I seriously can’t believe we’ve only been on the road for two days. It feels like at least a week! And I don’t mean that in a bad way. I anticipated many more irksome moments but I’ve been very pleasantly surprised. Probably because my offspring are certifiably perfect (insert sparkly toothed grin). In all honesty, once we figured out that we had to feed #3 and get her in bed somewhere before 8:30, there has been no puking and very little whining.
I’ve also been very surprised by the sense of empowerment I’m feeling. I can’t explain why, but something about the fact that I packed up all four of my kids, my minivan and my sister, walked out the door and here I am two days later in Oklahoma City living large, is VERY liberating! I didn’t need anyone else to fly me or drive me or tell me when and where I could depart from. No one took me to four different destinations before the ones I planned on (hate me some layovers!) Roadtripping is actually A LOT like writing. I am completely in control of 80% of what’s going on.
Granted things haven’t gone exactly as planned. We were planning on sleeping in Amarillo tonight and we are several hours short of that goal, but we had such a wonderful day in Little Rock and at random truck stops that I really can’t complain. Just like when you’re writing. You plan your goals and your schedule, but if you leave yourself open to surprises and just enjoy the process, the end result is often times much more satisfying.
- Points of interest in Arkansas –
There were several circus/revival tents set up along the freeway with not a soul in sight. Just miles and miles of mystery crops.
Dead armadillos are plentiful along the roadside (good to note incase of zombie apocalypse and food shortage).
Baby George likes Okra
People from Texas in black Audis do not like Arkansas and drive like bats out of hell trying to escape.
Best signage: Toad Suck Park Next Exit (Seriously bummed I didn’t get a picture of that with the Chick-Fil-A cow!)
- Points of interest from Eastern Oklahoma -
I broke my promise and made oldest boy pee in a cup. (We were almost to our stop and he was insisting he couldn’t wait 5 miles. I swear!)
Promptly caught myself saying: “You keep both hands on that cup of pee! Or so help me!” what the what? Ugh.
There are A LOT of cows along I-40 but only one llama and I was the first to spot him during the Spot a Llama Game. Winning!!
Oklahoma is very proud of its Native American heritage and there are a ton of teepee shaped rest areas with names I can’t pronounce.
And finally, the bathrooms at the visitors center just over the state line from Arkansas have the BEST mirrors ever! They are warped just enough to make me look skinnier than I’ve ever been in my life without shrinking the top half at all. I ALMOST took a picture, but I didn’t want y’all to think I was a weird or the old lady waiting for me to stop posing in front of the sink to pass out waiting for her turn.
So far, so good. No one puked (yet… Fingers crossed, towels ready). We’re half a day off schedule but in the grand tradition of this Country Music Highway we get to live out the immortal lyrics of George Straight: Amarillo by Mornin’!!
Life is good and America is indeed, beautiful!
