Drive to Portland from West Virginia - Day 1

As we started our drive today a little before 1pm we couldn't help reflecting on how crazy it is that we did this drive almost four years ago in the opposite direction. I remember wondering what West Virginia would be like and how our lives would be changed there. Here we are now, four years later, wondering the same thing about Oregon. It's so surreal that the time is actually here. We met so many amazing people here in West Virginia and made such wonderful friendships here. The drive today is bittersweet because we are excited to start the next chapter in our lives, yet sad to leave the people we love so dearly in West Virginia. We are so thankful for each and every friendship God placed in our lives here and know that they are all for a reason. We know many of them will be life long friends and we look forward to experiencing the future with them, even if it will be from across the country now.



Switching to some of the highlights of the drive today because I am getting super tired and need to hit the hay before getting up super early tomorrow and starting all over again!

1) Left at 12:57pm and arrived at 8:30pm in Peoria, IL. Total of 8 and a half hours of driving (we gained an hour). We drove just under 500 miles.

2) Derek is super sick with some sort of cold and hacked his lungs out the entire drive and napped. Yes you read correctly....Derek SLEPT in the car which means..... YES I DROVE!! The entire drive. All 500 miles. Pretty crazy considering I didn't do any of the drive on our way out here 4 years ago!!

3) Derek had to pee before me! Granted I dehydrated myself for the drive and Derek had a whole water bottle since he was coughing so much plus had 3 cups of coffee at the community service project since it was the only warm drink they had and his throat was hurting. But still - this is for the record books that we had to pull over for Derek to pee...and not me!

4) We are staying at the Comfort Suites and they are really not that bad. Especially for $70 a night. King size bed, non smoking, breakfast in the morning, and the bed is actually pretty comfy.

5) I know I'm forgetting some stuff but I am exhausted and will have to add more tomorrow!