Day two (Tuesday, November 26, 2019)

I let my dog write this first paragraph, cuz he’s cute.

It was 5:30am and 33 degrees as the Hillbilly Transport Wagon pulled out of Kearney, Nebraska.  The family was up shortly after 4. That is how long it takes to pack up the hotel room, reload their precarious wagon, and care for the family pet. They are tired, but they are together, and safe. They will drive as far as they can, as quickly as they can, today, hoping to get ahead of the storms coming. Another day, another state, or three. Doggo wants treats.

We started out in light snow today. We were hoping if we left early, we could beat the storms that were coming.

We didn’t get very far.

By the time we got to Sharon Springs, KS, it was snowing pretty hard, and our car was starting to ice up. We stopped at a little gas station for gas and a potty break. There were a couple old farmers there, and, after seeing the Hillbilly Transport Wagon, asked me where we were headed. I told them we were traveling west, toward Colorado, hoping to make it to New Mexico by evening. 

Ok, now, this is why I LOVE farmers (well, this and the fact that they feed me).  These two amazing gentlemen told us straight up, “you’re going the wrong way”. They told us we would never make it, that the storms were going to be too bad, and we needed to go South, not West.  Then, they went to their own trucks, and brought back their own maps (cuz ya know, them gps things aren’t always right), and spent almost 15 minutes with Bryan, explaining the correct route, and showing him on the maps. They told us if we went their way, we would be out of the storms within 30 miles. It only took 24 before we were clear of snow, and the ice started to melt from the car.

Holy crap, Kansas is a long, boring state. But look! Sunshine! Woooooo!

Tumblin’ Texas tumbleweeds

Day one (Monday, November 25th, 2019)

Day one took us from South Dakota to Nebraska, AFTER IHOP for breakfast! It was a pretty uneventful day, ending with a pretty good burger joint, and another impressive LaQuinta Inn and Suites.

Night 1 (Sunday, November 24, 2019)

Well, after all the tears, swearing, and screaming that packing involved, the Hillbilly Transport Wagon is off!

We didn’t go very far night one, just from MN to SD, about two hours. We just wanted to get started so that we could hopefully beat the storms.

After just a little bit of reasearch, we settled on the Laquinta Inn and Suites, Sioux Falls. It was a very nice hotel, very clean, and pet friendly, which we needed.

My fur baby Duke approved.

It also helped that there was an IHOP across the street. I like pancakes.

Pet friendly hotels are the bomb doggity!

The Goodbyes (days leading up to departure day)

The days leading up to the move were incredibly stressful, as you can imagine.  Not only were we packing, and looking for a rental online, and planning the trip itself, we were also saying our goodbyes.

My side of the family had an early Thanksgiving, so that we could all be there.  It was happy, and heartbreaking, at the same time. At one point, I know that almost all the females were crying. It was difficult, but not nearly as difficult as saying goodbye to my baby brother.

My adorable niece, showing off her vampire teeth.

My baby brother is very sensitive, and he and I are close. The last night we were all together, he tried to run downstairs to avoid having to go through it. I made him go through it. I followed him downstairs, we both slammed a beer, and we cried, and hugged, and then cried and hugged some more.

It was a strange feeling for me. I mean, I knew I would cry, especially when I said goodbye to my mom, the most amazing person I know. I had no idea though, that saying goodbye to the baby of the family would tear me apart like it did.

I knew all along that this move was the best thing to do for my husband and my family, but that didn’t make the Goodbyes any easier.

My packing crew.

Saying goodbye to the new friends I just made in Marshall, MN was hard too. They spent as much time with me as they could that last day, and the tears flowed again.

Honestly, it was hard to say goodbye, but I am happy for the tears. Tears mean that we have friends. Tears mean that we will be missed. Tears mean that we are loved, and to be loved is the greatest blessing of all.