Still Another Weather Experience - Blizzard Near Flagstaff Arizona...The Move East

Date: January 19, 2017 to January 22, 2017

Location: California to Missouri

Personal Reflections: 

I am destined to experience the worst weather when I am with Dirk, but before we get to that...

Born and raised in California, I never planned on moving away. Never thought I would ever consider it. Then I met Dirk. We saw each other off and on, traveling here and there. I even stayed in Branson Missouri about 4 1/2 months, but move? Nah...

Once we seriously started talking about it, I started making pro/con lists. Too many of them really, but I wanted to make sure I knew what I was getting into.

My 3 top reasons for not moving to Missouri were:

• Missing my boys
• The weather
• Fresh fruit & vegetables

I'm sure the first 2 times are self explanatory but let me mention the third. Californians are spoiled when it comes to fresh fruit and vegetables. I've traveled enough around the US to see that, really, nothing compares. Over my life, I have often told other Californians that we are so willing to cement over farmlands to build more or bigger cities and that we don't appreciate what we really have. I still feel that way.

But in the end, the decision is relatively simple. I officially retired early in 2016 but continued working as a retired annuitant for most of the year.  It was time to quit working and make the biggest change I could possibly make.

The move date was set for January 19^th. Dirk flew in a few days before to help me finish packing and our friend, Michael, flew in on the 17^th to help us move back. The plan was to hitch a U-Haul trailer to my CRV and Michael and I would take turns driving. Well, to be truthful, Michael would probably be doing most, if not all, the driving.

As the guys packed the trailer, it soon became obvious that I had too much stuff. At first I started culling things out, but then I finally had to admit we needed something bigger. I called U-Haul and told them the situation. Luckily, they had a small truck available so the next morning...yes, the morning we were set to leave, we had to haul the trailer back and transfer the stuff in it to a truck. And of course, it was raining but we got stuff situated and went back to my apartment to finish the packing.

So with Michael driving the truck and me driving the CRV, we finally left Roseville around 11am. I started crying at the Sacramento/Placer county line and didn't stop until we hit the San Joaquin county line. Still couldn't believe I was leaving everything I know. And yes, the doubts were there.

We made it to beautiful Barstow that night and delayed leaving in the morning so Michael could watch Trump's inauguration. A big day for so many Americans who are tired of the "politics as usual" politicians we have in Washington.

We stopped for gas in Lake Havasu and checked the weather. There was snow and lots of it around Flagstaff. Dirk's sister was on her way there for vacation and told us to avoid the area, so we headed south. The idea was to hook up to Interstate 10 and eventually work our way north again, missing the snow storm. Everything was going as planned. After a while, looking at a map, it was decided if we changed course and headed north, we'd be ahead of the storm, so off we went.

It was dark when we hit the mountainous area of Arizona. What we didn't realize is that we had driven into the heart of the storm. I was suspicious when a few "splats" hit the windshield, but it was short-lived and I was relieved. Then we started really climbing and the "splats" came more and more.

I should state that I have NEVER driven in snow of any sort and really never wanted to. I had asked Michael that once we got to Missouri could he give me some lessons on driving in snow. What I meant was driving when the snow stopped, the roads were clear and I HAD to get out for some reason.

Now, here we are and I'm going to get my lesson under fire. The snow started coming down very hard. We called Michael in the truck behind us and I told the guys I wanted to stop. They told me we couldn't or we'd get stuck. This was not just snow...it was a blizzard. I started crying, sobbing really, and didn't stop for the next 3 hours.

Michael and Dirk spent the 3 hours talking to me; telling me exactly how to drive..."go slower"..."speed up a little bit"..."don't worry about anyone going around you"..."you have to move over, the snow plow is coming"..."don't hit your breaks hard"..."apply steady pressure to your breaks" and so on....

I was gripping that steering wheel so hard and my jaw was clenched so tight. I just wanted to stop and barring that, I could picture myself going off the side of the road. Later Michael told me how lucky we were the downgrade was so gradual. He was really worried.

When we finally came out of the mountains, there was still plenty of snow but the highway had been plowed well. We finally stopped and when Dirk and I got to our room, I totally fell apart. They both promised me I would NEVER have to drive in snow again. Exhausted, I fell asleep.

The next morning, I awoke tired and sore from the ordeal. I looked out the window and you could hear the wind come out of my sails...snow. It felt like a huge weight just settled on me. I fell apart...tears falling anew. I told Dirk I wouldn't leave but he said we had to. I told them they could go ahead and I'd stay at the hotel until the weather cleared. I mean, I'm used to driving alone but they wouldn't leave me there. Michael said we had to leave and get a head of the storm that was right behind us. "Never" had arrived sooner than I ever thought it would.

Off we went and we seemed to stay just ahead of it. Stopping for gas at the border of Arizona & New Mexico, the owner of the station told me how New Mexico only has a couple of plows and doesn't maintain the highway. That scared me. There was snow across the desert but somehow we stayed just out of reach. Another gas stop in New Mexico and the snow started coming down. I felt like that damn storm was chasing us until finally we headed a little south and the storm a little north.

I have to admit, I've never seen snow in the desert and it really is beautiful. I didn't mind it when I was able to look out and see it on the landscape. The rest of our trip home to Missouri was uneventful, but I sure was glad to get there and be done with this trip.

Maybe January isn't the best time to move. Michael joked about me wanting to learn how to drive in snow. Truly, I had no business driving but was put in the situation and got through it. But I also know I would not have gotten through it without Dirk and Michael. Michael spent 3 hours directing a hysterical person through a blizzard while Dirk spent 3 hours getting me to hold on and not totally fall apart. Thank you both...you really are the best and I love you both!

So as I was saying at the beginning of this blog, I seem destined to experience the extremes of weather with Dirk. We had the April 2016 tornado scare in Missouri, the October 2016 hurricane in Florida and now, the January 2017 blizzard in Arizona. What's next?...*knocks on wood*