Hey, let's drive across the country in 5 days! (Said no smart person ever...)

5 days, 4 nights

10 states

2,425 miles

There was a lot of caffeine, a lot of truck stops, and a lot of snow, but we did it!  We successfully drove a 16 foot moving truck towing our car across the country in 5 days.  We left California on the evening of Dec. 20th and made it home to Pittsburgh on Christmas Eve.  It was crazy, hectic, frustrating, and exciting all rolled into one...

Bye bye tiny expensive California apartment

Here we go!

(If you're wondering, yes we are in fact insane...)

Adios California, it's been real!

Arizona: No sign of snow yet...

New Mexico: First encounter with snow and freeezing cold weather

Texas: More snow, but awesome tortillas & free cake!

Oklahoma: Ice storms and terrible roads, but I got MMMHOPS!

Thanks Hanson ;)

Missouri: Uneventful with the exception of spotting the (blurry & dark) St. Louis arch

Illinois: Blurry signs, but pleasant driving

Indiana: Getting closer...

Ohio: Getting really close!

West Virginia: Only one more state to go!

PENNSYLVANIA!!

Totally blurry, but too excited... we made it!

And as soon as we walked into my parent's house,

we had a celebratory Mmmhops! ;)

What a wild trip.  Most of the credit has to go to Brett for driving the entire way.  I could barely see over the steering wheel, so there was no way I could drive that gigantic truck with our car attached.  Some days we put in 14 hours of straight driving.  He is a rockstar.  This trip was definitely nothing like our amazing cross-country trip to California in May, that's for sure. ;)  If you're going to drive across the country, I definitely recommend doing it that way, not this way.  For obvious reasons. :)  But we did it and now we are home in Pittsburgh and we couldn't be happier.

More updates to come!

Hope your new year is off to an amazing start!*

Texas {Our Great Adventure}

Texas!

After driving across the entire state of Oklahoma, we cruised right on into Texas.  Texas was the first state where the scenery really started to look different compared to the east coast.  Cacti, red rocks, canyons, and tumbleweeds all over the place.  We didn't get too deep into Texas because it is such a gigantic state, but we found an awesome area to explore in Northern Texas.  Palo Duro Canyon.  It is the second largest canyon in the United States (the Grand Canyon being the first, of course).  We did a really cool hike in the canyon that led to 'Lighthouse Rock'.  It was a million degrees outside.  But what a spectacular rock.  It's awesome things like this in nature that make you realize how small we really are in this big world.  Also, lizards.  Lizards everywhere!  Not used to those guys on the east coast...

And shout out to our little Honda Fit, we love you!  Thank you for putting up with us on this crazy trip across the country.  You're the best.  I promise we won't drag you through any more rocky, rough back roads that aren't really roads.  :)