Roadtrippin Parts 1 & 2....because i was WAY too tired last night

Part ONE

Rain rain go away.....here is how our morning started off yesterday.  It wasn't looking like it was stopping whatsoever, and it pretty much continued all the way through......

Blah.  But in the middle of all of talking and talking and talking, Matt and I realized that it had stopped raining and turned into....

This definitely helped the drive, and lifted our spirits just a bit. Time seemed to be flying by at this point.  We kept busy with our iPods and were just keeping each other company.  That's the thing I love about Matt....he's so easy to talk to, and we're never really at a loss for things to talk about. 

Even though I was anticipating this trip to be pretty sad and emotional, I didn't really feel any of that our first day.  It was sad in the morning when we left, seeing Matt having to say goodbye to my family, and especially the dogs.  But as we ventured out of Pennsylvania and through Ohio, my heavy emotions were fading away just like the rainy skies. 

Our conversations got pretty deep, talking about life and such, and I was mesmerized by the beauty our country.  We thought about all of the people driving past our car.....Who were they?  What are they talking about? Where are they going?  Are they driving in sadness or happiness or is this a drive that they take every day?   

I was also pretty captivated by the windmills.  Gosh I love those.  Nothing says beauty like some good old clean energy.  Here are some shots I snapped.

Today was our long day......and we wrapped up the day by stopping in Des Monies, Iowa.  We were exhausted as we pulled into our hotel.  We grabbed a quick dinner, showered, and went straight to bed.  I layed there thinking about how quickly time went by, and how much fun it was to drive through these states I've never been to before.  I felt lucky we had the freedom to do this, and grateful that I live in such a gorgeous country.  Amidst all the complaining, the crashing economy, and the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, this is a stunning country, and a beautiful landscape to be a part of. 

Part TWO 

Waking up pretty rested, we ate breakfast and hit the road again.  I was excited for today because we were driving through the rest of Iowa and into Nebraska and Colorado.  Seriously......i have never seen so much corn in all of my life.  I mean hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of miles of corn.  Holy cow......or Holy corn!  (The documentary Food, Inc. was finally making some sense to me)

But you know what else I got to see?  Farms!!!!!!  With Cows!!!!!  And Barns!!!!!  Please enjoy....

(Moo)

Colorado was also beautiful.  It was just one long road with miles of landscape on either side of us.  No big buildings, no big yellow arches; just rolling hills of green farms, happy cows, long trains passing in the distance, and big tractors with busy farmers on top. 

This definitely sparked more conversations about life, and it made me feel so very small in comparison to how great and big this world is.  It made me feel humble and feel like all the little idiosyncrasies I seem to complain about on a daily basis really do not make a dent in whether or not they matter in the really big picture of things.  I am just a speck of dust living amongst all of the great beauty of our country.  Matt and I compared it to the Dave Matthews song "The Space Between"....and once I had time to think about it.....the space between me and the person living in that barn, taking care of that cow, and making sure that corn is growing, is so big.....it almost made my brain spin round and round. 

I love this trip I am taking.  I love that I am getting to see our country, and I am trying to do so with great big open eyes and mind.  And I love that I am taking this trip with Matt.  It's nice to spend this time together before I have to leave him in Vegas and go back to Erie.  So many exciting things will be happening for the both of us.  I wish we could be doing our things in the same city......but perhaps some day. 

In the meantime, I am excited to see what the rest of Colorado and Utah and Nevada bring me tomorrow.  I can't wait to see my family whom I haven't seen in many years.  And I can't wait to see Matt's life in Vegas.  This has been such a great bonding experience for us.  I'm sure most people would cringe at the thought of a 3 day driving trip, but I am loving it.  And hopefully I am not driving him too crazy!!!

I'll leave you with just a few photos Matt snapped while I was driving in Colorado....