"…So I wanted the ocean. I wanted to hear it roll along the beach moving each rock and piece of sand. I wanted to smell the salt in the air. I wanted Alaska to be somehow different because of how different I felt…"
As I started my journey it was a good feeling. Once I came to terms that I was really in no hurry I was able to enjoy the scenery that I was passing, long flat hills covered in short brush and weeds. I drove with a mix of anticipation and trepidation. The storm that was ahead of me in the early miles of my trip now was behind me, serving as a constant show of my emotions. I felt as the dark skies rolled on behind they were somehow chasing me leaving me with this constant need to keep driving. I forced myself to stop a few times to charge the phone and stretch my legs. At one stop I laid in my car behind the wheel and slept for just a bit, the car turned off to save on gas and the windows rolled up for safety. I only got about a half hour before the choking heat and the desire to get on the road again woke me up.
Back on the road I started to allow the thoughts of my car come back in to my head having been to afraid to think about it, fearing I might jinx it. The day before I left I did the responsible thing and took my car in to get it checked and oil changed since I have a bad oil leak. I took the car in very early and they had asked if I wanted my anti freeze flushed and I had declined. That entire day I was running around Lincoln trying to get the last minute things accomplished which also included me retrieving my camera. I put quite a bit of miles on my poor car that day driving in 90 degree weather. All day I drove and after awhile I could swear I smelled antifreeze but anyone who was in my car would say they couldn’t so I thought I was imagining it. Turns out the guy at the shop had forgotten to put back on my radiator cap. Luckily for me it was still stuck in the front of my engine and even though my car did start bellowing steam it had ran just fine after I replaced the lost anti freeze. As I drove this little car at 75-90 depending on traffic I started to get impressed with its performance. I definitely do not have the pep that other cars do but I was able to keep the constant pace and the car didn’t mind and it ran beautifully using very little gas. The only thing that scared me was when I drove behind a semi, its draft was strong enough to sway my car side to side one reason I had a hard time passing them! I ran that little car hard and in return that car not only got me there but got me and my family back.
As night began to fall I just drove, knowing that I was close had pumped up my reserve energy. I definitely do see how driving at night on the interstates could cause one to get sucked in to the flow of the traffic and the lull of the reflectors in the headlights. One can drift in and out thinking of other things or falling asleep and I was determined to not do either. I was tired since I did not sleep well the night before but the burst of energy got me all the way to the outskirts of Denver. One other thing hit me as a I drew near. The fear of Denver. I was so afraid of missing my turn and ending up in downtown Denver. The fear kept my eyes glued to the road watching every sign I passed until I finally saw my exit.
As I rounded the off ramp towards the airport I watched over my shoulder at the huge city to my left, its was amazing! I have to say that I grew up a very sheltered driver just recently learning about turn a bouts and city driving. As I drove through to the airport I hit some of the most confusing road I have ever found. I drove past several toll exits second guessing each time if I had actually seen the number or name on that sign only to finally find the right one. I was greeted by an illuminated stallion with red glowing eyes which at night seemed strangely twisted and evil and I am not sure this the type of reaction they were going for but maybe. All of the sudden the road split and divided into several more lanes and I had to make sure I was in the right lane and watch for other drivers. The traffic merged and switched lanes with little thought to the others around them. I again found my exit and branched off to the airport and parking. I was surprised that I found a space close to the front and quickly grabbed my bags.
I made sure everything I needed was in my luggage with one last look and a thank you I left my car the boost of energy in getting there safely pushed me with all my awkward luggage to the front doors. I rushed through the doors flustered and sweating only to be met with closed counters. My plan to get to the airport and get on an earlier flight out because mine was not till 8 in the morning was foiled. It was 10:00 pm and I was sleeping in the airport. I staked out a spot in the airport that had a plug in to charge my phone and laptop. I was disappointed to find that the chairs had arm rest in each seat making it impossible to lay down so it was the floor for me. I loaded my bags on to a cart to push around easily and free my hands and went out for my first smoke since getting there. I sat out there on the cold cement and smoked that cigarette watching the people come and go trying to prepare myself for sleeping on the airport floor.
I made a makeshift pillow out of my laptop bag which I had turned into my purse as well and my large suitcase was on the cart next to my head. All of this was assuming I would fall asleep long and hard enough that someone might actually have the chance to steal my stuff little did I know I would not.
All night long I changed positions to get comfortable and when I found that position for a few minutes it was interrupted by the floor cleaner and loud speaker. I felt relatively safe due to the old people who had staked out the spot next to me and the family to the other side but it was cold and what sleep I did get was not good. I woke early unable to lay there anymore due to more people and employees filtering and shops opening up. I decided to weigh my bags to make sure I had not gone over and a good thing to since the large amount of corn that I was carrying had put me over by 14 pounds! With a bag from a gift shop I ran to the bathroom and shifted some of my stuff to the gift bag and dropped off some of my corn. As I repacked things I began to realize that I had a huge pile of corn sitting on a counter in the bathroom. As I sat there thinking of the shame it was to leave this perfectly good, freshly picked corn an old lady came out of the bathroom stall. I asked her if she was just getting on an airplane or off she indicated off and I offered up my extra corn which really did not even dent the pile I still had!
I got on the plane with no troubles at all. Once on I let myself get the excitement of finally going home. I was going home. So I wanted the ocean. I wanted to hear it roll along the beach moving each rock and piece of sand. I wanted to smell the salt in the air. I wanted Alaska to be somehow different because of how different I felt. Little did I know that it would be the same and so would I and that was ok.
