Southeast (Road Trip Pt. 1)

I figured I’d write about some of the first states I visited in my road trip since I was talking about that whole journey last week! It will probably be easiest to write about that trip in the different sections of the America I drove through- so the first would be the southeastern states.

I started in my hometown of Jacksonville, Florida and I planned my first stop in New Orleans so I could get some good distance out west.

So about three hours into my trip I stopped at the Trader Joe’s in Tallahassee. Driving alone I love having a lot of snacks and an array of drinks (kombucha, water, Yerba matte, the occasional protein shake) easily accessible. Not helpful for stops but I love having all the options for drink choice & I wasn’t in any rush. And so of course I had to pull into Trader Joe’s because they have the best snacks.. but not the best parking lot.

It was literally my first stop & I pulled in and hit a car. Hahaha.

An eventful way to begin the trip. All you can do is laugh it off

I left a note and thankfully all they wanted to fix it was $100- it paid to do the right thing and leave a note!

After that the rest of the drive went smooth- and New Orleans was so cool. The drive felt like southern swampy America and I really appreciated that vibe.

New Orleans was hot, humid and so swampy. It was amazing the French influence and the magical feel of the city. I would do another trip out here just to learn about the history of the witchcraft and voodoo magic here.

I planned to see my childhood my friend Christian who went to Tulane! He showed me around the city- we took the tram or open air bus down to Bourbon street and explored the city. The food was amazing, I forget which restaurant we went to but it was cajun food! I got a sampler of all the house specials- jambalaya, gumbo, étouffée, red beans and rice. I made it a point on this trip to eat the specialities of each place- food is one way to describe without words what makes that place that place. Cajun food really tastes like the jazz that’s all around the city- and the blend of intense flavors that’s so lively is what the city feels like!

Afterwards we got drinks on Bourbon Street and then walked around. Eventually I got my tarot cards read and finished the night with some beignets from Cafe Du Monde. I felt like I had a full Nola experience.

After New Orleans, my next stop was Dallas. If I were to do this road trip over- I’d plan for more time in the Southeast- I would’ve love to explore Louisiana a little longer.

I am a big True Blood fan and I was so sad when I drove through Shreveport and I couldn't stop. Fun fact- I named my dog after Sookie after Sookie Stackhouse in that show. Next time I’d try to do a stay and explore the cities there based on the show.

Louisana just really felt like so American. I don’t really have the words to describe it- their roads were pretty rough but the swampy drive was so beautiful and amazing.

Dallas was awesome too! I stayed with some family friends who were recently married- Carly and Chase. They housed my sister for the whole summer for her accounting internship in Dallas and 3 days after she left- they had another Chepenik at their door. They were so gracious to host me!

We had a great time- went out to a fun spot for drinks and got their favorite bbq spot for dinner. It was so hot there- but really a fun, cool city. It was some of the best barbecue I’ve had too!

On my way out of Dallas I drove by where JFK was shot- that was a crazy feeling to know you’re at the exact spot some big historical event occurred.

After I stopped near Fort Worth to say hello to another friend Brady. Even just driving and saying hi for 10 minutes is so nice. Brady and I went to elementary and high school together, and it was cool to see him in a different part of his life, living in a different place and how he loves it. It’s great to see friends in their elements especially in new places.

Texas was so wide and open. Western Texas was a lot of windmills and open skies- cool train tracks too. For a lot of the time there would be nothing for miles and miles- and then there’d be a tumbleweed flying. It was so crazy.

I was listening to Matthew Mcougnay’s book Green Lights during this part of the drive which was so perfect. He was from Texas and the book is about his life, background and career. It was really an inspiring book - and a huge bonus to listen to in his voice. He has really conquered the power of story telling so I definitely recommend listening.

Then I headed over to Santa Fe- but I will save those memories for next week. I was supposed to stay in Santa Fe for 2 days and I extended for four because it was so amazing so I can’t wait to write about my experience in the Southwest next.

Thanks!

Grace