Stars over Texas and sunrise in New Mexico

After 30 hours in the car we finally got to Oceanside and then we slept for the next 12. When we started the trip Mandy asked me if I would have rather flown instead of driving, without hesitating I said yes, because I love flying too. Mandy drove the first four hours from St. Louis, which put us at about Joplin. Then we stopped for dinner and switched drivers. The plan was to switch every four hours or so so one person could sleep while the other one drove. I decided that I was going to keep driving until I felt tired. So Oklahoma went by, I wasn't tired. Amarillo went by, still wasn't tired. I drove all the way to Albuquerque, New Mexico (about 12 hours later) before I decided I was feeling a little tired. By that time I had changed my mind about wanting to fly.

I had actually change my mind as we hit Texas when the clouds dispersed and there were the stars. They were almost as bright and as numerous as the ones I saw on the rooftop in Montana last summer. I don't really know what it is about the stars that I love so much, but I know that every time I see them they take my breath away. When I sit and stare at them, all times of my life get to exist at once. Memories of things that have happened, things that are happening right now, things that might happen in the future. They all collide and it's somehow refreshing.

Then we hit New Mexico and the sun burned up the night sky and landscape sang in the light of the sunrise. The rest of New Mexico was beautiful and Arizona was unexpectedly mountainous and gorgeous. The California hills seemed like they would go on forever; rich, dark, luscious, lovely. Needless to say I'm glad we drove.

We're about to go to the beach, but first we're going to finish watching "St. Elmo's Fire." Ha!