Twenty Miles and Stopped

Twenty miles from Ojai, California and the car has stopped. Not stopped like it needs a few moments to cool some jets, someone to bang on various pieces of metal under the hood, or a jump to get going again, stopped like it intends to stay that way. Phil and I, parked on the off ramp, switch the hazard lights on and punch in numbers on cell phones trying to call AAA to remove us from this precarious situation.

We have been on the road for two weeks. Two weeks of zig-zagging across what feels like half of the United States, in search of adventure, climbing, work, and, well, all of the above. It has been a colossal trip, starting in Santa Fe, NM and cruising east to Arkansas, where we saw Phil's family and took advantage of Horseshoe Canyon's seemingly endless climbs, then cutting back across the states to California. We stopped in Albuquerque to see my family and rest from 13 hours of driving, made it to Flagstaff, AZ, to thrift it up at their incredible Goodwill, drink 25 cent alcoholic beverages at the Green Room, and see some familiar faces. Leaving Flagstaff, we made an unplanned detour down to San Diego, where we reunited with one of my old college roommates, ate sushi like only a coastal city can provide, went bead shopping down at the Black Bead in Ocean Beach, and took on L.A. traffic to make it, now just 20 miles from our friend's house in Ojai, our intended destination.

Luckily, Phil upgraded to premium AAA service before our departure, because we are quickly becoming their most frequent customer. Phil, ah umm, locked the keys in the car before we left San Diego. Sorry, Phil, I had to share. We joked as we stopped in to see one of Phil's friends in Oceanside that we had to check that we had the keys every time we exited the car. "'Cause you can't call AAA twice in one day!" Turns out, you can.

AAA showed up in less than thirty minutes later to the place where we felt doomed to make our new home, the exit ramp off of the 101. Climbing into the cab of the truck while the driver loaded the beaten down car onto the back, the two of us were shaking our heads. "It has been some adventure," we thought. With only the money in our pockets and a car with a lot of "character", we packed up the last of our belongings in Santa Fe and hit the road. Without too much direction, just grandiose schemes, we set out to see what would happen. Through it all, we have been absolutely taken care of. Seeing Phil's family was trip. My first time in Arkansas was spent eating homemade egg rolls, driving through lush, green pastures, and navigating Hmong, Portuguese, and southern accents as I got to know his eclectic family. It was wonderful. Camping in Horseshoe Canyon was laid back and the staff was so friendly that it inflated our already lifted spirits as we returned to the Southwest and made our way across the desert to the coast. Everywhere we stayed, with family and then with friends in Flagstaff and San Diego, we were reminded of what good people we have around us.

Loud exhaust sounds and flashing lights announced our arrival as we climbed out of a pick-up truck in Ojai, California. It wasn't what we had planned, but that's the thing, we don't have a plan. We left Santa Fe seeking adventure and we have received no less than that. Though the car has stopped and now rests in the hands of a local mechanic, we remain hopeful that we will be taken care of, at least for a few more miles.