In life things don’t always go as planned. This is also true of the trucking business. Sometimes, when you pick up a load, for whatever reason you may not deliver it. In these cases, your boss will arrange for you to make a swap with another driver or team so things can be delivered on time. This very situation has happened at least six times in the past week. Long story short, no trip to Massachusetts for us. That being said, let me bring you up to date on things.
The second trip through Idaho proved much more interesting. The first time around, the state hid its treasures, but I found if you head farther north into the state you get more of the Rockies as well as the cities where the majority of the population has collected. We lucked up and found a nearby McDonald’s to do some much needed internet updating (I personally stayed there for more hours than are decent to mention). I bring up all of this because of one employee who was feverishly working during my stay. Her name is Meggee (pronounced May-Gee) and she was one of the most positive people I’ve come across. Even though she was relegated to mopping the floors, scrubbing the toilets and basically cleaning every square inch of the restaurant, she did it all with a smile on her face and a glow about her. Noticing that I was hanging around for a while, she struck up a conversation with me and come to find out, not only does she work at McDonald’s but she also volunteers at the homeless and womens shelters in town. She says her parents love for her to stay busy, figures it will keep her out of trouble. So all that was to say a great big thank you to her for just being her and making my day there quite enjoyable. Keep up all your good work girl!
Not too long later we entered Montana, and boy was that an amazing state! We traveled across the state in a day and a half (the distance was 700 miles) and only once we were across the state line into North Dakota did we get a swap call from James’ Driver Manager. The load took us back through Montana, this time on a different route, giving us the perfect opportunity to partake of the various lands the state has to offer. For instance, did you know ¼ of the Lewis and Clark Expedition took place in Montana? I didn’t. It is also the 4th largest state in the US, behind Texas, Alaska and California. It has more square mileage than residents, so if you like huge, wide open spaces, this place is for you!
Spending hours watching the scenery makes it apparent to me the appeal of the west. Think about it, at the time of the great migration west, industry was beginning to take over in the larger cities, places were getting cramped on the east coast and people who were looking for a new start on life saw this place as the land of opportunity for any man, woman or child worth their salt. Even today this is true because the very landscape will challenge you with constant wind (some states have signs warning of areas of wind gusts), ice and snow (last year Colorado got snow flurries in June!). This may leave you asking, “why would anyone want to move there?” Well, some states have oil mining (80% of oil being consumed in the U.S. is produced domestically), farms as far as the eye can see (all ranging from apples to corn, wheat, and grapes), livestock (cows, horses, sheep, buffalo and the occasional llamas or alpacas) and any outdoor activity you can think of. Not to mention that if you want to observe wildlife, it is here (many states have signs warning of deer, antelope or wildlife crossings). So far I’ve managed to see wild turkeys, antelope, deer and coyote (it’s just an extra added bonus to my day, like an Easter Egg in a video game).
Anyways, our trip through Montana led us to another load and swap but this time the load took us to HERSHEY’S! As we discovered, the really cool thing about delivering to Hershey is you get to have not one but TWO choices of any of their candy product! Mmm… Reese’s.
All of this swapping has had a purpose: we learned about a week ago my oldest friend in the world Jenny just found out her husband has cancer so we have put in a request to get back to Georgia as soon as possible. News such as this has managed to make this trip even more important to me, as I feel the need to live with even more gusto than before. Also, just to let you know, her husband is my age and no one should have to hear that they have cancer at 30. Personally, I find it interesting how things you didn’t expect to come along can give you motivation you didn’t know you needed or were without. So with all of that said, we have a load taking us to Mississippi which will hopefully hop us over to Georgia soon.
Before you may be thinking the trip is over, it isn’t, not by a long shot. The truth is, the trip doesn’t end because you make a pit stop on the road, instead the trip is about life and how you choose to live it. This journey has shown me the more I see and discover about this country, the more I want to know about it all. I have been making notes as we go state by state for places and things I want to see and read about. Our culture and history is built into the land and for me it’s been so exciting that I wonder how we could bring this excitement to the classroom and the next generation. As a country, knowing your roots, your past, is just as vital as knowing where you are going. Learning not only from your triumphs and mistakes but those of others keeps you from hitting major pitfalls that can keep you from the great things in life. Equally as important, the more I see of the country the more I discover about myself and what I want out of life. It would seem just as much as you shape and make things, those very things in turn also shape you.
For now, I’m still taking pictures, oohing over cute animals and singing badly to songs I enjoy. The upside, this trip will take us through Colorado, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi and be assured I will keep you posted every step of the way!
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