Shelley and Christopher's Oregon Trail Adventure Part 1: A Familiar Start

There is something exhilarating about the idea of a road trip, especially across the wide expanse of the American countryside.  Just the idea of travel is exciting and full of so many unknown possibilities.  This journey was not just a vacation, but a fresh start.  The end of the trip was just the beginning of all the adventures I've had since moving across the country. I was lucky to have a very enthusiastic companion, my boyfriend Christopher, who spent hours mapping out our route. He dubbed our trip "the 2013 Oregon Trail." This is our route.  Here is the 1843 Map of the Oregon Trail path early settlers took for a comparison.

As you begin reading, you can listen along to Silenced By the Night, my ideal road trip song.

In late July, on a beautiful, warm North Carolina morning Christopher and I pulled out of my grandparents driveway.  The car was packed tightly with most of my worldly belongings; we had snacks,  water bottles, and a stack of $5 McDonald's gift cards. My eyes were blurry with tears as I looked up at the people who had supported me through the shaky beginnings of adulthood.  I cried as I thought of my sister, close friends, the familiar sights and sounds, because crying helped the new ache I felt from missing them. The world felt surreal and overly bright as I passed the familiar houses and stores.  I'm sure the situation was fairly awkward for Christopher because he was filled with excitement but he kindly patted my shoulder and spoke words of comfort.  Eventually the tears dried as the sights changed.  We drove on towards the mountains and through Boone, stopping for gas and McDonald's (I'm pretty sure I'm still digesting all the burgers and fries I ate on this trip). In the late afternoon we crossed in to Tennessee, which made Christopher very excited because he'd never been there before.

                                           He was impressed with the beautiful, rolling hills.
We also drove through Kentucky and the Cumberland Gap but much to our disappointment, it was just a tunnel.

Once we got in to Ohio, Christopher took over the driving as he'd been through this next area on a previous trip.

My always welcoming and generous aunt and uncle (my mom's brother and his wife) let us stay with them the first night. Upon arriving at their house, I had a terrible allergy attack.  My eyes became itchy, swollen, and red.  My already aggravated skin became worse.  An hour beforehand we had been driving with the windows down and I reasoned the pollen had really angered my immune system.  Part of the reason I decided to move across the country was to improve my allergies.  Unfortunately I was forced to take a Benadryl, spending the evening fighting drowsiness so I could enjoy the visit.  Bryce, my younger cousin, proudly flipped burgers for the first time (they were delicious by the way).  My aunt had prepared tasty sides; we had a great time recounting the things we'd seen so far and giving updates on family. After dinner we went out with Aunt Sue and Bryce for ice cream at Graeter's,  a place made famous by one of Oprah's "favorite things" episodes.  As he licked his treat Christopher mused "well I guess I'll have to admit that Oprah and I have at least one thing in common." The next day my Uncle Tim and older cousin Trevor joined us for a late lunch before Christopher and I began Day 2.  I wished we could have spent hours just laughing and chatting.  I felt a wave of sadness as we pulled off on to the highway again.

We drove onwards through Indiana and in to Illinois as our next stop was the house of Christopher's cousin.  They live in a small town an hour or so outside of Chicago.  Christopher and I had a blast driving through cornfields with the windows down as the clean, clear air brushed past our faces.

It felt like we drove past acres and acres of cornfields before arriving at their house which was, of course, right across from a cornfield.  Though they'd never met me and had not seen Christopher in years, they made us feel right at home. We ate Italian take out with his cousin, her husband, and two children.  After dinner, she brought out a stack of photographs of Christopher's grandmother (his father's mother) and his great aunts.  His cousin proceeded to tell all sorts of stories about their crazy antics.  Christopher's great-grandparents had owned a tavern in Chicago and spoiled their three daughters constantly.  Christopher's great-aunts lived with his cousin in old age and were just as mischievous then as they were as teenagers.  We laughed so hard, tears streamed down our faces.  His cousin commented that it had done her soul good to talk about them now that they had all passed.  The next morning she arose early to make copies of some of the pictures for Christopher and a really nice breakfast. Along with the pictures, Christopher left with a cane and the bible his great-grandparents brought over from Poland with them. 

We headed out, surprised by the chilly temperature in late July.  Wrapped in a coat and blanket I was drowsy from taking yet more Benadryl but full of anticipation for our next leg of the journey, full of the unfamiliar.