The Move to California, Part I: Road Trip Across the U.S. of A.

For those of you who don't already know, Matt and I drove across the country in a giant, 16 foot Penske moving truck. With his Jeep Cherokee in tow behind us. It looked something like this:

The moving truck was even longer in person than it looks in the photo, I assure you.


Matt and I left Princeton on December 21st, around 11:00 AM. Matt took the first driving shift and we blasted John Denver on the stereo (Country Roads, if you are curious).  I overcame my initial fear of the monstrous truck/Jeep in tow and we alternated driving every four hours or so, which corresponded to when we needed to gas up (you don't even want to know how much we supported the oil and gas industry on this road trip). 


It was pretty much a non-stop drive to Louisiana, where we were headed to spend Christmas with Matt's family. Matt was determined NOT to spend money on a motel and I decided that if Matt could be that hardcore, so could I. So we slept in the cab of the moving truck...in the parking lot of the Alabama welcome center. It was the first but not the last time we would sleep in the truck over the course of our journey. 


After spending glorious and refreshing days with Matt's family, we headed out to California, by way of Texas....or as I like to call it, the Land That Does Not End. I felt like we spent an eternity driving through the Lone Star State.


However, our drive through Texas did have its perks. First, we were able to spend time with good friends in Austin, Texas. After 8 hours on the road, it was so lovely to walk into the house of friends, enjoy a delicious meal, and hear anecdotes about their adorable toddler. 


We also discovered a restaurant called Chrome Cactus. It was there that I had one of the best burgers EVER. If you are passing through the middle of Texas, I highly recommend it. Be on the look out for this sign:

My burger had: a thin beef patty, bacon, onion rings, cheddar cheese, and lettuce with ranch dressing. Di-vine. (Jonny, if you are reading this, I think you would have rated this burger in the near vicinity of Hoagie Haven. A bold claim, I know, but it was that good.)


Over the course of our trip, we relied on one smart phone application called "Gas Buddy." As its name might suggest, it helps you locate gas along your route and advertises the prices. This is particularly important when your vehicle gets 6 to 10 miles a gallon. Yes, you read that correctly. 6 to 10 miles. Per. Gallon. 

However, we learned that it is important to refrain from putting all of your road trip eggs in the Gas Buddy basket. Why, you may ask? Because this is what happens:

You run out of gas on a deserted Texas highway because the gas station shown on Gas Buddy is out of business. 


Fortunately, some kind people took pity on Matt and me (as we ran down a highway towards the gas station 1 mile in the distance) and gave us a lift. Thank you, kind strangers! 

We ultimately got to California safe and sound (although we did have a brush with the seedy underbelly of El Paso, Texas). Praise God for protecting us.

Me in the seat of power.

Stay tuned for before and after pics of our new apartment!