Today, New Year's Eve, I've finally set a date for my departure. Though most of my family seems a little dubious of such a quick approaching departure date, I'm confident I'll be fine... once I buy a map. I spoke with Kristin today and she suggested I arrive no later than mid-January so I can maximize my time at their house as I get set up.
The plan so far is to depart January 7th and take no more than a week to make it cross country. I've got plenty to do before then (maybe planning out a route would be good?!) but it's so nice to have a set date. Now I've got to tell my parents. Triple AAA may be my best friend, but I'm hoping Elmo Betty Shaffer (my '99 red ford escort) will make it without too many issues. Of course shortly after my decision I was driving and heard an extremely loud explosion on my left back tire... no idea what it was... I'm trying the 'wait and see' fix your car method because it was getting dark, so tomorrow we'll see if I have a flat. See, the adventure is already beginning!
Suggestions for where to stop along the way are welcome, or any contacts that people have in Southern California for when I get there!
