11:13 a.m. Car Post

Right now we are approaching Albuquerque, New Mexico on our way to Acoma, Sky City, to see a Pueblo community. Word is that on this three hour excursion, we will pay $20 to be tourists to this Indian community while being badgered to buy a pot (as in pottery). Can you tell I am a little skeptical? We will see.

Yesterday we traveled about 15 ½ hours from Columbia, Missouri through Kansas City and Wichita, Kansas. From there we traveled to Oklahoma City, where we stopped to see the Oklahoma City National Memorial. It was dedicated to those who lost their lives in the 1995 bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building and the brave rescue crews that responded minutes after. I remember vaguely seeing my mother watching the news when it happened, but I don’t remember details. I don’t know if I have seen footage or not from the time but walking around the memorial, I almost lost my breath trying to imagine what those minutes were like 13 years ago.

The memorial was very beautiful, and I think appropriately and respectfully designed. There were 168 white and gold chairs where the federal building stood to represent the ones that lost their lives – employees in the building, visitors, and five people who were killed outside of the building. The reflecting pool, the center of the memorial, was the 5th Avenue that the building was on. While hundreds of buildings were damaged from the bombing (16 structures besides the federal building were so damaged they had to be torn down and rebuilt), one tree that stood maybe 100 feet across from the building survived. It’s called the Survivor’s Tree. I’m really glad we stopped at the memorial. It was Emily’s idea – I think it was a great one and definitely worth it.

From Oklahoma City we went to Amarillo, Texas and ate at Tex-Mex at Acapulco restaurant. We were all really hungry by the time we stopped for dinner (8:30pm), and the highlight of the meal included Alyssa’s plate-sized 1 lb. burger that was literally bigger than her head. We finished out the night by arriving in New Mexico, and we stayed at a hotel in Tucumcari.

Overall, I think the traveling is going very well. Mark has insisted on being the driver the whole way, so the rest of us are shifting positions at our rest stops to change it up (mostly me, because I get antsy). We have all been reading (Alyssa with her Twilight books, Adam with The Accidental Asian, and Em and I with our teaching books for next semester), listening to music, and sleeping (Branden being the winner here! Haha). We all seem to be enjoying ourselves and Branden has not surprisingly seemed to fit right in with us. It’s great. I’ve never been on a road trip with this many people and have never traveled through these states by car. My favorite so far, of course, has been New Mexico. I love the Southwest region and have seriously considered moving to this area. It’s nice to drive through here – and I imagine it will only get better.

It’s very hilly here and I’m feeling a little light-headed – I think it’s time to take a break from typing. I’ll update again tonight or tomorrow.

11: 13 am