This post will cover the long-distance move to the homestead with moving at night, moving with pets, and how to stay awake without coffee for the long drive. There will be a video at the end of this post showing a slide show of more pictures of the trip we took in August of 2012. The slide show is accompanied by my 12-year-old daughter, at the time, playing her own composition on the piano.
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On the Move Late at Night
We were packed up and ready to move just after midnight. Our plan was to drive from Fallbrook, CA to French Gulch, CA. This would be 660 miles and a 10 hour 31 min drive without stops. I don’t stay awake well that late at night, and so this was a scary adventure that seemed impossible to me. We made it to Norwalk, CA a drive of 84 miles. Unfortunately, I could go no further. It really is insane to try to drive at night. So, we pulled into the parking lot of the Norwalk SDA Church, where I used to be a member. I was now faced with sleeping sitting up. Even though this was a very real possibility while I was driving, I was wide awake when I stopped. Finally, I fell asleep.
A Knock on the Window
After about an hour of sleep, I was rudely awakened by someone knocking on my window. Somehow, I managed to open my eyes to see a police officer staring in. He wanted to know what we were doing there. A concerned neighbor had reported us as being suspicious. Naturally, I told him that it was unsafe for me to drive any further and we had decided to stop at my former church to get some sleep. Consequently, he said we were alright and he left. I tried to go back to sleep after that. Due to an adrenaline rush, I was not able to go back to sleep. After a couple more hours of torture trying to sleep, we got back on the road.
On the Move with Pets
The Cats
We still had 579 miles to go with a travel time of 8 hours and 50 min. We needed to consider the comfort of our animals on this trip. Pebbles (Learn about her here How We Got Pebbles) and Heshe (How We Got HeShe) were traveling quite well. They didn’t meow constantly out of fear like some of my current cats would. It helped that my daughter Ivana was in the back seat to comfort them. They were free to wander about the truck and sometimes Pebbles came and sat on my lap while I was driving. They had food and water available and a cat box. So, their basic needs were met.
The Chickens
If you missed how we packed up for the trip check this previous post. Preparing to Move to the Homestead I was pulling a trailer with the chickens behind my truck. At one rest area, we decided to have mercy on the chickens and we let them out to peck in the bushes. My son made sure they had food and water in the trailer, but this trip was hot and scary for them. They were so happy to have a break. When we were all done, we counted heads (and beaks) and continued on our journey. Sadly, when we arrived at our destination, one chicken was missing. Somehow, it had managed to fly out under the tarp.
Staying Awake on the Move
Ice Cubes and Cayenne Pepper
Since this blog is about healthy homesteading adventures, I did not have the option to use caffeine to stay awake. I used to try putting the window down, turning up the radio, and even slapping myself in the face. Ouch! Then, I learned about ice. A cold ice cube on the tongue does a fine job of stimulating the brain to wake up. Ice can be attained in fast-food restaurants and gas stations along the way. Fortunately, most offer it for free. This is my method of choice to stay awake. Cayenne pepper can be added to a bottle of water and sips of this will also do the job. I didn’t have any with me on this trip.
Music and Movement
With only one hour of sleep, I needed other options to keep my brain moving. We had a CD with the theme song from Raiders of the Lost Ark. This is an action song with beautiful orchestration using seemingly all the instruments including the piccolo. I would play this music loud and move my arm to direct the orchestra. I would also stomp my feet. In the above picture, my daughter Ivana caught me in action.
Eating
Eating has to be the most enjoyable way to stay awake. While the teeth are chewing and the mouth enjoying the tastes, the brain becomes active and less sleepy. This doesn’t always work. If a person is really sleepy, he can fall asleep while eating. Unfortunately, you can’t eat for 8 hours.
Stop at the Rest Area
If all else fails, stop at a rest area or gas station. You will wake up while getting gas. Also, it is very important to make a pit stop especially after you eat. I have noticed that when I stop eating, I get so sleepy it is dangerous. If I empty my bowels, the grogginess goes away. On these stops, I would also walk around or run to get my circulation going.
Talking to Keep the Mind Active
Driving is boring, so it helps to have a passenger to talk with to keep the mind awake. This job was given to my teenage son, Isaiah. He knew that if he wanted to get to the homestead alive, he had better stay awake and keep me awake. It was such a relief to finally turn off the highway towards French Gulch. There was still a ways to go and my body wanted to give up and sleep. Consequently, my son had to work extra hard to keep me awake the last few miles. I think he had to shake me or even yell at me. “Mom! Stay awake!”
Pray
Last, but not least, pray. Pray before you begin your journey and pray for God’s help to stay awake. If you are in His will, He doesn’t mean for you to be killed in your attempt to move to your homestead. But, we are not to be presumptuous. I think it was foolish for us to leave at midnight and not have more than one hour of sleep. As an example, I had some friends say they were going to drive all night. The driver said that she could drive well at night. Subsequently, she drove quite well into a ditch with no harm to the car or its occupants by God’s grace.
The End of the Move
I was one happy driver and praising God when we pulled into the driveway of our new homestead. The torture of trying to stay awake was over. Now, the adrenaline of excitement would keep me awake. There were things to do, and sleep would have to wait. Thanks for joining me on this adventure. Make sure that you are subscribed to this blog so you will be notified of future posts. The next one in this series will show the finished metal building and how we filled it up with all of our stuff. Again, my advice to all who plan to homestead, downsize and get rid of as much stuff as possible.