Road Trip Day 5

July 28, 2016

Day 5

So this was the day that we had anticipated for about 1 year, never sure whether or not it was going to arrive. We were on the last leg of our move to Turlock, California with just 8 and 1/2 hours to go from Mesquite, Nevada. As we got back on the road, I was already anxious to get there… this was actually my first time ever in California, and I was moving there! Such a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions.

We didn’t have any stops planned for day 5; we were just ready to arrive in our new home town. 😉  As we crossed the border into California, we were greeted by the miles of bumper to bumper traffic I have always heard about, and this…

118 Degrees! And as we ventured further into the desert, our vehicle thermometer ended up reaching 125! I knew it was hot in CA, but come on, this was ridiculous! You hear people say, “Oh, but it’s a dry heat…” I don’t care what they say, humidity or not, 125 is awful!

Finally we made it through the desert and began to see fields blooming with fruit trees, nut trees, grape vines, and other fresh produce. We saw farmer’s market style stands advertised every couple of miles and semi loads of produce being shipped around. Amongst this unfamiliar agriculture, the occasional corn field or dairy farm reminded us of Indiana. 🙂

I can’t say the view was what I was expecting!  The land and homes were a lot less manicured than I thought they would be, at least in the cities we were driving through along the 99. Of course we weren’t in the famous parts of CA, but still.

Nearing 2 hours away from Turlock, reality really started setting in for me…  I couldn’t believe that this was where I was going to be living for the next 18 months. A year and a half….HERE?!?  I began thinking of friends, family, work, church community, and life in general back home-and the tears began to flow.  This wasn’t happening, was it?!  I couldn’t be moving to the middle of California…Turlock…Ugh.

Amidst the tears I was reminded that this is where God wants me-at Grant’s side, in God’s hand. I am confident that He wants me to serve Him, here, for the next 18 months; I don’t have a clue in what ways, but this is where he’s led me, so here I am!

As we finally approached Turlock, things started looking a little more put together and not so run down-there was hope after all! 🙂 Rolling into our new hometown I was pleasantly surprised by the many stores and restaurants and how nice it all seemed.  I felt a little sense of relief.  After a brief tour of the area we pulled into our apartment complex (pictured below) and began unloading our things.

We didn’t have much, so moving in was a breeze…it’s the “settling in” that is taking some time. With our road trip ended I want to thank you for joining me for our cross-country adventures and I hope you will continue following our journey as we transition into life in California!