Valleys, a rising city and open country; let’s explore the Sooner State.
Oklahoma. UNSPLASH Debra GauthierI might have said this before, but add Oklahoma to the list of states where multiple regions of the country seem like a fitting place to associate it with. Oklahoma can make a case for being in the South, Southwest, and Midwest; assuming there aren’t other allocations left. I have been there twice, passing through in 2011 and 2012 to reach Texas.
My first ever visiting Oklahoma was the most unique welcome I had ever experienced. It was July 1, 2011, after leaving our quaint lodging establishment in southwest Missouri with the air feeling extra sticky in the early morning heat. Within no time at all, we entered the Sooner State for the very first time. 3-4 miles in, our family van contacted a needle on Interstate 44 and we had to pull over immediately. The sharp needle that punctured our tire was from the aftermath of powerful tornadoes that battered nearby Joplin, Missouri.
As we pulled over on the highway, it was now hot and humid enough to make it feel like mid-afternoon in the South. There were forests next to the shoulder where we pulled over, with a steep and grassy ditch as the only obstacle to enter the thick jungle. This area was essentially a line of forests in the distance, present on both sides of the interstate, with no specks of civilization present. I could see a deer eating some grass in the woods next to me, but I remained put despite a curiosity regarding why it was alone. The heat kept pricking at me as trucks, SUVs, and sedans continued to whiz by at 75-80 mph speed.
Oklahoma. UNSPLASH Cullen JonesAfter having to wait for assistance, we eventually received help for the tire and drove to the nearby town of Miami for a replacement. I must say, the people of Oklahoma are incredibly humble and friendly. The wonderful gentleman at the auto shop replaced our tire and assured us that it would last until we returned home. I felt relieved that getting stuck in the sweltering heat would not have an encore, hopefully. This particular Miami exuded an unpretentious vibe, not the glitzy, dazzling atmosphere of that other Miami you may know.
The rest of the drive through Oklahoma was through the heart of some valleys that were completely uninhabited. There were trees surrounding me most of the time, some diminutive ponds sprinkled in-between that might as well have been an oasis, and the wind of the wide open country whispering at our van’s windshield.
I drove through the Sooner State north to south and vice versa in both 2011 and 2012. The moment with the flat tire was easily the most memorable. If I learned something, it was that anything can happen on any road trip. Even during a straight shot drive through a state can turn into a long lasting memory. Funny thing was, in 2012 as we entered Oklahoma again, I was behind the wheel this time, and pointed out the location of our flat tire right away. Though the needle took the air out of our vehicle, it drew a permanent air bubble in my head of those first moments in the state, and that recollection stuck enough for me to gladly share my Sooner story with you.
