Oregon Trail

One week from today my husband and I will embark on a road trip that will exceed the distance of any highway trips in our history as a couple. Our daughter is marrying a wonderful young gentleman and the wedding is being held in Oregon, 1600 miles from our landlocked state of South Dakota. We decided not to fly for a couple of reasons, not the least being that I HATE flying. Medication is required for me to crawl into a metal tube with strangers and turbulence. We also want to see some country along the way. We've been to the Atlantic Ocean but this will be our first trip to the Pacific Ocean and we hope to soak up the scenery through every state on our trail.

As much as I am looking forward to the trip, I am also a bit anxious. I am the world’s worst passenger. I’m quite sure my husband will be nominated for sainthood someday due to his patient long-suffering approach to driving me anywhere that has traffic, slick roads or ominous looking skies. My husband is an excellent driver and I have no reason for excessive opinion sharing. I just get a bad case of the Nervous Nellies when I feel I’m not in complete control of a situation.

 I've developed a few strategies that can be helpful. I cover my hands with a jacket so my husband doesn't have to see my pointings, clutchings and wringing of hands. Sometimes I look at other drivers that are making me nervous and transpose their faces with the faces of people I know so I don’t view them as the enemy. Closing my eyes works if it’s a short term threat like oncoming traffic from a ramp or the passing of an extra long truck. And occasionally I just need to take over the wheel so I can backseat drive myself. For the record, I’m just as hard on myself as I am on my husband (he might disagree with this).

My plan is to blog along the trail. That is the plan. It might not be the reality. So if I’m off-air for the month of July, you’ll know that it is for one of the following reasons.

1) Technical difficulties--managing a computer, camera and wi-fi stopovers falls into the category of making an old lady crazy. The stars will pretty much have to align for me to pull off a road trip blog.

2) Fatigue—long days on the road can give me the grumpies, killing my muse in the process. I’m packing lots of fruit and water to stave off complete exhaustion, but there are no guarantees in the world of love and traveling.

3) Homicide—but for the fact that my sister-in-law was in the back seat at a gas station in Omaha during a long and arduous trip to Colorado a few years ago, there would be one less in our couplehood. We've matured a little since then so we will hope for the best.

4) Vacationitis—sometimes it’s good to step off the grid for awhile. Leaving the city limits behind and watching new views from my window might put a stop to any notions of stringing together any cohesive thoughts.

So, for better or for worse, it’s Oregon or bust for us.

Happy Trails.