The journey to Oregon begins tomorrow (or today, by the time you’re reading this). Crazy. Absolutely crazy.
Our absolutely wonderful small group threw us a going away party last Sunday. They may be some of the best party throwers around. It was Oregon themed, with blue and yellow decorations (apparently Oregon’s state flag is blue and yellow, as we learned that evening), lots of food, and super entertaining games.
We had the most food we’ve ever had at a small group fiesta, including a special “Oregon” dish: salmon dip, which is apparently a popular dish in our future state. Luckily, it was quite tasty. Our wonderful friend, Caitlin, even made duck-shaped sugar cookies in honor of the University of Oregon’s mascot: the duck.
The party included a rousing game of Oregon trivia, where we learned that we don’t actually know anything about Oregon. But in our defense, I wouldn’t have known most of the answers to these questions about Kentucky either. Here are a few fun Oregon facts we learned during the game:
Oregon’s state motto: “She flies with her own wings.”
Oregon’s state beverage: milk
Oregon’s state dance: square dance (which is, curiously, also Kentucky’s state dance)
Oregon’s state animal: beaver
My team won that game, in case you were wondering.
We also played a game of “Pin the Ringers on the map,” where stick figures of both of us were taped onto a map of the United States. Each player was blindfolded and spun around before taping us onto the stopping points along our road trip. Several of our friends were very clever and figured out how to feel their way to the proper spot on the map by counting the creases on the paper. They were considerably more successful than me.
We ended the evening with a few thrilling rounds of “Celebrity,” which has become one of my favorite games, particularly when played with a group that puts in names like “Kool-Aid Man” and “Rory Gilmore.”
And as if all the fun wasn’t enough, our friends also had folks write down their favorite things about us, along with suggestions of how to make new friends in Oregon. I packed the jar of answers away so that we can’t read them until we actually get to Oregon. They also gave made up a game for us to play in the car during our very long road trip. It’s a checklist of sorts for things that we might see along the way. I think it will prove to be quite entertaining. Don’t worry. It will certainly be blogged.
It was one heck of a party. And we are so thankful for a group of friends that have made Lexington such a wonderful home for us over the past few years. And we are also thankful that many of them (and some other awesome friends) were willing helpers when it came to loading up our moving pods on Thursday night. If it weren’t for them, we would still be hauling boxes up the stairs of our apartment. And that would be terrible.
By the way, if we ever move cross country again, please remind me to just sell all of our belongings and acquire new things when we get to our destination. It would be so much easier.
But now our stuff is on it’s way to Oregon, and we will be on our way soon as well! We’re taking the long route to Eugene, turning this moving trip into a little vacation of sorts. We’ll take 7 days to get from Lexington to Eugene, making lots of fun stops along the way!
The big trip begins tomorrow with a drive from Lexington to Kansas City, Missouri. We’re super excited to stop and visit with our pal Peggy Ray along the way in St. Louis!
Here’s to a big adventure!
-Ally
mrmrscoop says
I see you’re headed to Fort Collins! I LOVE Ft. Collins (my family lived there for a year). Looking forward to hearing about your adventures, praying for safe travels!