First Drive, Still Alive

It’s official! We’re on our way!!!

After napping from 8 to 11 p.m., we bid farewell to our house and roommates in the dark. We left Narragansett, Rhode Island at midnight, nervous and excited and strung out on anticipation. Apparently the anticipation wasn’t enough to keep him awake, because Pete downed a Monster energy drink right away. But, seeing he drinks his bodyweight in coffee each day thus rendering him immune to caffeine, he dosed off soon after we left the Ocean State. My WPRO internship required a 3AM wake up call for the past 5 months, so crack-of-dawn driving is old news for me and I volunteered for the first shift. We made excellent time, clearing the dreaded George Washington Bridge just around 3:30 a.m. My lead foot paid off and we sailed easily through those risky patches where traffic could go on for days.  With Late Night “UFO” radio to keep me company, I cruised through Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania before sunrise. It’s very peaceful, driving on a wide open and dimly lit highway while listening to radio whack jobs declare their devout belief in Sasquatch.  “Coast to Coast” entertained me until about 4 a.m., until I began to get creeped out  and a little drowsy by the deserted highway. Unlike Pete, I don’t drink coffee or battery acid so I woke him to keep me alert and protect me from Sasquatch of the south. 

Just before dawn, we pulled over to a Sheetz in Carlisle, PA to stretch, fuel, and switch. Aside from the fact of it being named “Sheetz,” the stop had everything we needed. There was even a rather large convenient store there, and we found ourselves among only weary truckers.  I went to the ladies’ room and left Pete to his own devices, only to find that in that time he managed to make a mess. I’m not sure what he thought would happen when he pushed the “cream” button on their coffee machine, but the phrase “Oh sheetz” certainly came to mind as I watched him hastily mop cream off the store counter. We left immediately.

So far, we are getting about 32.7 mpg and averaging 66.7 miles per hour because we're awesome. We didn't even use 2 full tanks of gas and the spare tire didn't slide off the roof! This is all making Pete very happy. I'm just relieved that Carla is making it out of New England...

I'm pretty sure my uncle is placing bets that we won't make it. He doesn't believe in Carla like we do!  

On an unrelated note, she's burning oil like it's going out of style and so according to Pete's calculations, we are going have to buy 3.5 gallons of it to get her to Washington. But, I digress. 

The sunrise was beautiful over the hills of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and we crossed the Virginia line just before 7 a.m. My cousins have been texting me about their plans for the day, and we can't wait to catch up with them later this afternoon.

As the sun rose over the farms and fields, we were cruising down 81 S, listening to a gospel morning show. When in Rome… 

Next: Cousins and our Virginia adventures! 

This is awesome already!