Getting There

Once again I am leaving all that is familiar, to be with the man I love. This is my fourth move in this scenario: Age 19 to Illinois, Age 35 to Phoenix, Age 51 to Portland and now at 55 to Alexandria Virginia. My husband of two years, SFC Tom Dryden is serving an active duty deployment with  the CID (Criminal Investigation Unit of the Army). I met Tom in 2004 when he was deployed to Iraq.  I know very little of the  military way of life, with it's unfamiliar acronyms, regulations and benefits.

We prepared for the trip from Mesa AZ to Alexandria by renting a passenger van to move our personal belongings. The van was stuffed full- we have overpacked I am sure of that, but I don't know what we will find when we reach our furnished apartment in Alexandria.

Day One: August 21st     Mesa AZ to Page AZ

We take a detour to beautiful Page Arizona to see our dream retirement destination. The vistas of Lake Powell are incredible. We found the patio homes we had given up on previously and even toured them with a local realtor.  Something to dream about in the future, but more attainable now that Tom has sold his townhouse in West Linn Oregon.

Day Two:  August 22nd  Page AZ to Albuquerque New Mexico.

 The scenery is beautiful with a clear blue sky and big puffy clouds.  We are surprised by the Native Americans who approach us at stops in Winslow AZ and Gallup New Mexico asking for money.We do help several out, but they just keeping coming and we can't help them all. The experience left me feeling sad and guilty.  We have so much that we take for granted.

Day Three: August 23rd  Albuquerque to Clinton Oklahoma

 A very long day, but the driving is easy and I try to stay engaged and energized following Tom in the Honda. There doesn't seem to be enough coffee and sugar free Red Bull to keep me going, but I do. The books on tape I bought in Portland with the help of my brother in law Robert at a library annex are a welcome distraction.  Sandy, our dog, is restless in the van and tries to climb  into the back. She is old- about 12 years we think and she has two bad  back legs from being hit by a car before we adopted her. Our vet was leery of giving us dog sedative due to her age and the fact that she takes two medications for her hips. He gave us 5 pills and suggested using Benadryl instead.  We gave Sandy a Benadryl that afternoon and she calmed down.  After arriving in Clinton Oklahoma- very friendly folks, we settled in at our motel.  I ordered my first official senior dinner at Denney's-wahoo!  Now I really am a cheap date!  Upon returning to our room we noticed Sandy seemed lethargic- exhausted we thought.  She got up on the bed and slept there for an hour or two. Then, something horrible happened- she actually slid off the bed on the slippery bedspread! (It actually seems funny now-but not at the time). We were horrified- she could hardly walk and had her tongue out.  Tom and I were quite sure that the trip must be too much for her and we were guilt ridden.  I cried for an hour and we were sure we would wake up to a deceased dog in the morning.  Fortunately, the next morning, she woke up and was much better.  We decided to forgo the Benadryl in the future. Sandy was moved to the back seat of the Honda which meant reconfiguring the packing of the van by moving the items from the Honda to the front seat of the van.  A better arrangement for all. Except now, I have Sandy panting in my ear-oh well.

Day three:  August 24th Clinton OK to Little Rock AR

 Tom gets word from his real estate agent, that the sale of his condo is ready to be finalized.  We make plans to meet the notary at the downtown La Quinta.  We decide to go to McDonalds for dinner because it is within walking distance and we are leery of leaving Sandy alone for too long.  We  decide to go elsewhere after an inebriated man pesters us and Tom spots a large roach on the wall. Later, the real estate contracts are signed and it is the end of another exhausting day.

Day four: August 25th  Little Rock to Nashville TN

Another long day of driving fueled by frequent coffee stops and subsequently frequent bathroom stops. We eat lunch everyday on the hood of the car in the most convenient fast food parking lot we can find. We try to find a shady spot and Sandy eats with us as it is too hot to leave her in the car. She get a plain hamburger for lunch and now decides she doesn't want to eat dog food.  I want to stop in Memphis at Graceland and at all the tourist spots in Nashville- but we have Sandy and we are anxious to get to our destination each evening.

Day five: August 26th   Nashville to Radford Virginia

The disintegration of organization started about the second day of our trip.  We hustle every morning to pack our belongings and begin cramming dirty clothes and toiletries into the plastic laundry  bags supplied by the motel.  We start each morning with the high carb free breakfast at La Quinta.  We have lost track of the power cord for the laptop, various personal items and our marbles.  We are ready to be done with this. This will be our last easy day of driving and tomorrow we will be driving in urban areas.

Day six: Radford to Waldorf Maryland

We set off for Waldorf Maryland for our last night in a motel.-hooray.  We miss a turnoff and take an unexpected two hour round trip detour. Life is not so easy now that we are not staying on the I-40.  We decide to buy a GPS and conference  with my son Taylor who recommends a text to voice model which also names the exact street/exit name-a lifesaver!!!!!  Lot's of road construction and detours today. An hour delay puts us right smack in the middle of rush hour on the Capitol Beltway- a nightmare!! Trying to follow Tom and communicate on the two way radios was very difficult. So many detours, exit closing s and fast drivers! I thought the drivers in Phoenix were pretty aggressive, but this area is the pits!  The news last night reported that the DC Metro area is number one in the country for car accidents, no surprise there. We arrive at the motel..  The details of the drive are too unsavory too think of- but picture getting separated on the freeway and trying to find each other again.  I did a face plant on the bed upon arrival and fell asleep(my usual coping mechanism for extreme stress).  I haven't driven since arriving, but hope to bolster my courage and try it again.

Day 7: August 28th- Waldorf  Maryland to Sullivan Place- Alexandria VA

Driving on a Saturday was much better and we easily found our new apartment thanks to the GPS. We made it, thanking God for a safe trip and for the experience of a lifetime in the coming year.

PS Please excuse any typos and run-on sentences (something my teachers always made note of)  I hope to make subsequent posts shorter. As my sister Peggy recommended (get to the point without the minutia.)
Hoping for a book and movie deal and my own reality TV show- wish me luck!  kidding..........