So, I drove 2,000 miles in 3 days: 2,000

I have been thinking about blogging every so often for the past couple of years, but recently after reading a friend's blog I can't get it off my mind. Since I now live 2,000 miles from my family and friends I think I'm starting this a little late, actually. I know my mother would appreciate much more info on my daily life than I provide on Facebook. :)

This is the BOK/Williams Tower in downtown (hehe) Tulsa where I now work. I laugh because being from the Seattle area, this is no downtown! It is so much smaller and ever so vacant. Many empty and run down buildings and not very many people anywhere. But still, it is downtown and I love the experience! I have always loved going downtown and that is something I will miss not being able to do in Seattle. I adore Seattle.

Rewind...

In spring 2012 I started having thoughts of how it would be nice to live out in the "Country", in the "South". This came about after a married couple friends of mine were planning their move to Vinita, Oklahoma. He was a Bible college graduate and got a job as a youth pastor there. Within a week or two of the thoughts starting I began to sense strongly that God was asking me to take the leap of faith and move to Oklahoma. After much prayer from myself and many of my friends, and seeking confirmation from the Bible, I concluded that God was in fact directing me to go! !!! Weird!!! Cool!!! Aaaaahhhh!!!! I started searching online for a job and an apartment and wondered how I would find money to make this move and, and... I gave notice at work in August and worked my last day on September 7. God guided excellently and I made a scouting visit for a week. I got a good lead on a job or two and viewed the apartments that God directed me to while searching online. God laid everything out for me and although the trip had it's more than fair share of bumps along the way I was at peace and things fell into place. Sleep deprived and all! {Tip: Living out of a hotel in a strange city alone for 8 days is not something I would recommend nor cherish repeating}

I moved 3 times in 6 months, sigh. I had lived in a house with my dear friends for just over 2 years, then into an apartment with a co-worker for 3 months, then into a room at my friend & hairdresser's house for 3 months then on to Tulsa Oklahoma. {Tip #2: moving every 3 months sucks} My mom and some friends didn't think I should make the cross-country trip alone and my friend Colleen planned to come along. The week before I left she was forced to back out due to her mother's health. No one else was available and so, I drove 2,000 miles in 3 days, by myself! My former house mate & best friend's husband Donald (who was a professional mover) crammed most of my belongings into a Pod and I crammed my car full to the brim with my necessities and off I went! I left Federal Way, Washington at 4 pm on Monday and arrived in Tulsa, Oklahoma at 5 pm on Wednesday.

A challenging trip to be sure. I nearly didn't make it to Kansas! I pushed hard leaving Idaho Tuesday morning and stopped only once in Utah, Wyoming and Colorado the second day. In Wyoming I stopped at a "truck stop" called Little America. It's more of a town, really. There are many things to do there; they have a hotel and I can't remember what all else, but it's huge. I like Wyoming, think it would be nice to live there for a little while someday. Headed straight through to Cheyenne and took a right, into Colorado. After leaving Denver and heading east, it became very dark and I became excruciatingly exhausted but refused to stop until Goodland, Kansas. That was close, I seriously thought I would die! Sort of slept for about 3 hours in a motel then headed into the Vast Tan, flat, boring death of Kansas. I have to say, I really, reeheeheeheeeeely hate tan. I made a stop in Hays, Kansas as my grandparents had lived there once and it was a diversion worthy of a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It was a great little town and I'm glad I was able to see where my grandparents lived many years ago. I was a little bit bummed that this was not a sight-seeing trip because I love to see what I can and one of my dreams is to see as much of America as possible. And driving at about 85 mph is not really getting in much of the sights, ya know. :) I give many props and thanks to my friend Tim who is a truck driver and gave me invaluable advice on this trip. It would have been much harder for me to figure out which way to go and where to stop.

I think I'll wrap it up for now, this is a blog and not a book after all. More next time friends! Thanks for reading!