Across Country With Three Kids, a Dog, and Our Sanity {Part II}

The Road Trip Saga Continues

If you’re just joining my crazy saga “Across The Country With Three Kids, a Dog, and  Our Sanity” you’re catching me halfway through Day 2 of our road trip across America.

Day 2

I held it together.

My husband rolls up in a Chevy Silverado. I love trucks. I love my husband. I love seeing my husband in a truck, but in an about an hour after seeing him drive up in that truck, I’d curse it (and I’m happy to never see my handsome honey in that truck ever again).  We loaded the kids, our luggage, and shhhh the dog into the Silverado. We headed over to the shop that had our SUV and U-Haul, we had to figure out a way to unload everything we had in the U-Haul and in our Nelly (SUV) into the Silverado with three kids, two adults, a dog, and the luggage we already had.

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I’m going to pause here because what I forgot to tell you is: I didn’t sleep well, but you probably already knew that. I felt like shit- you probably knew that too. I had the worst puffy dark circles of life, I had a cut on my neck and I just wanted to look pretty. I wanted to put on jewelry, mascara, and put my hair up real nice and look good for me. I did that. That was dumb. 

 

Have you ever played Tetris?

Yes. Well, this was scarier! Because we had to unload our stuff from the U-haul and load it into the truck bed and keep us safe and other people on the road safe (my precious was also in that U-Haul, my Mac). We had to get rid of things right there on the spot. We had to throw away coolers with healthy snacks & drinks; I so proudly packed for the babes. I had to give away a TV! That had to count as some kind of good karma, right? My husband and I loaded up the U-Haul in the sun and dirt. I was wearing my leather chanclas (flip-flops) my feet were heavily dusted in the dirt, my jewelry is no longer cute, it’s annoying and I wanted it all off. I think my husband and I gave the fellas at the tow shop a good show. 🙂 We finally got the truck loaded up, but how on earth were we going to keep everything from not falling out?

Okay, we weren’t that bad, but we weren’t much better. The gentleman that we gave the TV to helped us figure something out, he grabbed some rope and we made a tarp out of a blanket we had. That’s right, we were about to set off in a truck with boxes, luggage, and randomness secured by rope and a blanket! To say I was scared would be an understatement. I did not fear for just for my family, I was fearful for the other families on the road; what if we were the cause of an accident.

We had to get the heck out off Smalltown, USA

It was scary once we were on the highway, our blanket started waving and boxes started shifting, the one empty cooler we held on to opened up and kept flapping. We had to stop on the side of the highway, my husband had to make sure everything was secure enough to keep going, my heart was beating so hard. I began to cry, but not an ugly cry where I had a meltdown, that comes a little later.

When we finally see a gas station we stop there to rearrange our stuff and look for some ratchet straps to secure everything better. My husband found some, they did help a little. While he was searching for the straps, I was searching for a UPS, thank goodness for good WiFi. I could NOT travel the whole way to Washington with all that craziness in the back of our truck. The closest UPS was still a while away, but we were going to get there and pay whatever we had to. 🙁

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I’m hot and sweaty, any makeup I may have had on my face is gone, my toes are dusty, and there I was at a UPS delighted. Well, until I had to unload the truck once more -in the parking lot, with the sun beaming down on us-, that wasn’t really fun. My husband and I purchased two huge boxes and started emptying tubs filled with clothes, crafts, and games; you know, the things you need when you’re going to stay a month or so in corporate housing. We filled the boxes and then had to take them into the UPS. (We gave away all of our plastic bins and the cooler, does that count as good karma?) Pretty much we worked out that day for at least a week’s time. Thank goodness we were doing the whole Crossfit thing before we left.

Can I toot my own horn?

Yes? Cool, remember that U-Haul we pulled? Well… before we filled it and before we left South Carolina, I had to pull it up the driveway with my own two bare hands when it started to roll down the driveway.  Yeah… that’s right.. me. 🙂 (Which maybe, I should have taken as a sign as the shit storm that laid ahead.)

Back at UPS

Not only did we have to pay for the two big boxes of stuff, but we also paid to ship my precious, the grand total was over $400! I wanted to cry, but I didn’t, because:

1. We were alive
2. We didn’t have to worry about that stuff flying off the truck
3. And moving expenses deductible. We got back on the road with a slight sigh of relief. We still had stuff in the back of the truck, we were still depending on a rope and a few ratchet straps, but we were getting a little more excited.

Then we got super excited!!!

(I have a fun video of us driving into Chicago listening to this song, but for some reason, it’s not loading. 🙁  )

***Road trip update*** We’re alive! And I DO NOT say that lightly. We were in an accident in Indiana on Wednesday- our truck is probably totaled, per our insurance. (Thank goodness for USAA). We were heading to Chicago, but ended up staying in Indiana (the smallest town there) trying to figure out our next step. There was a lot to do before we could leave Indiana: we had to find a car rental (which was 30 min. away),we had to empty our Nelly (my Expedition) and the U-Haul, tie down all our stuff in the only rental that could work for us, a Chevy Silverado, we unloaded at UPS (when we finally found one). And this is us happy to be alive and entering the great state of Illinois! We are excited to be back ? Cue Kayne’s Homecoming?? (Yes we did!) We got into town a little late, so sleep was all we could think about. But today…today will be good & more adventure & life & happiness!!! Sending all of you love & happiness ? Stay safe, m’friends! p.s. Thanks for all the well wishes on our travels, I seriously feel like your love & thoughts (positivity) showered over us while we were traveling. ? #ThankYouNotes #HappyFriday #friyay #abmhappylife

A photo posted by Mrs.AOK (@mrs_aok) on Aug 14, 2015 at 8:05am PDT

I cannot wait to share some pictures from our short time in Illinois, but that will be for next time.
-Safe travels!

Have you had any crazy road trips?

XOXO

 Part 3,  Part 4 , end of the road.

Thanks for following along!!

XOXO