Welcome to my latest blog post, where I take you on a remarkable journey filled with love, adventure, and the excitement of new beginnings. Join me as I share the story of our epic cross-country road trip to Wilmington, North Carolina—a trip that was a race to see how far we could drive in one day and to see how fast we could get to Kate’s new home.
Moving from one coast to another is no small feat, but when the call of change beckoned Kate to Wilmington, NC, I knew we would embark on this grand adventure together. From the moment we packed up our car and bid farewell to the place she has called home for the last year and a half, we knew this trip would be unlike any other.
With each mile that passed, I felt her excitement grow, fueled by the anticipation of discovering new landscapes, meeting new people, and most importantly, starting her new remote job and finally, for the first time, enjoying an apartment that was hers alone.
But the real destination of our adventure awaited us in Wilmington, NC. Nestled on the picturesque North Carolina coast, this vibrant city became the backdrop for Kate’s new chapter. Together, we enjoyed a long walk on the pristine beach at the end of the day, and enjoyed the best Salted Caramel ice cream in a waffle cone that I have ever tasted.
So buckle up and join us as we embark on this incredible adventure, from home to home, as we traverse the vast expanse of America to make Wilmington, NC, a place where new chapters and new beginnings intertwine.
So when my daughter decided to move to North Carolina by herself, as her best friend changed his mind…even though it was his idea in the first place, guess who got nominated to help! You guessed it…ME! In all honesty, I did make a comment that she really didn’t need me and boy did I get the look. lol
If you have ever moved, and I have definitely done it a lot in my life, you know you need to be flexible and patient, and boy did we need both in spades this time!
An unplanned trip to San Francisco for her new job, which caused us to lose an entire travel day, had us leaving on Saturday with an arrival in Wilmington, North Carolina by Monday at noon the goal.
I can say with lots of smiles…WE DID IT!
Saturday we were up at 3am to shower and pack up the last minute items, and then out the door at 4am. Our goal was to drive the 950 miles from Phoenix to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. We arrived at our airbnb at 8:30pm, and think we were in bed and asleep an hour later.
Our Sunday travel day was a little shorter by 100 miles as we only shooting for Atlanta, Georgia. I didn’t set an alarm, so think we were on the road by 7am, with a quick stop at Dunkin Donuts for coffee and bagels, which is one of our favorite stops when we travel
Monday was our shortest day with only 6 hours drive time into Wilmington, North Carolina. Our time frame was to arrive between 12-2pm to collect the key to her new apartment. We arrived at the apartment complex office at 12:15pm, so Kate was super happy.
Traveling these days is so easy with access to Airbnb. Kate booked our homes a couple hours before we arrived in both Oklahoma City and Atlanta. We wanted to make sure we were going to be able to make both cities due to the long days. With Airbnb, you basically know what you are getting, and the cost. Although I will say that lately I have noticed that cleaning fees are a little high. Our home in Atlanta, which we slept in and used the bathroom, had a $87 cleaning fee. Her comment is that people in her age bracket are all going back to hotels due to the high cleaning fees.
After getting her new apartment key, we unloaded her car and headed out to do errands. Being that this was her first apartment by herself, she needed all the basics like dishes, silverware, TV, toaster…. and the list goes on and on.
The toughest part of the trip was sleeping on the floor in her new apartment. Her Uhaul pod wasn’t arriving till later in the week and of course that contained her bed, bedframe, most of her clothes, odds and ends, and of course the Peloton, which I will tell you is very heavy so very grateful it has wheels for easier moving.
Even though it was a long, very busy day, we did go to the beach, which is about 4 miles from her complex for a nice long walk. The beach in Wilmington is spectacular. We took Murphy with us, and it was so funny to watch him try to figure out the waves. He definitely got his feet wet, but didn’t seem to inclined to take a swim. We stopped for ice cream and I had the best Salted Caramel scoop in a waffle cone. It was the best way to end a long 3 days of travel, shopping and unloading.
Since she started her new job on Tuesday, and my flight scheduled for Thursday, it gave me 2 days to sit by the pool to nap, read and relax. Whew….it was definitely needed, and definitely a perk of driving for 2 and a half days.
What I loved about Wilmington, North Carolina was the homes were adorable, and priced reasonably being that it was a beach town. Of course, the beach town aspect also means traffic is crazy, especially on the weekends.
My favorite memory was Kate’s admission that she was happy being a PP; which is her shortcut for Passenger Princess! She was more than happy to let me do most of the driving…not really a shocker there!
Kate is happy, all moved in with help from a few nice US Navy neighbors, and ready for her new adventure in her new home city and state!
As a mom, I couldn’t be more proud of her and so happy that she is truly living her life to the fullest!
And like her mom…not afraid to do it alone!
