Fried Pickles

I wrote this last year, directly after moving to Virginia.

This last week, my family and I had the opportunity to travel, by van, across country. Moving from California to Virginia, we have literally been from coast to coast. The experience was something totally new to us, something we had never done before.
Road trips are something of a foreign concept to my family. The farthest we usually go is to see my grandparents, a ninety minute drive. There was the occasional drive to the ocean, five hours or so. But that’s about it. So taking seven days to see America was a new and exciting adventure.
I must admit that I wasn’t too crazy about the idea. Seven days in the car with my siblings is not exactly my idea of fun. There was tension about the move, bickering over which movie to watch next, fighting over who got to sit where. The usual. And, of course, my sister and I joined forces and convinced our mom to outlaw the removal of my brother’s shoes while in the van. But the trip wasn’t all bad.
The scenery was simply beautiful. The different landscapes across the country are fascinating, from the plains of Arizona, to the hills of North Carolina. And the sightseeing was neat as well. We saw petrified wood in New Mexico, the Cadillac Ranch in Texas, and the Mississippi. And then, there were The Fried Pickles.
I wanted to try them as soon as I heard the waitress ask if we wanted some. After all, they’re pickles. Pickles are the most wonderful food ever, good in just about any was, shape or form. But then again, they were fried. Fried Pickles. Who eats fried pickles?
So, even though we were doubtful, we ordered The Fried Pickles. And yes, they were good. Very good. In fact, The Fried Pickles were amazing. I horded most of the plate, grudgingly allowing my dad and grandma a few. I ate so many of The Fried Pickles that I couldn’t finish my meal. But this delicious appetizer taught me something.
I tried something entirely new while on our trip. And, I realized that there are good things in every situation, even moving across country. I did find a new favorite dish, didn’t I? There are a lot of things that I don’t know about living in Virginia. Driving laws, hunting laws, even laws about the fences we put up. But I do know one thing. If I ever return to Amarillo Texas, I will be dining on Fried Pickles at the Hoffbrau Steaks.