GRTAA – the recap

I returned home Sunday night, so the Great Road Trip Across America is now officially over. Lasting 9 days and covering just under 3,000 miles, it was the adventure of a lifetime. Spending the time with Meredith was special, and seeing where she’ll be living contributes greatly to my peace of mind. We saw places neither of us had ever been, and did things we didn’t know we could do, like drive 15 hours in one day and spend a night in a sketchy rural Tennessee motel without freaking out. We moved furniture from one second floor apartment to another second floor apartment, and assembled a bed from 20 pieces of pressboard. We drove in insane Atlanta traffic with insane Atlanta drivers. And we discovered the joys of Ikea and Dunkin Donuts.

“We’re strong, independent women and we don’t need a man to do it” was the mantra of the week. But after the breakdown in Davenport, we modified it slightly: “We’re strong, independent women and we don’t need a man to do it. But we do know when to hire help.” At times we wished that hiring help to move furniture was an option, but when the bed box was too heavy for us to carry, Meredith suggested we open the box and take the pieces up one at a time. Working that way, we accomplished it.

Since only the unassembled desk and side table would fit in her Kia Rio, we rented a U-Haul cargo van to haul everything else. Driving that in heavy traffic was an adventure, but I only drove over one curb and managed to back it into a narrow parking space in front of the apartment to make unloading easier. Meredith and her roommate Emily were amazing, trekking up and down the stairs dozens and dozens of times, carrying things I wouldn’t even dare try to drag. It was a miracle they could walk the next day, specially since the gas wasn’t turned on yet so hot showers weren’t an option.

It did wonders for both of our self-confidence. After this week Meredith is convinced that if she gets an internship in Seattle next summer she can handle the drive alone if she needs to, and I know that I’m not too old to accomplish tough new things.

All around it was a positive experience, and I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. I’ve now done moving trips in different directions with both girls, and am looking forward to someday doing the same thing with Tony. If he’ll let me go along.

Leave a Comment