Daily Travels
Day 1: June 30, 2021
We hit the road around 430 pm on Wednesday. Yes, we had hoped to be on the road by 1130… But as you will find out if you follow along on this journey, Hurlocks generally run late.
The girls got cozy in the RV, as we traveled down the road—we had some of our travel guardians on the dash. When we pulled into Assateague it was night time. We saw ponies along the road as we drove in.
Our camp spot was right by the entrance to the beach so we parked, leveled, and headed straight to the ocean. Once we got over the dune to the ocean, the lights from the campground faded behind us and the stars lit up the night.
We had flashlights and chased little crabs running along the waves. The water was cool, but felt refreshing after hours in the RV. We splashed in the water. Iris did cartwheels in the surf.
Before we went to bed, we took showers and rinsed the sand off as best we could. We’ll definitely be tracking Maryland sand across the country with us.
We all tucked in to bed, but none of us really slept.
—Heather
crab in the surf
Cartwheels in the waves
Day 2: July 1, 2021
The morning started out magically. No one slept, which made it easy for us to “get up” at 5 in order to make it to the beach for sunrise.
When I finally got to stare out over the ocean in the early morning light, a sense of familiarity swept over me. Like seeing an old, dear friend you know has been through a lot. First a note of love and gratitude that we could meet again in person, and then, very quickly, the sadness. I could feel the pain—the weight of it all. The “I’m hanging on by a thread” of it all. It was a fleeting moment, soon interrupted by the squeals of little girls chasing waves.
—Heather
We left Assateague early to head to Burlington, North Carolina. We traveled through the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel Bridge. The girls caught up on some sleep.
Then, on Interstate 85, right outside Durham, we blew a tire in the middle of a 5 lane highway. It was LOUD. I thought something came off the roof. Eric managed to get us to on off ramp (thanks to a big rig driver behind us who put his blinkers on and changed lanes behind us, clearing the way.)
Currently, we’re sitting in a Home Depot parking lot, waiting for roadside assistance.
Oh, the road gives and takes. And we’re along for the ride.
—Heather
The road to North Carolina:
We’re due at a friend’s house tonight for some home-cooked southern BBQ and hush puppies. Wish us luck!
—Heather