The drive home: Days 10 and 11

Saturday and Sunday both were days with 12 hours of driving. On the first day we started at Arches National Park and drove all the way to Lincoln, Nebraska. We went through the mountains of Colorado until we got back to the boring yet familiar fields of the Midwest. On Sunday we left Lincoln and made it all the way back to good old Avon, Ohio, where our parents were all waiting for us in my driveway. It felt strange being back with familiar sights and people. I think this trip was the perfect length because by the time we were three hours from Avon, we weren't sad at all, just ready to be back.

What did you photograph today?

I only took a picture at a rest stop in the mountains of Colorado. The funny part is that out of every sight we have seen on this trip, the drive through the mountains was my favorite. I guess I just truly prefer beautiful green trees and plants to any desert landscape. Next time I definitely want to tour the national parks of the north.

What did you do to make the trip more than your standard road trip? How have you made it stimulating and productive so far?

Today we mostly just drove. We played a few games in the car but other than that there were a lot of silent moments.

What was the general morale for the day (positive or negative)? Are there any notable trends? Any suggestions to improve morale and create a more positive atmosphere?

The morale was kind of just bland. We were neither very excited nor angry, we were just ready to finish the hard days of driving and get back to our own beds.

What logistical issues were faced today? How were they handled?

Our biggest logistical issue of the whole trip was faced on Saturday while driving through Colorado. I had started noticing a while ago that something seemed to be wrong with my car because normally when I drive it the RPM never goes above 3, but at some times during the trip it had gone up to 6. I called my dad and he said to get it checked out at a dealership in Denver so we did. It turns out that engines need oxygen to "breath" and since there is 30% less oxygen in the areas we were at compared to Cleveland, the engine was acting more sluggish. So we had nothing to worry about, the car was fine, we just needed to get out of the mountains and it would be normal again.

Were there any personal issues that came up? If so, how did we take care of it?

The only personal issue was arguing over whether or not we should stop to get the car checked out. I strongly believed we should stop while one of my friends was angry because he just wanted to keep driving to Lincoln. Eventually we just were strict and said no to him because it was more responsible to spend an extra hour getting the car checked out rather than risking it and possibly wasting four hours or more broken down on the side of the road.

Are there any cultural differences you noticed between where you were today and Ohio?

We went by a lot of ski lodges, but other than that past the mountains it ended up looking a lot like Ohio with fields of corn and being completely flat.

Has the excitement for adventure present before the trip maintained itself up to this point?

No, today we were just ready to get home after an exciting trip.

Have you felt like you have “over-documented” the trip yet? If so, how will you adjust and if not, how will you make sure everyone is focused on living in the present rather than focusing on making physical copies of the memories?

I definitely didn't over document it the past couple of days.

Have you found a Greater Meaning to this experience?

I think the greater meaning currently is to truly appreciate what's around you, whether it is friends or family or nature. The earth is so beautiful in so many different ways. In one day we went from the red desert to the green mountains to the rolling fields and that honestly amazes me that we saw three vastly different terrains in only 12 hours.