Colorado

We have just passed into Colorado. We drove through a tiny part of Oklahoma and the kids were amazed that it’s taken us over 12 hours (4 days because of stopping) to get through Texas and then crossed through Oklahoma in only forty minutes. Granted it was only the panhandle but I reminded them that Texas is the second largest state in America.

We’re driving through the high plains. It literally looks so flat. Every once in a while we’ll drive over some hills or creeks, we can see deep canyons off in the distance. It’s got a unique beauty in this part of the country. We were commenting on how it makes sense for this to be tornado alley, there’s nothing to block the wind.

Our RV concurs, as she sways in the strong crosswinds coming over the grassy plains. Josh is driving slow, both hands on the wheel to try and counteract the pull. Drivers demanding to pass us by lack the understanding of why we drive so slow. Oh well.

Watching the vast openness debate with the blue sky on who occupies more horizon, I begin to think of centuries past. I have my kids stop and listen as I tell stories of people who would leave everything behind to travel in their covered wagons to come find land like this. They too were breaking the status quo and rules of society. They were making the sacrifice of saying an often permanent farewell to friends and family to leave it all behind and jump into the unknown. Their stories sound familiar to our own.

We sat in silence as we watched the scenery, imagining it without the roads, without the fences and telephone poles. With how empty it already is, this feat is fairly easy to accomplish. We can almost imagine the pioneer families trodding west, the cowboys defending their herds and the Native Americans living amongst the blades of grass.

Who knew homeschooling would be so easy with history practically living before our eyes. Not only history, but science as well! Botany, geology, zoology and more, agriculture, government and economics, and so much more. This is carschooling and so far it’s going very well. Dare I say I believe these memories will make a more lasting impression than worksheets?

I breathe a sigh of relief because I was worried about how I would fit in schooling in this time of travel. I know eventually we’ll get into a better routine but now I know I don’t have to worry any longer.

A part of me knew we’d get to Colorado. I guess because we’ve been here before. But I really think this will all start kicking in when we hit Wyoming. Canada still seems like a far off dream. Josh and I both can’t imagine how we’ll get there. I figure this is much like eating an elephant though. It may look like a huge feat and seem impossible, and I do think if we tried to plan this out too much we would talk ourselves out of doing it. We’re also learning that plans have a way of not working out the way we hope or expect and we have to navigate and be flexible anyway. But the way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time… the way to drive up to Alaska from Texas is one mile at a time. We will get there when we get there but in this moment of time, we will simply enjoy the journey.