A Trip That Was! - Part1

The trip that was!

It all started 2 months back when I was told I was to move to Phoenix from Fort lauderdale on a different assignment.
While the change in assignment was slightly disheartening having worked with this team for over three years, it was inevitable.

To move to Phoenix, I had a choice,
First - I get on a boring flight (southwest?!) - Send my luggage to this place via USPS - Send my car in one of those huge trucks that carry 20+ cars.
Second - I put all that luggage in my car - Drive that car all the way to phoenix.

While the first option was boring, the second one was scary. First of all, my car had 65000 miles on it. Secondly I would be driving alone. Thirdly, its summer and half of my driving distance was to be on deserts (Roads get really hot). Finally, mechanics were to write off my car tires in the next 2000 miles.




After much mental debate and frontal lobe abuse of my brain, which lasted roughly 10 seconds my decision was made. I was driving to Phoenix.

After much thought and deliberation, which again lasted a few seconds, I finalized the routes to Phoenix.
Here is the Detailed details of the plan.
- Trip distance - 2465 miles.

- Routes taken: Florida Turnpike to Interstate 75 to Interstate 10 to Phoenix, AZ.

- Rest Locations: Any, including rest areas along the highway.

- Fuel Locations: Every 200 miles (Read on, I sorely underestimated Ford engines)

As always, its my style of exaggeration, the remaining of the experience goes in chapters.

Chapter 1: Day1.

I opened up Google maps, and gave the two addresses I would be traveling to. It showed me I will pass trou Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico. Well this includes Florida and Arizona as the source and destination respectively.

Let me jump a day back if I may (I will).
The previous night I was to finish packing, and go to bed at 6PM so that I can start at 5AM in the morning next day.
I was under the impression that third day you cannot cover the distance you covered the second day, and second day you cannot cover the distance covered the first day.

So, I finish packing at 9PM, go out for a quick dinner in some eat out, come back by 11PM, bid good bye to friends and got to bed at 12:30PM.

Read on, if you are not bored yet, the screw-up just began.

Next morning I get up at 8 AM (Royally, I admit), finish of loading my luggage at around 9AM. Get ready, have breakfast

and start around 10AM - A 5 hour delay to start with.

I get on the car, start it .....Whirrrrrrrzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz (fast forward), reach Orlando and get on to one of my favourite food chains - Chipotle.



Done with Chipotle, I again start off with my drive towards I75 and .....Whirrrrrrrzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz - I reach I10 at around 6EST and I am blasting my way towards Tallahassee( FL state capital).



7 PM EST I am in Tallahassee


and around 9 Central I reach Pensacola, FL which is the last city in Florida. I decide to rest in this location and finish off my day one of the journey. I had just completed 654 miles in day1 - A huge deviation from what I had originally planned (1000 miles on the first day).

I go to Hampton Inn and Suites book a room and finally decide to call it a day at 10CST.