I purchased my ticket to BlogHer at the end of February since I knew that it would eventually be sold out, like it had been in the past. I was able to get in before the price went up but I had no idea how I would get to Chicago or who I’d end up hanging out with. All I knew is that I had to be there this year.
Money is always an issue for single moms, but this year, especially, I’ve been watching my spending and limiting any unnecessary expenses. So, when Rockin’ Mama contacted me about joining her carpool, I said, “Yes,” right away. I mean, I agreed so quickly that she had to ask me several times if I wanted to think about it.
These are the sorts of things that one should not think about for too long, or all of the negative aspects of driving cross-country in the middle of the summer start to take precedence above all other thoughts. For example, stinky feet and armpits at 80 MPH is worse than slow-moving BO. Trust me - I’ve driven across the country before.
Exactly ten years ago this June, I picked up and moved to San Diego with my girlfriend. The two of us and her sister drove from Western Wisconsin to San Diego with a 17′ U-Haul truck. My friend’s Mustang was pulled along behind on a lift.
I’ll share the whole story another time but for now, just know that after that experience, I vowed to never again drive cross country in anything other than a car, truck or mini-van.
Mommy Mandy will be joining Rockin’ Mama and I (aka Hip Mom) as we trek from Southern California, through NV, AZ, UT, CO, NE, and IA before reaching our final destination. in IL. Traveling in such tight quarters with people we barely know is bound to create a bit of drama and, although I don’t consider myself high maintenance (all of the time), it should definitely make for an interesting ride.
It is expected to take us a few days to get there (2,065 miles) and we’ll be blogging on our respective sites about the journey. If you know of some good places to stop in the cities and towns we’ll be driving through, please let us know. We’ll be looking for some great little restaurants to make us some yummy and healthy meals. We’ll also be recruiting volunteers to invite us to their house for dinner, or inside for potty breaks.
As for our vehicle, GM is, once again, the sponsoring carpool provider for this year’s BlogHer conference, so we’ll be able to test drive one of their Chevy vehicles – in every sense of the word. We’ll also be testing each other’s limits so stay tuned for more details on when we’ll be leaving and how we plan on surviving the drive without killing one another – or ourselves.
No matter what you think of GM and their role in the economy, we ask that you support us as we leave our kids behind, jump in the driver’s seat (we’ll be taking turns, of course) and make our way to the Windy City in, hopefully, an SUV or something big enough to carry us and all of our equipment (ie. shoes, make-up, clothing, food, beverages, reading materials, laptops, etc.).
Oh, and in case anyone is wondering – YES – we do plan on stopping in Vegas and Denver for some fun. Sponsors interested in helping us with the cost of gas, snacks or meals & lodging should contact us ASAP. Since there’s three of us recruiting, we’re bound to have some pretty major investors helping us get across the states, safe and sound.
Who’s in?
With Fall officially around the corner (September 22), it’s time to start thinking about pulling out your winter gear. If you’re expecting a baby in the next few months, or know of someone who is welcoming a little one into the world, you’ll want to enter this giveaway!
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