Highway Karma

I haven’t been home for a major holiday in years.  I really dislike traveling around Thanksgiving and Christmas, and, if given enough time off I generally opt for traveling to a new place rather than going to a familiar one.

I had been planning to spend Thanksgiving in Gallup then was invited by a friend to spend it with him in Solana Beach, CA.  True, Solana Beach is nearly equidistant to Gallup as the Bay Area is BUT this particular friend happens to live a block away from the beach.  My heart was set on it.

Wednesday after work I climbed into my Hyundai with my Bossypants book on tape and an assortment of caffinated beverages.   I was so engrossed in Tina Fey’s stories when I noticed that gas was on empty and I had to pee like a racehorse.  I’m usually really good about stopping regularly for gas (so I tell myself), but I’ve also noticed that anytime I am running on empty, it is always somewhere miles and miles away from a gas station.  Yes, I was officially in the Middle of Nowhere, Arizona.

Exit exit exit exit...

In Montezuma, AZ, I finally found a gas station.  Off the exit, all I could see was a gas station and a Mexican food restaurant- nothing else for as far as the eye could see.

I ran in and used the restroom at the Mexican restaurant without purchasing anything (an action I generally try to exclusively reserve for Starbucks, aka the public restroom of New York).  I left and drove over to the gas station, as I was about to fill up my tank, I saw with horror that my rear driver side tire was COMPLETELY flat.  

O jeez... how long has that been there?

Was I really going 80 completely oblivious of a flat?

Can I just put air in my tire and go?

O my god I’m going to be stuck in Montezuma for the rest of my life... am I going to die here?

I went back into the Mexican restaurant trying to keep my cool but dying inside.  I explained the situation.   No problem, we’ll help you get your spare on.  They even refused any compensation for the help.  

Have I been completely lucky or unlucky tonight? 

I made it to Phoenix.  It was past 8; nothing would be open now... and the next day was Thanksgiving.  I pulled into a mall trying to find internet and ended up talking to some people in the parking lot.  

O yeah, Walmart is open on Thanksgiving and they’re right across the parking lot.

I spent the night in Phoenix, got my tire fixed and made it to Solana Beach without any trouble.  The fiasco was relatively uneventful, but if I hadn’t had help I would never have figured out how to get my spare on etc.

Flash forward to the drive back to Gallup 3 days later.  I was about two hours away from getting back to Gallup and pulled off to get gas.  I went to park my car to use the restroom (seeing a pattern? I unfortunately was born with a tiny bladder.  It's on account of my uterus) and saw a man standing on the curb with all his belongings around him.  O god.  I don’t want to deal with this.  I parked as far away as possible.  I tried to look down and hurry past him but there it was...

Going East? 

He asked.  I mumbled something about being a poor helpless female traveling alone NO HITCH-HIKERS He nodded.

In the restroom I saw a mother and little girl talking.

Are we ever going to get home mama?

Don’t worry sweetheart, we’ll get home.  Daddy will find someone nice enough to give us a ride.

O god.  I couldn’t leave them.  I would be the world’s worst person, especially since it was Thanksgiving which is supposed to be about helping people out in need and eating until you vomit.

They piled into my car and we were off.  

I couldn’t have picked a better ending to the trip.  It had an eerie karma feeling to it and left me with a sense of order in the universe (or at least order on the roads of the Southwest).  I have passed the right of passage and am, officially, New Mexican.












Images were taken by me at El Morro National Monument in New Mexico.