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After months of looking and trying to find an affordable place of my own (and even another roommate situation), I have decided I can't afford to stay here. With the crazy and stressful situation at home and at work, I have been getting very frustrated and depressed recently.

The general manager of the Great Clips I worked at in MN has been begging me to come back to work for her. So I asked if I could work full time at their other shop, which is closer to my dad's house and has a manager I like much better than the one I worked with at their other location. She said absolutely yes. So then I checked on Craig's List for places to rent near there. Found a room for rent in the area I lived in before I moved out here, which is a very nice area on the lake. It is in a large home in a upscale neighborhood, half a block from the lake, has a swimming pool, etc. The rent is only $300 per month for a large bedroom, with a $100 deposit! I called the gal and talked with her awhile and today she called back and said I could have the room, but I must love animals. Done deal! She said I can have any animals I want there, including a dog and/or ferrets, along with my cat, if I want! There are two other women there that are around my age so we should get along pretty well.

So I gave my two week notice at work and will be driving back to MN in three weeks!

My dad will be thrilled that I am coming back. My main motivation now is to pay off the rest of my debts (one being to my dad who is struggling now financially), and get my credit rating back up to a good number, and get a better vehicle and maybe go back to school for something. I should be able to do that within the next year or so. Then I will have more options when I am in a better place financially.

Now the work begins! Got to get a trailer hitch put on my car and reserve a U-Haul trailer for the end of July. Then start sorting and packing, deciding what goes with and what stays behind. Still have to figure out how I am going to get my cat back there.

Also need to plan my itinerary, so if anyone has any good suggestions for driving from San Diego to Minneapolis, let me know. I am kind of wanting to take at least part of the old Route 66 and see some of the places along there. But I have to also think of the heat this time of year driving the southern route, especially if I have the cat with me.

So I am feeling excited, scared and relieved. At least now I have a plan. I may be asking myself what the heck I was thinking, when I am knee deep in snow, freezing my butt off in January! However, I am going to plan a trip to Florida in January to coincide with the annual GTG, so I can stop to visit and meet everyone while I am visiting with my friend Cathy there.

Off to bed now. Hopefully, I can sleep tonight!

It sounds like a smart decision. Your dad will be so glad to have you close and you'll feel better about being there for him. And you've had a great experience in California - except for the headaches associated with your roommates and work. You've seen and done a lot. Good luck to you.

Barbie,

I think you have made a great decision. You'll be back with your Dad and it sounds like you'll be able to save money and get yourself back on track. The road will always be there when you are ready to change where you want to live again in the future.

I am really happy for you and wish you lots of luck. We have another packer in our midst!

I know you must feel so relieved. You have lots of good memories and the bad ones hopefully will soon fade as you look at all of your beautiful pictures.

Have you thought about taking the coast highway at least part of the way up to WA, Big Sur is breath taking!!! You could cross over on 94. There are several sisters along the way you could GTG with to break up the trip.

good for you Barbie, and its not like you don't know what weather your getting into, cause your from there!
Anyway, just go down to walmart and pay $20 for the cat carrier, or small dog kennel and put the kitty in
that. If you have air conditioning in your car its no big deal driving across the desert, just look for drive thru's
or load up a cooler and make sandwiches on the road at rest areas. If you have the uhaul you can put all your
stuff in that and reserve the space in your car for the kennel. If you got a bigger kennel you could fit the
litter box inside and feel secure. Not all cats cry in the car, we had one years ago that went with us every
weekend to the cabin and she loved it. She sat in her kennel and watched out the window. Then we also
had one that didn't shut up. The price we pay for love.

I too agree that this feels most certainly the right thing to do for you on a couple levels; family and the comfort of home. I for one, wish I could have a "Do Over" and spend more time with my parents before they were gone. My mother was completely alone for the last two years of her life as all of us were married and lived so far away. I surely wish that wasn't the case. You and your father will have each other, there is just something right about being there for each other. Plus I kind of remember you having a brother back there too.

