In the summer of 2009, I joined my father and brother on a road trip across the country. The trip began on May 31, 2009, in Atlanta, Georgia and for eight days we were on the road toward our destination — Seattle, Washington. The whole significance of the trip was that my dad was asked by his sister to come over to Seattle to fix her house. My father needed his tools and truck to work on my aunt’s house in Washington and that is the reason how my road trip adventure was created.
Being on the road all day may sound unpleasant, but in actuality the trip wasn’t that bad at all. At first when my dad suggested this trip I thought he was crazy; there was no way that I would survive being in a car for at least 8-9 hours a day for a week. After contemplating for a while I decided that this road trip was an opportunity to spend time with my father. Although I knew I was going to miss my mother a lot, due to her having to work, I felt that this was perhaps a once in a lifetime chance. I am tremendously glad that I made the right decision.
Throughout our journey we encountered many different places and things. For instance, after leaving Atlanta on the thirty-first of May we traveled through the states of Alabama, Tennessee, and Arkansas. The next day we went through the states of Oklahoma and Texas. The next stop was Santa Fe, New Mexico, and we spent a good two days exploring the area. Our next destination was Mesa Verde National Park; I was amazed at the archeological sites of the cave dwellers. Some other points of interest we visited were Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and several state parks. As you can see my family is a bit fond of National Parks.
In total we traveled over 2,500 miles and through thirteen states. When I look back at all the times I complained and whined, I realize that it was senseless of me. This trip was a once in a lifetime opportunity—something not a lot of people can do. As a result, through this experience I became not only closer to my family, but I also discovered the importance of companionship. If it were not for my father and brother, I would have never endured the extensive hours spent in the car. I hope one day I can take my children on a road trip just like how my father did with me.
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