Amazing Journey

 It had started as a joke between my best friend Andrew and I. He had said I would never leave our quaint little town of Hisbiscus so I set out to prove him wrong. I had just turned eighteen and was itching to explore the reaches beyond the tiny one-lane road I had been born and raised in. A car for graduation from my loving parents as well as a sizable amount of money to start me on my journey into adulthood set me up to take the leap to prove Andrew wrong.

I tossed what few belongings I had gathered, thinking I wouldn’t be gone long, into the car as I speed-dialed Andrew’s number. When he picked up his phone I told him I was leaving town and if he wanted to see me before I did he best get his bacon to my place quick. He didn’t believe me so I hung up when he started saying I wasn’t going anywhere, climbed behind the steering wheel and cozied down into the comfortable leather seats of the cherry red mustang. I turned the key listening as the engine roared to life then started purring like a kitten suckling mothers’ teet.

I gave mother and father a wave and smile as I turned down the driveway toward the front gate. It slid open as I approached, its’ black steel bars reaching toward the sky. I drove through them to turn out onto the street stopping short as Andrew pulled up in front of me. He got out of his car leaving it sputtering and coughing as if it were going to die as he strode my direction. Andrew was approximately six feet tall so he took long strides as it were, but it seemed he took much longer ones today as he reached the side of my car within two strides.

“You were going to leave without saying good-bye.” Blurted Andrew as he crossed his arms in front of him and I looked up at him.

“I told you I was leaving and if you wanted to see me you needed to come to my place.” I couldn’t help but smile as I continued, “It worked. You came to see me off and I appreciate it, Andrew.”

“So are you going to give me a ride since you’re only going downtown or do I have to run along behind?”

I laughed then pointed at the car that blocked the road telling him I really couldn't give him a ride considering he was blocking my exit. I assured him I wasn’t simply going downtown, but he insisted on my taking him for a ride so I did. When I drove straight through town Andrew looked back stuttering something about where I was going and the town being back that way as he gave me a dumbfounded look. I ignored him as I turned the stereo on and headed for the freeway.

It was a two-hour drive to the freeway amongst some of the most beautiful countrysides on the planet. At least that is what I thought at that point in time, never having ventured far from Hisbiscus. Even though my parents had money they never seemed to go anyplace, especially when I was growing up. My father went on business trips, but they never seemed to include any of the rest of the family. I often wondered about this and made note of it so I would never do the same if I ever had a family.

We pulled onto the freeway by mid-morning and headed east. Andrew had stopped gasping about leaving Hisbiscus and had begun to enjoy the ride until we hit the freeway. He started all over again about going the wrong way. I pulled off to the side of the road offering to let him out making him stare back at me in utter horror. I waited a few minutes, even reached across him and opened the door for him until he closed the door and turned silently to look out the front windshield. I smiled slyly then moved back into traffic.

I had never realized exactly how far away from any real major civilization Hisbiscus was until I started my journey down the freeway. The closest stop was nearly five hours away at the speed of eighty miles an hour. The first exit I spotted I dipped off the freeway to avoid a patrolman that had slipped in behind me about two miles back. Traffic had kept him from catching me allowing me a quick escape into a mid-sized town where we stopped for a bite to eat. We drove through Abernate stopping to buy some personal items for Andrew as well as a couple of changes of clothing then we pulled back onto the freeway three hours after arriving in Abernate.

I had no real destination, I just wanted to drive so when night fell I didn’t pay much attention to any of the signs for motels or hotels. I kept driving through the night until around four in the morning when I realized I was tired so I stopped at a small hotel just off the freeway. I shook Andrew to wake him then we entered the room to get some sleep.

“I didn’t think you would do it,” said Andrew as we got in the car the next day.

“Surprise, we are no longer in Hisbiscus or anywhere close, although, I really hadn’t intended on bringing you.” I smiled at him as we pulled away from the motel and made our way back to the freeway as he shrugged his shoulders and grunted ‘sorry’ in return.

