Ernest Smith

The last week has been a wild ride. A week ago, we packed up the moving truck with all of our earthly possessions. It only took 7 hours to finally close the door on the U-Haul. The next day was 4th of July where we spent the day hanging out with family and friends. Friday, I jumped in the U-Haul, picked up a buddy of mine, Mike Surratt, and headed on a journey I will not soon forget.

30 hours of driving, multiple “operator” mishaps, a baseball game, way too much junk food and a ride through the most boring part of the country later we made it to our destination. If you have never made a 1720 mile trip before, let me give you my top 10 traveling thoughts.

10. Get a traveling companion that won’t fall asleep
I was blessed to travel with Mike Surratt, a long-time friend of mine. When he jumped into the U-Haul on Friday morning, he told me once he is awake, he won’t fall asleep. That’s a good person to have with you if you are driving for 30 hours.

9. Don’t try and listen to a biography on Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Although it might be interesting, it WILL make your co-pilot fall asleep. Read tip #10. 

8. Empty your bank account, you will need all of it for gas
Don’t believe the mileage calculator on any website. Our U-Haul wasn’t getting the promised 10-11 miles/gallon, but rather 7-8…that’s a lot of gas.

7. If you lock your keys in your U-Haul, AAA won’t cover it
This was disappointing to me. I didn’t accidentally lock them in the truck, I was simply testing if AAA would come through on their commitment to help me anywhere. They didn’t, but the guy with the coat hanger helped a ton.

6. The people in St. Louis are rabid Cardinals fans
I never thought I would see an entire city more dedicated to their baseball team than Boston…St. Louis made a strong case. Being a huge baseball fan, it was a spectacle to see.

5. When the gas guage is close to empty…fill it up
I’m not speaking from my own experience. I would never, ever allow my U-Haul to run out of gas in Booneville, MO.

4. If you ever break down in Booneville, MO call Don
Don was called to “tow” us away from the off-ramp and to “fix” (put more gas in) the U-Haul. He showed up in a Jeep Cherokee and towed the largest U-Haul packed full of stuff, including a golf cart, with a van being towed behind it. His car’s ability shocked us all, including the multiple Amish who rode through on their horse and buggy snickering “I told you so” as they looked at our stranded truck.

3. If the check engine light comes on…don’t worry about it
Ours came on about 30 minutes into the trip and lasted almost the entire time. Check engine?

2. Kansas…huh?
If you have never driven through it, then you don’t understand this tip.

1. When you arrive at your destination and your family is waiting on you…you know you are finally home

These are just a few tips from our journey. I hope you embark on your own journey today and allow God to teach you some truths along the way.