One of the first things I focused my attention on when we were preparing to move was what we were going to eat on the road. It became quite an obsession..
There are limited food options to choose from when you're trying to maintain good timing, keep your budget on the low end and not gain 5lbs in one week.
I knew with three dogs and space for our suitcases, I couldn't go crazy like I really wanted to.
So here is what I made and brought:
4 quarts of chickpea hummus
1 quart of tuna salad
1 dozen boiled eggs
1 loaf of bread
1 pack of good ol' processed American cheese
1 jar of peanut butter
1 box of cereal
1 container of milk
1 container of cold-pressed coffee
1 bottle of simple syrup
A few bags of Doritos
2 bottles of champagne
Igloo - 60 quart cooler
2 bags of ice
iPhone dock for navigation
Lots of blankets.. mainly for the dogs
2 pillows
An air mattress
Neck pillows.. Extremely helpful
A few books
1 joint
This took some serious tetris-type maneuvering but I made it work.
For the dogs we put the backseats forward. This gave them the option to spread out more and even go in the trunk if they wanted to. At first they stayed close to us. By the second day, they were all over the place. They loved it.
We layered six blankets down so it was comfortable for the dogs to lay on.
We also purchased prescribed puppy Xanax from their vet. Being in the car that long can make anyone go nuts so this helped tremendously.
When traveling with dogs, you should stop to let them out every three to four hours.
We stayed at La Quinta every night. They're dog friendly and were conveniently everywhere. On average we spent $75 - $100 a night for a room. Not too bad.
The first day was nothing but excitement. The further and further we drove away from home, the more excited I became.
We're really doing it!
The first hotel we arrived at was quite a show. The dogs were so confused and anxious, when we let them out of the car they nearly ran away. They frantically circled the thankfully, gated parking lot completely bewildered. Even when we got them inside our room and on the bed with us, they were anxious. One thing about dog friendly hotels, there are a lot of other dogs all around you, all barking and crying at every noise.
I almost ate their Xanax for myself.
I didn't..
The second day was great. The dogs became more comfortable with traveling and my love and I decided to dig into some podcast options..
A podcast with Scott Aukerman as the host, where he does hilarious 45 minute conversations with an amazing selection of celebrities, comedians and characters. It is something I can't recommend enough. Driving across the country with your loves in the car, laughing so hard together that you can't breathe is amazing. This made time fly by.
Okay.. even though I tried to fill the car with awesome snacks, we couldn't eat just those things. We totally ate McDonald's egg McMuffins and coffee for breakfast, Wendy's baked potatoes and chicken sandwiches for lunch and second lunch. Yeah.. I said second lunch. And Sonic cheeseburgers for dinner.
Am I ashamed? No!
It's called survival and not caring too much about the small stuff. We don't normally eat fast food but we did this time. Eating a Sonic cheeseburger after driving all day in your hotel bed after a hot shower.. the best.
Third day.
We made great timing. We drove 10-12 hours most days.
A total of 2,482 miles and 35 hours.
When we finally reached California we were so excited and nervous.
That's when everything finally hit me.
I thought about everyone I left back home. My job, my friends, my co-workers and my family.
They were so supportive. This was taken the day we left.
We were so excited the closer we got, we turned the radio off and just drove in silence.
I think I was sitting straight up, leaning over into the dashboard as if I was trying to escape through the windshield.
As you can see, I like to throw up the peace signs.... This is my duck face smile as well.
Podcasts, coffee, snacks, egg McMuffins, breaks to walk around every few hours, 12 hour driving days, positive vibes and 1 joint got us home.
No regrets.
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