Saphron was the first major city we came to as we moved down the freeway. The freeway seemed to wind through it like a huge serpent ducking under bridges, circling around pillars that held up crosswalks and more bridges, then going over even more bridges. We got lost. The big circular turnabouts got me all confused making me spend hours on them trying to figure out which way led into the city. When I was forced into a lane I didn’t think I belonged in, as the traffic surged that direction unexpectantly, I found myself being carried into the city.

Cloverleaf’s, they were called cloverleaf’s and for a bloody good reason considering they looked like a four-leaf clover when observed from the air. We spent a few months in Saphron exploring and taking odd jobs to make a few bucks giving us the experience of life in the big city as well as providing us with more funds for traveling. Saphron gave me the opportunity to experience driving in unique and different ways. The cloverleaf was only one of the unique driving experiences, suspension bridges and long tunnels being two others that I thoroughly enjoyed. The tunnels were my favorite as they ran on for miles under the city putting one in total darkness except for the lights from the vehicles giving me even more experience with that aspect.

Before I knew it my birthday had come again and my parents were asking me to come home to celebrate it. We were three states away and thoroughly enjoying ourselves so I declined. I was grown up and didn’t want to spend my birthday with my family so Andrew and I decided to visit a local tavern in the town of Powosca. I got so drunk I nearly passed out because all the drinks were free, but Andrew made sure I got to the Motel safe and sound. It was two days before we left due to how sick I got. It was a fun time and I wanted to experience more so I talked to Andrew about continuing our travels for an extended period. He was hesitant, but we struck a bargain that he would continue if we could make our way to Italy. Thinking of the experience and how much fun it would be to travel to a foreign country, I agreed.

Our travels took us to nearly every theme park, zoo, museum and national park in the United States as we moved across the country. We snapped pictures of every place we stopped and some we didn’t as well as all the animals, museums, night shows, and other events we saw. Andrew even began writing a journal with dates, times, and places to keep track of our adventures to describe the pictures.

Andrew’s birthday arrived October 4, 2004, and we made plans to start preparing for our trip to Italy. It had been nearly ten years since we had started our ‘road trip’ so, after covering nearly every place in the United States, we were going abroad. Italy the place for lovers, that is what we had been taught in school, yet we weren’t going there with any lovers or to find one either; we were going there to continue our road trip.

I sold the Mustang, we got our passports, and boarded the plane to Italy. The first time flying and I nearly threw up on the flight attendant. She gave me something for nausea as I apologized repeatedly telling me it was fine. The rest of the trip was a series of in and out of sleep, a trip to the bathroom, another dose of anti-nausea medicine, and a helping hand back to my seat. Andrew thoroughly enjoyed the flight totally ignoring the misery I was in. The plane thudded to the ground in Venice nearly causing another round of vomiting before I could get off the beast. The attendant helped me to the steps bidding me safe travels as she deposited more of the medicine she had been giving me in my hand. A cab and off to the motel where I slipped into a warm bath nearly burying my head under the water. A good nights rest and we would be on the road again in the morning.

Andrew brought breakfast to the room so I could rest explaining there was a restaurant within the motel so he didn’t have to go far. I gingerly ate my food hoping I didn’t have to run to the bathroom halfway through it. Surprisingly it settled my stomach a bit so Andrew and I decided to take a stroll around the motel. The scenery was beautiful, more beautiful than any other I had seen up to now, and the people were friendly and courteous. I had a feeling I was going to like Italy.

We stopped to gaze out over a river a camera being shoved into my hand as a couple moved in front of me against the railing protecting the river. I snapped a couple of pictures then the couple smiled and moved on. Leaning against the rot iron railing I looked out over the river as a boat slid across the glass like surface of  with several people in it. I noticed several other longboats with drivers moving up and down the river carrying people and realized there were few roads here. What roads there were connected to and passed over the rivers flowing through the city. I began to like Italy even more while I came to understand why it was called the lovers roost. The gondola’s alone made it romantic, coupled with the flowing strings of flowers hanging from windows and bridges enhancing the entire theme.

We spent months in Venice exploring all the beautiful things it had to offer including the people. We visited one of the vineyards which was not very far away and stomped some grapes to experience their robust wine. Our feet were purple for days. It was a wonderful tenth year anniversary marking it as an important landmark in our journeys. Ten years had brought us to Italy, where would the next ten take us?