I pull out of the drive-through with my extra-large coffee and savour the aroma and flavour. For once, I’m not exactly in a rush, and I wonder why I didn’t actually stop the car, and enjoy the coffee in the coffee-shop. I guess when you’re on autopilot and normally in a rush, you don’t stop to think. Nevertheless, it’s too late – I’m already back in gear, and driving up the ramp to the highway. It’ll be another 4 hours before I get to my destination and to be honest, I’m already a little bored.
I flip a few stations looking for a half decent song and I hear one that reminds me of someone – it takes me back and reminds me of how free he made me feel. He used to hold my hand and help me explore my own reality to see just how far to the edge I could go. He showed me that I did not need to fear the unknown, and that with his guidance, I could experience a whole new world in the comfort of his arms.
I remember on a Tuesday morning, I answered the phone after showering and was surprised to hear him suggest a trip. I was getting ready for work and was in fact running a little late. I asked him if this could wait – we could talk about it later when I wasn’t so rushed. I was so focused on the time, and the day-to-day crud called work. He made me stop and listen: “You have a choice – you can choose to live your life the way you want to, or you can choose to live your life according to someone else’s rules. If you think that your time is better spent going to work today, then please continue and I’ll get out of your way.”
Who was I kidding? I go to work all the time. I know what’s at work – not much. There’s no future there. If I chose to go to work, I would wonder for the rest of my life, what this trip could have been.
I said “Okay, when are we leaving, where are we going and for how long?”
I left a voicemail for my boss at work and claimed something about a last minute family problem and kept it really vague – I made sure I included something about ‘female matters’ to ensure the boss wouldn’t ask any detailed questions because he was so easily embarassed.
I packed a bag with essentials, and a range of clothes. I really didn’t know what I needed and all he told me was that he expected we’d be gone a few days (what is that, three?) and that we’d travel by car (the weather can’t change that much?). It didn’t matter. I’ve experienced enough with him to know that he didn’t have a detailed plan – we were going to let the roads simply take us.
- Daisy
