Journey Begins

My husband was up by 4:00AM and we were on the road by 5:00AM. The goal was to get as many miles behind us on Day one of the travels as possible. We traveled about 1,100. My husband is a great driver! Traffic was mild, the weather was beautiful, and we made great time. Here are some of the pictures I took along the way. This was our first stop for gas.

Along the way I pulled out my computer and wrote the following:

The ride through Tennessee was short. Love those “narrow” states! Makes long road trips go by so quickly! We’ve always loved Nashville….there’s good shoppin’ and good eatin’….but none of those things are on the itenerary for this trip. The Nashville skyline has grown quite a bit since we lived in that part of the world.

Seemed like we were entering Kentucky in no time at all! I had hoped to get my husband to stop at each state line marker to take pictures. No luck with that! I had forgotten how much farm land there is in Kentucky. To the right and to the left, as far as I could see were cornfields; one right after the other. As I was noticing the tassels topping the stalks, Luke Bryant’s song about Corn began playing in my head…Rain makes corn, corn makes whiskey, whiskey makes my baby a little bit friskey… My literacy friends would notice I’m making connections….although my connection is only surface level, some may know more details than just a trademark name, Jim Beam ® Kentucky. I think Luke knows what he’s singing about. There was so much corn I asked my husband if Kentucky had changed their state crop!
As we continue driving, I notice railroad train cars full of coal, one after another, a track full….

All was going well until we entered Illinois and our GPS system wanted to send us on the scenic route. My husband rerouted quickly, saying it was much too early in the trip to begin sightseeing.
I’m learning there are many “rules” for co-piloting this expedition. My husband has been wearing his Human Resources hat and has called it “my induction”. He said it was important for me to know and understand what is expected of the co-pilot, because if I didn’t know what the expectations are, then I might think that all I have to do is enjoy the ride. Here’s what I’ve learned thus far:

Rule number 1: When we stop for gas, I, as co-pilot am responsible for finding all trash and properly disposing of it. An alternative to cleaning out the trash is offering to pump the gas. If I offer to pump the gas, this may be an indication that I desire to take over the responsibilities of the driver, including driving. I opted for trash detail.

Rule number 2: I should not ask the driver to talk on the phone. It’s not that he can’t or won’t talk on the phone while driving, I just shouldn’t ask him to talk to someone because when I ask him to talk on the phone, if the GPS system gives directions, it causes him to lose his concentration on driving.

Rule number 3: Always take a bath before getting in the truck each day. It’s important to smell good if you are going to be stuck in a car for a long time with someone.
We’ve been on the road for about five hours and 15 minutes. Can’t wait to see how long this list of rules, pardon me, induction process, becomes!!
Illinois, Land of Lincoln. Flat land. Fields and fields of corn, grain bins, barns, houses, and an occasional church steeple.

Keep following....more pictures to come....it's been a long day....