the area at 5:15 p.m., they blocked the entrance and kicked out everyone on the road inside the forest so there was no way in or out. It was deemed too dangerous to be in at night, you could freeze to death or slip on the roads without ranger supervision. It got dark fast and we were still hours away from Phoenix. There were no more stops. It was too late to even make any reservations to any camp sites or truck stops- why pay for an overnight fee if we'd only be there for an hour of sleep before we head back on the road again. We were going to have to spend some sleep in a Walmart parking lot. It was only 10 minutes away from the airport, the closer we were the more sleep we'd be able to get. It was only three hours of sleep, if you can even call that sleep. I couldn't. I was drenched in sweat because it was so hot.</p>
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<p>The whole time we spent together in Arizona was quiet for everyone. My grandpa didn't even play music at all because he wanted to meditate with the forest. The following morning when I finally had to leave at four a.m. it was also silent. I was kind of tearing up thinking about how much fun I had and how I wished I could've stayed longer, when my grandpa finally speaks and says "<em>mija, maybe you don't have to go... maybe we can kidnap you home and they'll be chasing us until we finally return yo</em>u". I swear they make me feel like I'm truly apart of this family more than anyone else. I gave my grandparents tight hugs and big kisses goodbye. My cousin texted me, "<em>I'll miss you</em>". And then I was alone in an airport.</p>
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<p>That was the end of my exciting journey across the Midwest. More safe travels are soon to come...</p>
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<p class="has-drop-cap has-background" style="background-color:#fffcde"><em><strong>Dedication:</strong> Thank you to my grandparents. As a kid that is the direct result of a high school teenage accident, I have always felt different and unwanted. My family has had its ups and downs but the one thing that has shaped a huge part of who I am today are the amounts of love, support and time spent with my grandparents. If they had never taken me on any of their travels I would not have had my wanderlust and ambition today. I love you.</em></p>
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