Driving to Mississppi on the I-20. We’ve taken many road trips on this stretch of road. Some happy, like the week of Thanksgiving 2004. We had just found out that during the day on Wednesday, that Stephen made the final cut and was hired for the job. This was the job that required us to leave Memphis and me to leave a teaching job that I loved with every breath I took. I told him I didn’t want to move unless I could find a first grade job in a Title I (low income, low socioeconomic status school). That was a tall order. On one of his many trips to Tuscaloosa for many rounds of interviews and tests, he stopped by the county board system and got an application. A first grade principal from a Title I school called me two weeks later and I had the job by October 27th. All that was left was for Stephen to hear about his job. Thousands applied. 23 were accepted. We had families in 3 states praying for us and I firmly believe prayer works.
Many other trips have crossed the I-20. Many detailed here. The frantic trips in 2009. The trips to see a precious baby. The return from Colorado, hearts heavy because it would be another year before we saw those mountains again, but anxious to sleep in our own beds. The memorable trip in winter riding in a truck after eating an entire bag of sugar free chocolate. Family. Friends. Funerals. Weddings. Reunions. Anniversaries. While the scenery hasn’t changed much, we have. We’ve grown closer over the years. Not just me and Stephen. Me and my family. Mom and Dad. All of us for the better.
Some of my favorite parts of the I-20 road trip.
1. Singing some David Allen Coe.
2. Truck stop coffee and cappuccino.
3. The sunsets over the trees.
4. Hearing these words. “Year 10 is turning out to be the best year we’ve had”
5. Playing “remember when” with the gas prices.
6. Seeing the Mississippi state line.
