Day 4/5

I forgot to jot anything down yesterday. After four states, three time zones and 800 miles I was running on fumes by the time we stopped in Van Horn, Texas, to spend the night. It was a day spent amid some of America's most mind-numbingly flat terrain. However, this did have the benefit of 65-80 mph (yes I said EIGHTY MILES PER HOUR) speed limits so we were able to give the U-Haul all it could handle and chase the horizon with fierce determination.

At one of our bathroom stops it sounded like Godzilla was using the men's room. Much hysterical reflection has lead to the conclusion that it was, in fact, an vomiting man and what we heard was the mixture of that function with some accidental child of a cough and a scream. On second thought, maybe it was a Terradactyl...

We hit the road just after 7 am today, determined to eat up the final 500 or so miles to Burleson in time for a relaxing evening before moving in tomorrow. As we drove straight into the sun it became apparent that we might be able to do even better. The GPS said we should arrive by shortly after 3 pm. Could that possibly be right?

Iron bladders and cooperative speed limits kept stoppages to a minimum and by early afternoon we were closing on the western edge of Fort Worth. We skirted south and merged onto Highway 35 West, the true home stretch. A stop at Target for some cleaning supplies and about 90 seconds in the apartment office and I was cleared to move in by 4.

The apartment complex has a pretty small parking area so the truck/trailer combination wasn't going to cut it. Luckily there's a U Haul leasing facility just a couple blocks up the road and they were willing to take the trailer back early and the truck on time. My car purred sweetly as it backed down onto the Texas pavement. The car was built and originally sold here, so this was a homecoming of sorts.

The conference budgeted for professional movers to help me so we just took out the bare essentials tonight. Mattresses, bedding (which required bringing in a few poorly labeled boxes to find sheets), the TV, Xbox... ok so maybe some not so bare essentials too. One more trip to various stores was also required to collect additional food/hygene items for the next 48 hours.

Now I'm getting ready to sleep. This room echoes much like the room I left at home. But that won't last for long. Soon it will be brimming with a fusion of my past and future, becoming increasingly familiar with each box opened and each routine task carried out.

A quick chapter is ending, but another chapter is set to begin in a few short hours, and another in a matter of days. Life just keeps coming so you better be ready.