I’ve talked about the concept of “journey proud” before.

My grandmother introduced me to the term. It essentially means the difficulty in sleeping the night before a major trip.

Sunday night, I knew what I was in for. The next day would mark the first miles west on this adventure. I told myself, “When I wake up, I wake up.”

That turned out to be around 4:45 a.m.

I rose, made a strong cup of coffee, and settled into the quiet morning. Piddled around the house, making sure everything was good to go.

And then I left.

Through Carrollton, onto I-20—Birmingham, Tupelo, Memphis, Little Rock, and ultimately, Piedmont, Oklahoma, where I would spend the night with Eric and Judy Bell, my mom’s cousins, whom I see annually at Lake Texoma.

Piedmont is a quiet and fast-growing town northwest of O

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