Before I post about things we have been up to recently I have to write about our drive from Idaho to Connecticut. It was long. 2,334 miles to be exact. I’m 97% positive that if Jordan’s parents didn’t come out to help us make the drive that I would’ve driven myself off a cliff. I would’ve had to do that before we got to the Midwest though. Definitely no cliffs around there.
There really isn’t much to report, except for the part where we drove through 70 mph winds. There we were, put-putting along with our snail of a moving truck (thank you Scott and Karen for driving that beast!) when all of the sudden we hit some seriously crazy winds. It wasn’t too concerning until we saw a semi-truck tipped over on the side of the freeway. Then another. And another. We ended up passing seven trucks, literally blown over on their sides.
Then one semi tipped over from the other side of the freeway, blocking our lane of traffic. We had to sit there in the crazy winds for what seemed like forever. As we waited and hoped for things to get moving, we suddenly saw a white, rectangular thing fly in front of our window and then up into the sky. It was our license plate. NBD.
We ended up having to do a little off-roading to get out of that mess. Eventually we hit a rest stop and took a bathroom break. When Jordan opened the car door to leave, I was positive it was going to blow right off. He had to cover his entire face with his hood to not get demolished by all the dirt flying around and as he walked you could see he actually had to make an effort to keep his balance. I decided to stay in the car. No dirt mouth for me.
When we hit Omaha, my faith in Nebraska was restored. However, Jordan and I vowed to never drive through that state ever again. Sorry, Nebraska. It wasn’t you, it was me. And by that, I mean it was you.
The highlight of our trip was a little detour we took to Nauvoo, IL. We were able to walk around the temple and all throughout the settlement. We also visited Carthage Jail. It was an amazing and humbling experience to visit a place that holds so much history. We traveled through time that day and I felt my testimony strengthen as I stood on those grounds. I was especially touched when we visited Joseph Smith’s grave. As I thought of the man that he was and all that he sacrificed to follow God, I was overcome with a feeling of love and appreciation for him. He was willing to give up everything to follow what he knew to be true, including his life.
I had so many complaints throughout our long journey: the length of the drive, the nasty fast food we ate, the weather we hit along the way, etc. As I stood in Nauvoo I couldn’t help but compare the journey I had made with the journey the Saints made to Salt Lake so many years ago. They walked. They pulled handcarts and carried their young children. They experienced weather conditions so severe that it cost many their lives. Women birthed children along the way and many had to bury them. The trials they endured were endless but because of them, the church is what it is today. I am forever grateful for their perseverance and faith.
After we got to Connecticut I would joke and say I never wanted to go on a road trip ever again. Well, a few months later we made plans to drive to Oklahoma for Christmas with a toddler and what would be a brand-new baby. You know what? The trip was great. Here’s to a positive attitude and more road trips to come!
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