This has been the coldest day I've experienced on the trip so far. After eating some breakfast and checking out of the hotel, we set off for Moab, UT. The Rocky Mountains are absolutely breathtaking. We spent 4 hours of our 6 hour drive going about 35mph through them. I took well over 100 pictures, and also took about 15 minutes of video. Pictures do these mountains no justice. They look very much like the one in the background of this blog (I didn't take it, though). If we had tried to pass through the Rockies a day earlier, we would have gotten stuck. It was a long, beautiful, peaceful drive to Moab.
We arrived in Moab, UT at about 7:30pm (9:30pm for you East Coast folks!), and checked into a hostel. We got a cabin for $26, which is really great! We got a response from someone on couchsurfing a few minutes after we checked in, saying that he could host us for the night. Oh well... he was back in Grand Junction, CO anyway, about 2 hours away. I think we'll ring in the New Year at a pub somewhere in town later tonight.
This cabin is COLD! It's two degrees fahrenheit outside, and we only have a small space heater for the room. We have warm sleeping bags, though, so we'll be fine. =)
I think our plan for tomorrow is to go to Salt Lake City, UT. It's only about a 4 hour drive. Not too bad. Through this trip, I've been extremely grateful for my ability to sleep anywhere in any position. My neck doesn't even hurt anymore when I fall asleep sitting up for a long time. I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing. It's certainly a convenient thing. Thank you, drum corps.
There have been several phases I've gone through while on this trip. I was going to say that this is probably what most people go through while they're on the road, but I decided that had to be incorrect. I've been on tour with drum corps for about a month before, and this feels completely different. I think the most different part about it all is that I don't have a home to return to when all of this is done. My home is my car. It's a completely absurd truth I've only recently come to terms with.
The first phase of this trip has been something of a honeymoon period, similar to what one experiences at the beginning of a relationship. Everything was fascinating, and the thought of being out on my own was intoxicating. I wasn't really worrying about money. I wasn't really worrying about where to stay or making plans for the future. We were staying in Chicago for almost a week, and things were basically taken care of for us. We planned a few things, yes, but it felt more like we were along for the ride. We were still with family, and still had the closeness and support they gave us. We weren't at our former homes on the East Coast, but it was still faintly similar. It let us be carefree children with little responsibility for making things happen. It was bliss, and little else mattered.
We were eased out of Chicago into the households of two very gracious, generous couchsurfing hosts in Omaha, NE and Sutherland, NE. They accepted our requests early, and we had things planned out around them. We were on our own, but it was still pretty easy. We were only paying for gas and food, as couchsurfing is free. We didn't feel bad about eating out at restaurants for almost every meal.
Things have been a little different since Colorado. We haven't been able to find couchsurfing hosts, and have spent about $120 total for rooms. We started buying food from the grocery store for meals, and avoiding other small costs that add up (buying food/drinks at rest stops). I guess it's pretty impressive to say we've made it to Moab, UT and only spent $120 on hotel/hostel rooms. It's all in how you view things. It's easy to let your mind think you deserve something. "I just spent 9 hours in a car, I deserve a really nice hotel room!" I'm glad both Arlo and I are good a being satisfied with less. I don't think we could be doing what we're doing without that mindset.
I'm really happy Arlo got us into couchsurfing. I was really skeptical at first, but I think my faith in the common man has been restored. That is, as long as the common man has a good profile and several references! I was originally only drawn to the fact that it meant we didn't have to pay for a hotel room. But now I'm realizing how amazing it is to meet these people that are opening up their house to complete strangers. They're so interesting and generous. It really changes your perspective on people. Maybe I'm just a cold-hearted Jersey girl and expect the worst from everyone. I don't know, but I wish I was open to meeting amazing people like this earlier in my life.
I left the East Coast nine days ago, and my life has changed so much. I've already started thinking about warmer weather, and what adventures lie ahead. Life is good.
Happy New Year!!!
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