On the road, finally

This morning I woke up around 8am intending to go to the gym, pack up my car with the last of my luggage and head out. It was raining though, and I woke up later than I was hoping so I figured I'd skip the workout and get a move on. I had put my laundry in the dryer the night before, so I went down and checked, it was damp; it's never damp, so I suspect someone may have used my drying time and then returned my clothes, but except for the extra buck 25, I didn't mind, it would take me another hour to shower, pack some food, and get the car packed.

I made some fruit salad, stuffed my dirty sheets in a tote to bring home for my mom to wash- the idea of leaving them in NYC for 4 months to fester sounded nasty to me, even if they had only been slept on 6 nights. As usual I ended up with a lot more to carry down to the car then I had intended, and in the end I think I may have left a bag of garbage in my room, and definitely forgot to wipe down my food cupboard. 

I gave Manny a tin of tuna juice, a couple scoops of food, and headed out. My car is packed to the gills, and I am frankly concerned about the plane taking off on Monday with the weight of my suitcase; gravity will certainly be a force to reckon with.

Except for the fact I was way too busy eating dark chocolate covered raisins and trying to get my book on CD What is What into the CD player (20 hours of literature for a 13 hour road trip) thus missing my exit for the GW bridge (which is sort of equivalent to missing your driveway it's so close to home and obvious) the drive was super relaxing and easy. I spent about an hour on the phone when old friends called to say good-bye, but mostly I listened to What is What, a book I admittedly thought I would enjoy, it's 17 CD's long and I think I got through 7. It's been a little disappointing, I don't know if that's because I already saw the documentary on the Lost Boys of Sudan, or because I actually did an art project with the 6th graders last semester on the Lost Boys and their journey where we read a book about their desert walk and emigration (they made puppets and corresponding journals about the journey and adjusting to life in America) so maybe the subject matter although nicely written, was just too redundant? Around 3pm I stopped at a rest stop and took a 30 min nap, afterwards I was quite prepared to drive through another state and a half. 

10 hours after I left NYC, at 8pm I checked into the Holiday Inn Express in Howe, a place my mother and I accidently drove through on the way out to NYC looking for a place to have lunch- we found a military academy, but nothing to eat. I bought a bag of animal crackers from the vending machine, worked out in the "fitness center" circa 1988, and realized that I forgot to pack my camera. Usually by this point I realize I've forgotten a lot more than my camera, so I'm counting this omission minor.

It will be a couple more hours to Chicago in the morning, and I'm considering my options for how I want to enjoy my afternoon. I don't have room for even an extra tic tac in my luggage, so shopping is not an option; I might opt for lunch at the Bourgeois Pig for old times sake.