Cross country

As if to say goodbye, the sun came out on our last day in Florida. We spent the day on the beach, strawberry daiquiris in hand.

Then began the marathon trip home. Amanda and I got up at 2:30 a.m. Florida time to drive the two hours to Tampa. From there, I flew across the country to Reno, where my mom had arranged to leave my car.

My arrival was just in time for a blizzard to hit over Donner Pass. It was a harry trip, and I was a little delirious when it was over.

The next morning, my friends Justin and Gabe picked me up so that we could make the six hour drive to Long Beach, where our cruise was leaving from. The cruise was a surprise for my friend Jenn S.'s husband Paul.

All told, I was traveling for about two days straight.

Lesson learned: Reno airport is not the optimal place to fly into during the winter.