Now, as far as "route" goes I would jump at the chance to head northeast out of Salt Lake City onto hwy 84, up to Jackson Hole..(Rodeo Drive Goes Country), then through the Tetons National Park, where Jackson Hole virtually is, Those mountains are not to be missed. Then it's the gateway into Yellowstone my favourite place on earth, or at least one of them. The "Irredescent Pool" (or whatever it is called) is MIND BLOWING!!!!, all the wildlife is so exciting and the country is possibly the most beautiful in the lower 48. Then across the top of Wyoming to Devils Tower, don't pass that up. Then if you had time you could go through S. Dakota instead of North Dakota and do the Black Hills and see Custer State Park and drive through the "Needles"...crazy spires that stick straight up..so cool. And, of course there is Rushmore and Crazy Horse. I was so moved by Crazy Horse. I surely hope to be able to do that trip again, it has always been a favorite of mine. Oh, yes it just occurred to me to speak like an older sister.....are your tires in good shape? That is critical...if anything else on the car breaks you coast to a stop and get it fixed...But that is not always the case with a bad tire....be sure they are good and drive in the cool of the morning...Remember deer and elk move in mornings and evenings so I figure it's their time to own the roadways....

Good memories of days at the beach will hold you over
on those snowy days! Have fun on your trip home!

Thanks for your supportive posts!

I can only keep the U-Haul for 8 days so not much time for sightseeing, and with the cat, I can't stop much to look at things, so I pretty much need to make a B-line back to MN. Also with pulling the trailer, I'd like to avoid mountains as much as possible so as not to suck up too much gas. But with the AC on, that will happen as well...hopefully, the heatwave will have moved on by then.

I have a large cage to put Lola in. It will fit a small litter box and a bed and fit in the back seat.

I plan to bring my car in to get a full inspection before I leave. Will probably need two new tires. I bought two new ones before coming out here but the other two probably need to be replaced. They are only around $50 apiece.

Tomorrow is my dad's 86th birthday. I think I will call him and tell him then. He will be very happy!

I would avoid the mountains too if I was pulling a trailer with a car. Just don't get too big of a trailer for your car to handle. Have you checked the cost to have your stuff shipped as compared to a trailer hitch and trailer rental? Since you have an older car you don't want to stress it too much.

Martha

In this heat, if I have to bring Abby somewhere, I bring both sets of car keys. That way, if I have to stop somewhere else, I can leave the car running, and also locked.

..

I am actually going to rent the smallest trailer they have. It is their newest one. It looks like a motorcycle trailer but bigger, low profile, and lightweight and less expensive. So should be fine for my car. I have pulled the larger U-Hauls with the other Escort I had and did OK with it, altho I lost a lot of gas mileage and speed while pulling it. This one should me more economical for me and easier to pull, yet still big enough to put my stuff in. They say it holds about what you can put in the back of a pickup.

I am going to leave my furniture here. My roommate can rent my room furnished for more money that way, since now (as of last night) the wedding is off again...

Just mailed the deposit and rent for my new place. Sounds like a really nice house! Has three decks, three fireplaces, a pool, an acre of woodsy property, just half a block from the lake, and a half mile from the blues bar I used to frequent...perfect!

8 days is a world of time to get there - and sightsee. Oh my gosh - I used to take vacations where I drove helter skelter to get someplace to have time before driving helter skelter back. 8 days does not mean you have to rush - with that small of a trailer, get it early, pack it - and leave before noon. On arrival, unpack and return it - no need for days on either end.

I am thinking of driving about 600 miles per day or so. I also have to think about the cost of overnight stays at motels along the way. 7 nights can add up to a lot. If I didn't have the cat, I could camp with the tent but would be too worried about her getting loose. She is a definate flight risk. Have thought about flying her back there but not sure what that would cost and I don't trust my roommate to get her to the airport for me.