September 2, 2013

An 18 hour trip


I had a great title for this post:  "Ohio: The land that time forgot".  Because I thought we were going to Ohio on Saturday.  We ended just stopping just short of the border and spending a few hours in Richmond, Indiana.

(Doesn't it seem like minutes become hours, hours become days, and days become..you know, years when you're traveling through the great state of Ohio?)

We left at 5am and made it to Richmond by 1:30pm. I think.  There was a time change. It was confusing.

Coincidentally, Indiana is Scout's ancestral home.  He was excited.



We made this trip because ever since we bought a new truck, we've had the older one sitting in our driveway.  We don't have a very big driveway.  We decided to drive up there, pass it off to Scott's dad who'd meet us halfway, and drive back.  We got home at 11pm-ish. It was a long day.

This event, to me, was really the conclusion of our trip from Alaska.  We drove that truck from Alaska to Missouri with the intention of buying a new one when we got here, fixing up the old one, and sending it off to Pennsylvania (its ancestral home...after Japan).

Scott bought this 1999 Nissan truck in October 2008, about a month after we started dating.  I talked him into it.  It was perfect.  He desperately needed a truck and this was the best used one we came across.  The mileage was low, the price was about $9,000.

At this point, he was in ROTC and I was substitute teaching.  Neither of us had any money really, let alone $9,000.  This truck was a true investment.

He financed it, and brought it home (and it was paid off within a year or so).  Three weeks later, he hit a deer with it and the poor truck spent nearly a month in a body shop.  So it goes.

In April of 2009, we drove the truck to Oklahoma, where he was starting training.  He drove it back to Pennsylvania in September of that year for our wedding.  A week later, we loaded it onto a U-Haul trailer and it traveled to Alaska.

This is where it became our truck.  I left my car in Pennsylvania because we could only take one vehicle.  When he deployed 4 weeks later, it was my truck.  It got me through the Alaskan winter.  I cleaned snow and ice off of it countless times. The 4-wheel drive was my lifeline, as I navigated my way through Anchorage, heading to substitute-teaching jobs.

When Scott came back in February 2010, we bought a Hyundai Sonata.  It became mine and  he still drove that truck.  It's been all over the state of Alaska!  He was always doing repair work, making sure it ran at its best.

Here it is, photo-bombing a picture in Delta Junction.


And then an actual picture...


For deployment #2, it was my extra vehicle.  I drove it when the snow was too deep for my car.  My car had studs on the tires, but 4-wheel drive made me feel better when I saw the snow coming down in sheets outside my classroom window.  Knowing it'd get me up the hill to our house made me feel better about my commute home.  Though, I still remember the really cold days when I'd have to let it run every day for 30 minutes or so because we couldn't fit it in the garage.  If the battery died, that would be an inconvenience I really didn't need.

We talked about buying another truck in Alaska.  We really should have because there's no taxes there. We just kind of ran out of time.  It seems like a dumb excuse, but moving/PCSing is no joke.  We truly didn't have a second to spare on car-shopping.  So we attached a trailer to the Nissan and drove it to Missouri.
There was a moment in South Dakota where it started to overheat, but luckily that was our only issue.  I can't believe it made the trip.  It's a 1999 Frontier with waaaay too many miles on it.  Scott's taken amazing care of it.

As soon as we arrived here, we bought a new truck- the first new vehicle for either of us, ever.  I guess we're grown-ups?

Coincidentally, Saturday was also the anniversary of the day we met and today is the anniversary of our first date.  Five long years ago.  Next week is our wedding anniversary. Four whole years.  We say the contract is up at five. (kidding)


Sharing at Mingle Monday

14 comments:

  1. That truck sounds like my trusty honda. She's an 2001, just hit 170x not too long ago and Keith says I need to drive it til it dies. Its making new noises now and I'm hoping it holds out til 2014, I don't see why it wouldn't but if it requires more money due to noises, its not happening.

    I think driving across Illinois keeps on going...and going...and going...until you're finally in Chicago or wherever you are headed.

    Glad you had a good mini road trip :)

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  2. Oh, man what a long trip. But I love that the truck has such a story. Jonathan and I both drive the same cars we drove when we started dating (and for me the only car I've ever driven). We've gone to buy a new car (well, new to us) countless times and each time I end up breaking down and getting all sentimental. I hate my Camry--or so I say. But every time it's almost gone I yank it back. Heck, we even put a new engine in that sucker to revive it once.

    Also? You look incredibly stunning in your wedding photo!

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  3. Oh man that is a long trip! I love your wedding photo, I also told Kyle our contract was up at 5 years haha. Looks like I lied. :)

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  4. That photo at the end is the best. You guys look so perfect. And then of course I chuckled at the contract is up part. HA! I love your sarcasm.

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  5. Well happy almost anniversary! We joke about having to find newer, younger spouses now that we're getting old.

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  6. That truck sounds like it needs a nice cushy retirement home in Florida. ;)
    Happy Anniversary!!
    Brent and I just had our five year dating anniversary August 16! I've also been told to stop celebrating that anniversary now that we're married, but it's all about bragging rights. i mean, look at Kim Kardashians dating and marriage track record, right?
    Brent also used to joke about trading me in for a younger version, but then he turned thirty and I think he now thinks he's too old for those shenanigans!
    :))

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    1. Disregard any missing apostrophes or capitalization. My iPhone is slacking in the autocorrect department lol!

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  7. That is like the end of an era, moving from one car to the next. I'm still driving the first car I've owned...it hasn't been that long really, but I know I will miss that car when I have to get a new one!
    And you guys look so cute in that wedding photo!

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  8. I love that picture of you at your wedding!! SO gorgeous!

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  9. It could've been a long trip, but it's good to know that your car endured it. I'm sure the car's regular repair work helped so much in maintaining its best features. I just hope you'll have more long trips to enjoy. Don't forget to take good care of your truck!

    #SpartanToyota

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  10. “He was always doing repair work, making sure it ran at its best.” – And that's how it should be. Proper maintenance is the key to extend a car's longevity. Also, to ensure that it will never fail while on the road, especially during long trips. I just hope you’ll keep it that way. Or much better if you send your car to a reliable repair center just to make sure there are no hidden or overlooked problems. -- Joellen Cirilo @ YoungsCollision.com

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  11. When it was time to get rid of my first car, and I thought I might get sentimental, it helped that the thing no longer went in reverse. A new transmission cost more than what the thing was worth. It was a 2002 Kia Rio, and I got it in 2004 for like $6,000. It got me through college and my first year of teaching. When it died, that's when I got my Rav 4. I love that thing. It was my first new car. :) If new cars make one an adult, that explains a lot about my Dad. :) Just kidding; though, it's true, he and my Mom did not get their first new car till much later in life. With 8 kids, a brand new car was never in the budget. My dad's still a kid at heart! :)

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  12. P.S. Beautiful wedding photo for a beautiful couple! Can you tell I'm still getting caught up on reading your blog? :)

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