The Drive Home

Day 24 5/18

Well Actually much more happened today that I want to write about so yesterday is just guna start today. I got out of the valley and drove and drove and drove. A long day of driving but it went well and I didn't get really tired and feel confident that I will be able to survive the trip. It had always been a slight concern if I would be able to drive for such extended periods of time and keep it up for a few days. I can! I also learned some. I used to always wonder why my parents listened to news and talking instead of music and now I know. It is much more engaging and keeps you mind active. Music so easily melds into background noise that does not good keeping you awake. I have listened to the radio news, spanish stations that were lots of fun and abundant in CA, music, CDs, audiobooks. It has also been fun to just look at the scenery for a time. I have traveled through snowy mountain passes, endless deserts not the sand kind but the shrubby kind, and everything in-between.  I then had my biggest adventure near the end of the day when I went off the big highway, I-80 which I am following from CA to IA, and was making a u-turn but didn't see the roadside reflective post. I backed into it and broke some good sized chunks out of the bumper. 

Day 25 5/19

At first I thought all the lights were fine but actually the blinker bulb had fallen out, but not broken, but I then broke it trying to put it back in. Luckily there was a car parts shop right across the parking lot and I was able to get two new bulbs for under $4. I had noticed that whenever I used that blinker it would blink very fast which got me to check it again. I do not like the GPS it is annoying and gives me directions that I ignore half the time. I do leave it on for the most part thought just to make sure I don't unintentionally go a different route. I meant to stop at Salt lake today to take a break and sight see but when I got into the city it was rush hour and very big highways with lots of traffic so I was to busy to pick an exit to head off in. I also didn't really know where I wanted to go specifically. I am making good progress and am looking forward to my return to Scattergood. I spent a good few hours going through heavy rain alternating with snow as I went over yet another pass. After I had gotten a little ways into Wyoming I was going to stop at the rest area on the map and sleep but it was closed. I drove awhile longer then stopped at a gas station to take a break and decide where to sleep now but as I pulled into the parking lot it was apparent that many people park and sleep at this gas station. So I joined them. 

Day 26 5/20

I didn't sleep very well last night. I have been making improvements to my shotgun bed every night but I can't fix the tilt which prevents me from sleeping on my side very well. Since that is my preferred way to sleep it is difficult and all the outside noise and light doesn't help ether. So I woke up kinda early and let myself take a slow start to the day. I have now been driving for around 6 hours and it is only lunchtime. I may try to make it the rest of the way back today since it is only 8 more hours. We will see though I may take a few hours nap somewhere along the way. It is right at that unfortunate length that is a little long to do today but wont be much tomorrow and sleeping in a bed would be amazing. The road goes on. One thing that was neat is in one stein they had posts that gave the miles and how many seconds it should have taken you to get there from the start. It was very accurate and was designed to check your speedometer.