The move from paradise
I’m back!
My husband, Jess, and I moved from Honolulu to Dimondale, Michigan recently. But not really together. That is, we started and ended together, but took very different paths.
His path wasn’t exactly straight, but got him here in less than 24 hours. He flew from Honolulu to Las Vegas to Minneapolis to Detroit. His parents picked him up from Detroit and drove him to Dimondale.
My path was much loooonger. About an hour before his flight from Honolulu, I flew from Honolulu to San Francisco. I spent four days in California before beginning the long roadtrip to Michigan. This Google map shows all the stops.
So why the road trip? The story itself is somewhat shorter than the trip, luckily. Last fall, my mother and father drove from Michigan to California to spend time with my brother, sister-in-law, and baby niece, Cassie. My dad flew back to Michigan a few weeks later, but my mom stayed for about six months. I arrived in California at the end of this May, helped her move out, spent as much time as possible with Cassie and her parents, and drove back to Michigan with my mom.
Betsy and Cassie in her yukata.
We didn’t drive straight back, as you can see on the map. First, we spent a full day in Yosemite National Park. I want to spend much more time there some day. The scenery cannot be described – it must be experienced. The photo below is just a taste.
Betsy at Bridal Veil Falls in Yosemite National Park
After Yosemite, we headed for Salt Lake City, where my mom spent most of two days researching our genealogy at the Family History Center archives. That left me free, so I explored the city on foot. My favorite part was Memory Park, which has some nice hiking and walking paths.
Memory Park in Salt Lake City
During my wandering in Salt Lake City, I chatted with a woman in a shop who convinced me that we should not drive toward Michigan via I80, as we had planned, but take I70 and detour through Arches National Park instead. So, that’s what we did. We spent a few hours the next day in the park, and the scenery did not disappoint! I am very glad that we didn’t take I80.
Petroglyphs in Arches National Park. I am so fascinated by these!
After Arches, we drove as quickly as possible back to Michigan, straight across I70. We passed through Denver, Kansas City, St. Louis, and Indianapolis, then headed north on I69 toward Lansing.
We were so very happy to arrive in DeWitt, Michigan, where my dad was waiting. I’m now fully settled with my in-laws in Dimondale, and Jess and I are working on finding a place to move to in South Bend in August. That should be the final move for a couple of years, at least! Jess will start a two-year MFA in creative writing this fall. And I’m looking for a job there.
Oh yes – so this is why I haven’t been blogging!
[Update, 6/29/09: Fixed the Google Map link above. Thanks, Jess!]
3 Comments
Great pictures, very interesting Thinking. Rgds. EnglishLCI
Hi Betsy! Just checking out your blog. ;) I recently moved to San Francisco and drove here from Michigan! I didn't stop anywhere though. I took I-80 and sped across the country in 2.5 days. But I have been to Yosemite, and you're right, it's gorgeous. Hope you're enjoying Michigan (or South Bend? – I'm confused) – I miss it!
-Liz V. (from DeWitt, MI, class of '99)
Liz, thanks for checking out my blog! You certainly took your trip across the country seriously – glad you made it safely. I know a lot of great people in the SF area, and now I can add you to the list. If you'll be there for a while, let's get together the next time I'm there!
Currently, I'm in South Bend, and should be here for the next 2 or 3 years at least!