Stories From the Road: The Truck Stop of Christmas Present(s)

Another posthumous road trip story that went unpublished nearly 5 months ago. I think I'm caught up now.

Throughout my travels, I've been very fortunate to have known and encountered many gracious people, people who I'm never sure I could show enough gratitude in return for what they did for me. Even the simplest of things seem great in hindsight.

I spent the 3rd night of my East Coast return trip in glorious Phoenix, Arizona, hanging out (briefly) with my friend Zane. The weather was beautiful, the beers were plentiful and many laughs were had. And even though he warned "You'll have to sleep on my floor," I was more than satisfied with that. I was also very grateful the next morning when I awoke to find coffee in the pot and knowing I had access to a shower. Thanks buddy.

It's strange what traveling great distances can do to skew your perception of time, because that was the last shower I took in what felt like forever. It was actually only 3 days, but in those 3 days, I hiked a couple miles around the rim of the Grand Canyon, explored a few towns on historic Route 66, got lost in the desert in New Mexico, pit stopped in Dallas to take an obnoxious photo of me flipping the bird to Cowboys fans and traversed almost 2,000 miles in parts of 5 states. The last day in particular felt like an eternity as I was driving through torrential downpours in Northern Texas and Louisiana. When it finally stopped raining, I was somewhere around Jackson, Mississippi and I noticed it was much, much warmer. I could actually open the windows! Exciting stuff! Anyway...

I stopped at a truck stop for the usual fare, but upon getting out of the car, I just felt...dirty. I know I've gone longer without showering or changing my clothes before, and I wasn't keen on the idea of having to pay for one, but for some reason that's all I could think about before doing anything else. So I walked in and had the following exchange with the attendant:

Me: "How much does it cost to rent a shower?"
Attendant: "It's $12."
Me: "Uhhh...man...is there a discount if I fill up? I need to buy gas too."
Attendant: "I'll tell you what: you look like you could really use a nice, hot shower. It's on me."
Me: "No, you don't have to do that."
Attendant: "Come on, take it. Merry Christmas."
Me: "Are you sure, sir?"
Attendant: "Yes. Man needs a shower, right? Man's gotta shower!"
Me: (a splurge of thankful remarks)

I know I labeled myself as a bit of a cheapskate. Hey, I was unemployed at the time... Aside from the attendant basically saying that I looked road-weary and disheveled, I couldn't have been happier. The shower itself was in better condition than the dorm showers I endured in my freshman year. Afterward, I felt infinitely better, ready to drive another 2,000 miles! OK, maybe not.

Yea...it's only a shower. But in all sincerity, at that time the simplest of generosity really did mean everything to me. I filled up my tank and as a token of appreciation, I tipped the attendant, and it still didn't feel like enough. So wherever you are, thank you for giving the smallest of gifts. You have no idea how energizing and refreshing that was to me.

Stories From the Road: Friends in All Places

Note: I'd written this post but never published it. 4 1/2 months late is better than never, right?

Two days into my trip back east, I was passing through San Francisco on my way to Joshua Tree National Park when I received a call from a friend I had met at Aprovecho. He had heard that some friends of ours were stranded in JTNP on THEIR way back east. They had a whole separate saga of their own that led up to this point and could use any help they could get.

My original plan was to camp the night in the park, but due to some wrong turns, traffic and staying longer at a gas station to help a guy fix his truck, I didn't get to Joshua Tree until about 9:30 PM. Thankfully my friends had the foresight to book a room for the night. Even more thankfully, they had an extra bed for yours truly. By the time I got there, the campground was closed, and who knows if there would have been a spot available at that time of night anyway? All they asked in return was a ride to the airport, which by cab probably would have worked out to be the same price. It all comes out in the wash.

When I started this trip, I had some loose plans, but there were a lot of question marks. This is just another time when I just went with it and randomly, things fell into place...for all of us. Their car, though broken down, was shipped back to South Carolina that day. I picked up some of their more important articles (things you wouldn't trust in the hands a baggage handler) and carried them with me across the country, AND I ended up staying with one of them when I got to SC almost a week later. Is it karma, fate, an alignment of the universe, or something else?

Maybe it's as simple as my friend Caleb put it: "When you're a wanderer, you tend to run into the other wanderers you know, and you help each other...wander." Haha.

So basically, you're never alone. That's good to know. When I look around, I'm never surprised where I find my friends anymore. They're in all places.

If the Opportunity Arose...

I'd do it again.