Dressed in attire far too classy for Wal-Mart, I once again found myself shopping for classroom supplies well after the sun had already gone down. As I was leaving the store, I saw a young couple on the side of the road with a sign that read, "Out of gas." They were real dirty, but visibly content; my first thought was that they were my kind of people. I parked my car again, and then made my way over to them.
They were on the returning end of a very long road trip, and I truly envied the life they were leading. Driving is one of my all-time favorite activities, easily making my top five, and I love traveling to new places. Every now and then I think about just getting in my car and driving off the feelings of antipathy that sometimes accompany this experience, but I never end up doing it since there just isn't any time. If I let myself think about it, it becomes very clear that this job definitely comes at a cost to one's mental and physical health.
They, on the other hand, were free of responsibility, completely removed from the stress that is slowly stealing time away from my life. But I really enjoyed talking to them; it was nice to talk to real people again. After talking to them for almost twenty minutes, I gave them some money and we parted ways. As thankful as they were though, I'm pretty sure the crossing of our paths was more beneficial to me than it was for them.
I needed something new, even if that something new was merely the vicarious thrills of another's adventures. Talking to them also reminded me that fall break is most definitely within reach. I'll get the chance to spend a good amount of time on the road, and I'll be staying in probably the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in. I'm looking forward to it, both the trip and the long overdue break.
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