Winslow, Arizona

Jill's Journal: We made huge strides today, to the tune of 475 miles (which feels a lot farther with a trailer than it does with a car!), in our quest to winter in California. Our overnight spot tonight is in Winslow, Arizona, and the “Route 66” song keeps playing in my head (Don’t Forget Winona!).

As we drove through New Mexico, I was really struck by how different the Southwest is from the Northeast. There’s all the obvious reasons, of course, and this is nothing revolutionary, but there’s so many trees in the Northeast that one can’t even see around the block. In the Southwest, the trees are so few and far between that one can see for miles. Both are beautiful in their own way. Rob and I are fortunate because we really do feel at home in both places and our girls seem to as well. On this Thanksgiving Day, I’m grateful for the gorgeous and diverse country we all share and the freedom to travel through it.

Of the little conveniences and inconveniences of life, what will we miss least about the Northeast? Definitely toll roads. Those things suck both money and time. But we will miss the bagels and lox. No one does bagels and lox like the Northeast. However, we are headed to the land of sunshine and casualness and family; I suppose we can sacrifice bagels and lox.