sweet travels

Guess I asked for it. I wanted this adventure. I am sitting in B&N using the internet, trying to look for a job, and the smell of coffee is making me happy. I miss working in a coffee shop, and it's only been two weeks. It's been a bittersweet couple of weeks, saying goodbye to all of my coworkers who are really my friends, and my family who are really my inspiration. It's been an interesting trip, with only one mental breakdown, but way too many car breakdowns.

The trip started relatively uneventful packing the car with everything I own. We couldn't fit everything in, but we got a lot, and the car was jam packed. With one last stop at Caribou we were on the road. We stopped in once in Iowa for a potty break, and once for gas. Drove through Missouri without any issues, which was surprising because it was super foggy, and then stopped somewhere is Kansas for dinner. We got back on the road, drove another hour and decided to stop in Emporia, KS for the night. Then the problems started.

When we were ready to hit the road the next morning, we started the car and discovered the low coolant light was on. So we went to some oil change place and had them check it out, fill it up, and make sure we wouldn't blow up or anything. So we keep driving and make it to Oklahoma without anymore problems. Stop for lunch and get back in the car only to discover the check engine light was on. So we call a few people, and they tell us that it could be two things, a tripped wire that's nothing, or something bad, just keep an eye on it, and keep driving.

On the road we go, praying, hoping, and begging that my car does not breakdown on the side of the road in the middle of OK. We make it through Oklahoma City, all the while looking for a car dealership to see if they can look at my car to make sure we won't die in a fiery explosion. By sheer luck we find one on the outskirts of town, pull in and ask them for a little help. As we're talking to the service manager I look out my window to see a river of coolant running down the shop floor.

As we waited for the guy to come tell us that my car was completely broken, we discussed our options. Hope nothing was wrong, buy a new car, get a rental, or stay in Norman, OK for two days. Turns out my car would cost another $1000 (thanks parents) and two days to fix, rental cars couldn't leave the state, and enterprise was closed. Thus ensued my mental breakdown, crying because I was sick of driving, sick of things taking so damn long, sick of my car being so broken, and the start of my life seemed so far out of reach. The service manager seeing this somehow made it ok for a rental car to leave the state, and we loaded an HHR (really dumb looking by the way), and headed for Austin.

Finally here I feel like my life can start. I am getting organized, furnishing my makeshift bedroom, and looking for a job (and blogging of course). It's been an eventful four days, full of excitement, fear, adventure, laughter, and tears. And I couldn't be happier. We're still trying to figure out when to get my car down here, but it will all fall into place, I'm sure. This is what I wanted. Guess I asked for it.