Kayla headed out the very next morning.
She had originally planned to leave the day before, right after her “Have a Great Trip” party, but once the pop-up camper entered the picture, she decided that getting a good night's rest was the smarter choice. Hauling a camper was going to be different from simply driving her Jeep Cherokee across the country.
There was one other problem. The ice. All the ice she had bought the previous morning had pretty much melted, so before she could hit the road, she needed to replenish her supply. By noon, though, Kayla was finally ready.
She had a route in mind, although she knew it could change at any time. Originally, she had considered starting her journey on U.S. Route 1, which began in Fort Kent, Maine, and eventually made its way south toward Key West, Florida. She had driven portions of Route 1 on previous trips to Florida and had even driven all the way to Key West.
But this time, Kayla wanted something different. Something new.
She wanted to head west toward California, make a great loop through the country, see as many states and sights as she could, and eventually make her way back east,then South, toward the Florida Keys. She figured she could comfortably travel between 300 to 400 miles a day, depending on how many stops she made along the way. She wasn't in a hurry. The whole point of the trip was to see the country, not simply cross it off a map.
Her first leg would take her south on I-95 out of Maine toward Boston, Massachusetts. From there, she planned to pick up I-90 West, continuing toward the Massachusetts Turnpike and the New York State Thruway.There was just one part of that general direction she wanted absolutely nothing to do with.
New York City.
Kayla hated driving through New York City. It was always a nerve-racking experience, and the thought of maneuvering a Jeep Cherokee while hauling a camper through all that congestion was enough to make her rethink the entire route.
No thank you.
She wanted the easier way around the big cities whenever possible, and she wanted to see the sights, enjoy the trip, and not have to worry about some moron cutting her off and causing an accident. She was hauling a camper now, and anything that resulted in smooth travel was good with Kayla.
With the Jeep packed, the camper hooked up, the cooler replenished, and the road finally ahead of her, Kayla took one last look back at home, then she headed south.
California was somewhere out there, and eventually, so was Key West.
Kayla had no idea how long the trip would take. She had no idea how many states she would see, and she certainly had no idea that somewhere along the way, her life was going to take a turn she had never planned for.
For now, though, she was simply a young woman with a master's degree, a Jeep, a pop-up camper, and the freedom to go wherever the road led her.
And that was exactly where she wanted to be.
No deadline, no timeline, just a trip that she wanted to be unforgettable, and carefree. This would be her last hoorah before the truth of becoming an adult with a serious job became a reality, but for now, she was a woman driving with her window down, the air blowing through her hair, and listening to Matchbox 20 or Savage garden blaring loud.
Between having to stop a few times to use a restroom, and fill the gas tank, Kayla finally made it to Vermont in five and a half hours. She was exhausted, still not rejuvenated from yesterday's activities, and needed some serious rest and sleep, so finding a KOA campground to stay at right away was a wanted need. It was getting close to 7:30 p.m., and all she wanted was to set up camp and maybe even stay a couple of days, no rush. She went to the office, and luckily she was able to get a site with a 30 amp hook up for her camper for $28.00, a night, which was perfect, so she booked it for 2 nights. Her mother and father were so smart to get this for her, as a hotel/motel would have been so much more than the $56.00 with tax she paid for camping.
After setting up the pop-up, and fixing something to eat, Kayla was ready for a good night's rest. The cool night breeze and the smell of pine trees coming through the screens became an aroma lullaby, and she gently went to sleep with the sound of the trees swaying, and a light rain falling.
The road waited.
And the crossroads ahead would be a decision that she may or may not regret.