In case you missed them, check out my other moving and settling in posts here: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and Current Update and Day in Albuquerque.
Another status update: my stuff reportedly left NJ today! Yesss! Today, I got a library card, ran errands, and saw a movie at 1pm on a Monday. I was literally the only person under 50. It was awesome. Now I'm in Starbucks on their wi-fi. It's not a bad life.
So, Day 4. We left Laura's, located a Starbucks despite a rain storm (thanks, iPhone), and headed through Kansas City. GPS/maps/driver/navigators got a bit confused on the highway spaghetti, but we survived.
Just chillin'.
After leaving Missouri, we hit, of course, Kansas. We listened to the Wicked soundtrack. We saw wheat, corn, farms... "Yay, another new state!!" soon turned into, "Oh my...the scenery sure doesn't change much out here...we have HOW MANY MORE MILES TO GO?"
Seeing signs for Aunt Jan's birthplace was fun.
Something happened in Kansas at some point.
Kansas had helicopters, though--that was new!
Also, windmills.
Around lunch time, we started looking for food. There are super long stretches of highway in Kansas without even gas stations. Eventually, we saw a Quizno's sign! Pulling off, congratulating ourselves on finding non-McDonald's, needing to use the facilities, we arrived at the gas station/pizza joint/Quizno's only to see a tiny note on the door: RESTROOMS CLOSED. Inside: a dark and empty Quizno's counter. Well, phooey.
Only seven-ish miles down the road, however, we found an open Subway with open restrooms. Score. Faraday requested a walk by almost leaping out of Dad's arms and through the half-open window. I "walked" him for a few minutes, until he got tired of sniffing dusty pavement.
We're still in Kansas, Muffin.
Eventually (and I do mean eventually--it was probably seven or eight hours) we weren't in Kansas anymore. Helloooo Colorado!
Faraday enjoyed the breeze.
It turns out that, for a while, Colorado looks like Kansas, too. But at least we were in the last state of the day!
Denver Airport says hey. Also, Dad was born in Denver!
We ended up in Greeley, CO, at the lovely home of my dad's older cousin, Judy! She lives in a huge house, in which Dad and Mom got their own room and bathroom and SO DID FARADAY AND I. It was glorious! Faraday pretty immediately fell in love with the stairs--he'd ZOOM up the first flight, scitter and slide through the turn on the hardwood floor, then ZOOM up the second flight.
Judy fed us delicious sloppy joes and salad, then regaled us with tales of her genealogy research. I am so impressed with her skills! We briefly discussed the two of us taking a trip to Germany for further research--she has the research skills, I have the language skills. Perhaps we'll actually do it someday.
The next morning, we did not get into the car. What?! For reals! We spent two nights at Judy's! After sleeping in, we went on a little Greeley walk. Usually, we could see the Rockies from town--but with the fires near Fort Collins, they were covered by haze. So sad.
Mom, Dad, and Cousin Judy:
I left them before lunch to drive down to Boulder to meet up with good friends from college! The Rockies were glorious. Their home is beautiful. The last time I saw them was in Oxford several years ago, so this was great!
I saw NIST. Hello, NIST!
Our lunch cafe gave us free tiny cupcakes!
After lunch, we dropped Jeff back off at work and Mayumi and I headed to Pearl Street for some window shopping and catching up. What a lovely town!
Why yes, I DO love western mountains!
Swinging Lady
Eventually, I had to say goodbye and drive back to Greeley. But not before saying goodbye to Mayumi's doggie!
Such a sweet dog. The Queen would approve.
Judy fed us more deliciousness that night and we had more rousing family history discussions. She really is fabulous and I hope to see more of her, and Jeff and Mayumi, now that I'm only one state away!
States visited: Missouri, Kansas, Colorado.
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