Memories of a Road Trip

Trip Checklist

• Take car to mechanic
• Snacks
• Clothes
• Extra copies of Troubled Spirits
• Kindle
• Books
• Papers for Work
• Toiletries
• Dog food
• Disposable urine bag

Today’s the day. My car is in tip-top shape and everything on my list is tucked away. I’m ready to begin my trek to the Carolinas!

Are you wondering about that last item? Well, there’s a story behind that…

I like to drive at night. Thanks to years of working the night shift, staying awake isn’t a problem. But boredom is. And when I get bored, I drink lots of water.

On my last trip to the Carolinas I left at 11 PM determined to make it across the George Washington Bridge before 5 AM. The roads were clear and I was on track to meet my goal, and then….I missed an exit.

By the time I got back on course, my timeline was in jeopardy.

Which is why I sailed past the next rest area, ignoring the gentle nudge from my bladder.

By the time I was inching my way across the George Washington Bridge, my bladder was ranting.

And when I reached the other side of the Hudson River, my bladder was in tantrum mode.

Desperate to appease my ballistic bladder, I searched for a restaurant, gas station–anything.  I found nothing.

And then I spotted it!  A tiny store on a little road running parallel to 95. I was saved! I steered onto the exit and onto a ONE WAY ROAD going the opposite direction from the little store.

“Don’t panic,” I told myself.  Waves of heat rolled through my body. Beads of sweat covered my forehead. My bladder forced me to keep going.

I tried to ignore the fact that I hadn’t seen one business–not one.  I saw a sign that said ‘Central Park Avenue’ (or something to that effect). I couldn’t tell  for sure, because I was so distracted by the demands of my bladder that I could barely focus. A little voice inside my head whispered, “You shouldn’t be here.”

Dilapidated buildings filled the streets before me and common sense over-rode my bladder.

I turned the car around.

My bladder screamed.

I pulled over. No one was in sight.

My eyes fell on the object responsible for my distressed bladder–the insulated water cup…

As I embark on this journey I endeavor to drink sparingly and listen closely to my bladder so that I will not be forced to use the last item on my list (even though it was gifted to me by the truest of friends).

photo credit: Garrick Ridlon