THE ROAD TRIP DIARY.

At the end of May, my boyfriend and I traveled over 1,700 miles on a road trip from Massachusetts to Oklahoma. We saw 8 states in all, traveling through New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri before ending in Oklahoma. I had never been to the Midwest before, and was so excited to see some different parts of the country. Sometimes you just need a change of scenery, you know?

While we were in Cleveland, we drove down to see Lake Erie. I had no real concept of how enormously large the Great Lakes are. The are seemingly endless. And insanely beautiful. Fun fact: the water from the Great Lakes could cover the entire continental United States up to a depth of 9.5 ft. Pretty impressive. 

While we were driving, we saw license plates from 35 different states. That may not sound like such a big deal, but when you're in a car for ten hours a day, the littlest thing can feel wildly exciting.

Chicago was amazing. We stopped there for three days, and it was so nice just to be out of the car and able to walk around. I've always wanted to go to Chicago, and I can now safely say that it is one of my favorite cities. I love how Lake Michigan is so much a part of the city. You can even kayak in the river while looking up at the skyscrapers. So cool! We spent our time exploring some adorable neighborhoods, sightseeing, and having some truly amazing food.  [ I'll be posting some more Chicago pictures soon! ]

The Gateway to the West in St. Louis was stunning. Built as a monument to the westward expansion of the U.S., it has the distinction of being the tallest man made monument in the country. As we drove past, the sun was shining in such a way that the Gateway seemed to disappear into the sky, like the end of a rainbow that you can never quite seem to see. It was always amazing to see cities suddenly rise up from the flat landscape.

It was incredible to see how the land changed as we traveled across the country. From the flat farmland of Indiana to the rolling mountains of the Ozarks, no day of driving was the same. 

Have you ever heard of Will Rogers? A native son of Oklahoma, he was a cowboy and celebrity in the 1920's and 1930's. We sure saw a lot of Will Rogers signs as we drove through the state. 

When we finally made it to Oklahoma, the air was heavy, hot, and humid. The sky really does seem bigger when the land is so flat and open. I lived in Texas for four years when I was younger and that's something I've always missed. That heavy vastness of the sky. Later that night, the darkness of the night was interrupted by a storm with lightening so big and bright I couldn't quite believe it was real. It had been a beautiful week.

If you're spending any amount of time in a car, some good music is a must. Using my days on the road as inspiration, I put together a little playlist for you guys...just click below to listen!

Have you ever been on a road trip? Where did you go? I'd love to hear!