Through My Window, II

What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.
~ Karl Lagerfeld

Our trip from St. Petersburg to Las Vegas was not the first time we’ve driven across country. By my count, I’ve driven east-to-west or west-to-east 10 times, four of them with my dog or child or both in the backseat. That doesn’t count the times we’ve driving north-to-south or vice versa, and I don’t even want to count those. Two of the times, we’ve driven from south Florida to Central Ohio non-stop (16.5 and 18.5 hours).

If you know me at all, you know that my comment after arriving home Sunday was “NEVER AGAIN.” Covering all that distance in one day or four days or six days without stopping is madness. Next time we do it, we’ll be spending a few days sightseeing or visiting friends between driving days. I’m only so crazy, you know.

As many times as I’ve driven those same highways, I never fail to see something new. I’m not talking about a new building, either. As we breezed through New Mexico the other day, I noticed a small hill sitting in the middle of nowhere. “Where did that come from?” I asked Mike. Neither of us had ever noticed it before.

Texas

When we drove home from Florida last January, we took I-10 across the southern part of the United States, one third of which goes through Texas. You read that right. Thirty-three percent of I-10 runs 880 miles through south Texas. It took us two days to get through the state. Luckily, the speed limit was 80 mph.

New Mexico

Did you know that New Mexico is one of the poorest states in the United States? Every time we drive through, the desolation of the state depresses me.