From the Driver's Seat...December 17, Day 264, 17.7 miles, Holtville, CA

Hi everyone!

Jenny here. I'm Katie's driver for this leg of the journey, from Kansas to San Diego. I thought I'd answer some of the frequently asked questions about being a driver for Katie. Feel free to post other questions if you have them!


Q: You must read a lot in the van, huh?
A: Yep! I've gone through 18 books over the last 3.5 months, some a lot better than others. In each town we stop in, we swing by the local library to take, trade, or buy used books. Other times, our hosts unload read books to us. I've had the chance to read some really random books (like a 600 page biographical novel of Charles Darwin - a must read, and the inspiration for my Halloween costume).

Q: So what do you do all day?
A: I spent most of the time running/walking with Katie, reading, studying for the GRE exam, taking photographs, or napping. Not too bad, huh? The rest of the time...well you know when you have an unpleasant task ahead of you (like cleaning out the garage or starting a big project at work), and suddenly there's all these little things to do that seem way more important and enjoyable (like organizing your Post-it notes by color and size)? Well I don't have an unpleasant task ahead, but those little things are the kinds of things I do.

For example:
- folding and refolding the items in my suitcase
- making new iPod playlists
- decorating the van for upcoming holidays
- writing postcards
- drawing cartoons of people we have met on the road
- making homemade Christmas cards
- texting friends back home who are stuck in the office
- rewriting lyrics to songs so that they apply to this trip

Sometimes I just stare into space, or re-read my trip journal and think about all the wonderful people we've met along the way. I also figured out a way to do pushups and situps in the van, so a few days a week I turn the van into a mini-gym! Therabands are an amazing thing.

Q: Is Katie always so energetic?
A: Simple answer, YES! She's a big ball of energy - except for a few minutes after she's finished running/walking each day when she sort of zones out.

Q: Do you and Katie run out of things to say to each other?
A: Nope. For one thing, we both value occasional silence. But the range of things we talk about is SO broad, we can never really run out of topics. Today we talked about Katie's sixth grade soccer team, the movie Rat Race, race walking, seatbelts, and so many other things I can't really remember.

Q: How did you and Katie meet?
A: Despite the amazing stories Katie tells that we met with attending a cactus farming clinic in college or while ice luging down a glacier, etc., we actually met after college when we worked for the same company leading trips for high school students in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Q: Have you been with Katie for the whole trip?
A: No. Katie's mom, dad, and friend Ellen all drove with Katie earlier in the trip. I joined Katie in Salina, Kansas on September 1st.

Q: Are you a runner too?
A: Not really, no. I played sports in high school and college but did not compete in track or cross-country. I love to run/walk with Katie though. What a great way to see the country!

Q: Do you drive really slowly behind Katie?
A: No. We park at the starting point for the day and Katie runs ahead while I hang out in the van and stare into space or undertake one of the other activities listed above. Once Katie has reached 2 or 3 miles (I use a stopwatch to keep track of the time she's been on the road), I drive along the route and pass Katie, waiting for her "thumbs up" to let me know everything is okay. I continue driving 3 or 4 more miles, at which point I stop the van and hang out again. Once Katie reaches the van, she stops to eat and drink and stretch out a little, and then she's off down the road again!