As I started my journey it was a good feeling. Once I came to terms that I was really in no hurry I was able to enjoy the scenery that I was passing, long flat hills covered in short brush and weeds. I drove with a mix of anticipation and trepidation. The storm that was ahead of me in the early miles of my trip now was behind me, serving as a constant show of my emotions. I felt as the dark skies rolled on behind they were somehow chasing me leaving me with this constant need to keep driving. I forced myself to stop a few times to charge the phone and stretch my legs. At one stop I laid in my car behind the wheel and slept for just a bit, the car turned off to save on gas and the windows rolled up for safety. I only got about a half hour before the choking heat and the desire to get on the road again woke me up.
Back on the road I started to allow the thoughts of my car come back in to my head having been to afraid to think about it, fearing I might jinx it. The day before I left I did the responsible thing and took my car in to get it checked and oil changed since I have a bad oil leak. I took the car in very early and they had asked if I wanted my anti freeze flushed and I had declined. That entire day I was running around Lincoln trying to get the last minute things accomplished which also included me retrieving my camera. I put quite a bit of miles on my poor car that day driving in 90 degree weather. All day I drove and after awhile I could swear I smelled antifreeze but anyone who was in my car would say they couldn’t so I thought I was imagining it. Turns out the guy at the shop had forgotten to put back on my radiator cap. Luckily for me it was still stuck in the front of my engine and even though my car did start bellowing steam it had ran just fine after I replaced the lost anti freeze. As I drove this little car at 75-90 depending on traffic I started to get impressed with its performance. I definitely do not have the pep that other cars do but I was able to keep the constant pace and the car didn’t mind and it ran beautifully using very little gas. The only thing that scared me was when I drove behind a semi, its draft was strong enough to sway my car side to side one reason I had a hard time passing them! I ran that little car hard and in return that car not only got me there but got me and my family back.
As night began to fall I just drove, knowing that I was close had pumped up my reserve energy. I definitely do see how driving at night on the interstates could cause one to get sucked in to the flow of the traffic and the lull of the reflectors in the headlights. One can drift in and out thinking of other things or falling asleep and I was determined to not do either. I was tired since I did not sleep well the night before but the burst of energy got me all the way to the outskirts of Denver. One other thing hit me as a I drew near. The fear of Denver. I was so afraid of missing my turn and ending up in downtown Denver. The fear kept my eyes glued to the road watching every sign I passed until I finally saw my exit.
As I rounded the off ramp towards the airport I watched over my shoulder at the huge city to my left, its was amazing! I have to say that I grew up a very sheltered driver just recently learning about turn a bouts and city driving. As I drove through to the airport I hit some of the most confusing road I have ever found. I drove past several toll exits second guessing each time if I had actually seen the number or name on that sign only to finally find the right one. I was greeted by an illuminated stallion with red glowing eyes which at night seemed strangely twisted and evil and I am not sure this the type of reaction they were going for but maybe. All of the sudden the road split and divided into several more lanes and I had to make sure I was in the right lane and watch for other drivers. The traffic merged and switched lanes with little thought to the others around them. I again found my exit and branched off to the airport and parking. I was surprised that I found a space close to the front and quickly grabbed my bags.
I made sure everything I needed was in my luggage with one last look and a thank you I left my car the boost of energy in getting there safely pushed me with all my awkward luggage to the front doors. I rushed through the doors flustered and sweating only to be met with closed counters. My plan to get to the airport and get on an earlier flight out because mine was not till 8 in the morning was foiled. It was 10:00 pm and I was sleeping in the airport. I staked out a spot in the airport that had a plug in to charge my phone and laptop. I was disappointed to find that the chairs had arm rest in each seat making it impossible to lay down so it was the floor for me. I loaded my bags on to a cart to push around easily and free my hands and went out for my first smoke since getting there. I sat out there on the cold cement and smoked that cigarette watching the people come and go trying to prepare myself for sleeping on the airport floor.
I made a makeshift pillow out of my laptop bag which I had turned into my purse as well and my large suitcase was on the cart next to my head. All of this was assuming I would fall asleep long and hard enough that someone might actually have the chance to steal my stuff little did I know I would not.
All night long I changed positions to get comfortable and when I found that position for a few minutes it was interrupted by the floor cleaner and loud speaker. I felt relatively safe due to the old people who had staked out the spot next to me and the family to the other side but it was cold and what sleep I did get was not good. I woke early unable to lay there anymore due to more people and employees filtering and shops opening up. I decided to weigh my bags to make sure I had not gone over and a good thing to since the large amount of corn that I was carrying had put me over by 14 pounds! With a bag from a gift shop I ran to the bathroom and shifted some of my stuff to the gift bag and dropped off some of my corn. As I repacked things I began to realize that I had a huge pile of corn sitting on a counter in the bathroom. As I sat there thinking of the shame it was to leave this perfectly good, freshly picked corn an old lady came out of the bathroom stall. I asked her if she was just getting on an airplane or off she indicated off and I offered up my extra corn which really did not even dent the pile I still had!
I got on the plane with no troubles at all. Once on I let myself get the excitement of finally going home. I was going home. So I wanted the ocean. I wanted to hear it roll along the beach moving each rock and piece of sand. I wanted to smell the salt in the air. I wanted Alaska to be somehow different because of how different I felt. Little did I know that it would be the same and so would I and that was ok.
2 comments:
Is this Chapter 1? Well written and very descriptive of the events and mental process that you were going through. Perhaps, cut it a little short at the end, may have wanted to include your first visit to the beach and realization that there remains a constant in our lives, despite how many times our lives change.
I had a hard time writing the ending just felt it wasn't over yet. As far as the beach suggestion that is an awesome way to put it. We will have to see futures stories.
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