Well the first day was a long day but an enjoyable one.  Before I left home, my step-mom said for me to enjoy my adventure and boy did I!  

What I had planned was ambition for me, not because I thought I couldn’t do it but because I actually  did it alone.  I so don’t like to do new adventures alone.  It’s more fun when you have someone there who understands the joy you feel in a new discovery.  But alas, I was alone.  I drove for over 11 hours round trip for this adventure. When I first started my road trip, I rationalized that it was equivalent to San Diego and back, in my home state of California.  Well it was closer to driving round trip to San Francisco!  

The silver lining is,  I saw my husbands 3rd great grandfathers gravesite and his marker.  I also saw his daughters marker right next to him.  Yes, I was emotional and cried.  I also introduced myself to the both of them.  I know some people might think that is weird, but it is what I do.   It was a beautifully kept cemetery.  I am not sure who owns it yet, but I want to find out and thank them for the work.  When I visited the graves, it was windy and quite serene.  I felt very close to God at that moment, which got me crying even more.  Yes, I am an emotional person!  I felt so at peace there.  Getting there was a 4 hour trip through some of the most beautiful countryside I have ever seen.  Lush, full, emerald green trees swaying side to side in the wind.  It was as if they were putting on a show for me!  I drove through the countryside a very happy person.  When I could, I tried to take a snapshot of two, the downfall of driving by yourself is you can’t take much pictures while driving.  There was farmland of some very hard-working families too.   I was grateful that they were doing their job for the rest of the world.  I for one, was very grateful.  

I arrived in the town of Pollock, Missouri around 2pm.  I knew, when I did my research on where the cemetery was located, that it was a small town.  I also read that it has shrunken over the years but with the school being closed down and the students being sent to the nearest schools to finish their education, it was a shock to say the least, of what I saw as I arrived in town.  The homes were in decent shape, some had more wear and tear than others and they looked like they were being kept up, but the store, coffeeshop and Post Office were closed, boarded up or abandond.  It sadden my heart .

Tune in to see part two of this story!!!