Have you heard of the ‘saying goodbye curse’?

It goes like this: you live in a city for two years and think it’s kinda cool and suddenly it becomes magnificent.

Statue of liberty

And then you run around snapping pictures, walking aimlessly ogling over skyscrapers, jogging over bridges you have never crossed, taking cruises to the Statue of Liberty and crying at her feet…

statue of liberty 2

stuffing pizza into your mouth, eating at every vending truck on every street desperately hoping that each precious experience will absorb itself into your being before it’s just a memory.

What a stunning city it is this time of year. All sunshine and snow once the storm clouds pass. The skyline defiant and strong in the sharp winter light. It is hard to live in New York and not take pride in what it means to be American and what it means to live the American Dream.

statue of liberty 3

The unity here in New York city will rekindle any misconceptions you might have. It will inspire you!

However moving companies do not inspire. They swindle. They scam. And they are absolutely crazy if they think I can afford $4,600 to move home. And if they think $900 doesn’t raise one eyebrow in an are-you-f’ing-kidding-me untrusting arch, they are wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

So I have decided to drive home. And the newest member of my three person kitchen team is hopefully flying out to help me do it.

I couldn’t be more excited! I have never driven across the country. I always hoped it would be in a huge plush comfortable cadillac and not a noisy U-Haul truck, but it has been ages since I went on a road trip!

I’m planning on taking I-40, the Southern route across the country. If you live along that route and would like to put up two cooks for the evening who don’t have a lot to offer other than great knife skills and fantastic dishwashing abilities please let me know. I know that doesn’t sound like a great swap. It isn’t. But I figured it was worth a try?

Any tips, places to eat, national parks & monuments that are must-see detours would be greatly appreciated.

Cheap gas too. Cheap gas is good. Keeps my eyebrows level.