California to Alabama

Recently my love and I moved. Like not across town. Like across the country. Crazy. We hauled all of our belongings in one uhaul, together. We drove for more than thirty-six hours. We crossed nine states. Crazy.

It would be wrong of me to say that it wasn't stressful. It was stressful, at times. Driving a big truck towing your car is more of a task than driving a car by itself. I was surprised by that. It was obvious that it was stressful because instead of thirty-six plus hours of long conversations, like road trips are typically for my love and I, there was a lot of silence. We were so focused on driving that we didn't have much time to do anything else.

Usually on road trips, I plan out our stops. Food, coffee, gas, space to stretch our legs … I just love making the journey as exciting as the destination. This road trip was not any different. But as we stopped, we found the drive wearing on us as each mile passed. And every time we stopped, I had to fight not making the stop as quick as possible.

We stopped for gas. I cannot even remember where. But we stopped. There was an older man pumping gas next to us and, as I got out (likely weary eyed), he shouted to me, "You guys moving?" "Yes," I responded. "It is a long drive from Idaho to here." "Yes, and we are not done." He laughed. I noticed that his license plate was from California, an equally long distance, so I asked back, "You from California?" "No." He explained to me that he was from Alabama and just got the car in Alabama.

Woah, that is a long drive to go get a car. We continued talking about the driving process and where we were moving. He got excited when he heard where we were moving. "That is a beautiful part of the country. You will love it!" Wow. How does he know?

I felt slowed by the conversation. I felt like the rush of just-getting-there was alleviated by this man. Just a casual, MUNDANE conversation struck up by a stranger stopped me long enough to breathe and enjoy.

It is a marvel that we made it. The drive was long and the stops all blur together. But I remember that stop. California to Alabama. On the road with strangers, just driving. Something so MUNDANE, and yet, so filled with LOVE.

Has a stranger ever made you stop just long enough to breathe in the LOVE around you?