I’ve done some down things in my day, but one of the downest is driving across the country —alone. I’ve already shared I’ve ditched Chicago. See last post. Funny, because when I concluded I was going to officially leave, it was on/ around national divorce day, the first Monday of the new year. What’s even more ironic is it was also around the time of my anniversary with Chicago. Yup, it was full circle type of deal. I had been going back & forth with myself whether I should stay or not, but I couldn’t see myself committing for another year. I felt good where I was at with the city, & all that I’ve accomplished with it. I also didn’t want to be there mid 2020 hating it. I wanted to leave on a good note. Was I over it? Yes.

I was very much concerned whether all my belongings were going to fit in the rental for my road trip. I don’t have that much stuff, so I believe. I packed little by little so I wouldn’t be rushing at the last minute. Plus, I was social distancing before it became a thing; I was slowly saying goodbye to Chicago. I did chop some fat off before I left — I mean toward my belongings, not my bod! LMFAO. Sadly. But ever since I left California & had to get rid of 90% of my shit, at the time, & knowing I wasn’t going to settle, settle anywhere permanently anytime soon, I’ve maintained the mentality to live minimal. It’s good to have your personal, personal belongings with you, especially to also make yourself feel at home when you’re away.

As soon as I got in the rental, I looked in the back. I was relieved when I saw everything was going to fit. I was mentally over exaggerating. Go figure. I was prepared to ship some shit. I got back to the loft that was no longer going to be mine, loaded the van, & bid adieu to my Chicago apartment, which I did love for the record, & off I went. California bound.

Out of all the states I drove through, Illinois was the only state that had tolls. Go figure. I’m so glad I’m done with that place & it’s stupid hiked taxes! Some of the tolls even make you get off the freeway, or “expressway” as they call it, because it ain’t free! & it’s easy to pass it & you know they hope you forget to pay later so they can steroid-up the “violation” when they happily mail you a bill. Stupid Illinois. I did have a good run there though.

I wasn’t going to push myself, like I usually do for most things, to get through the trip as soon as I could. I told myself, if I’m tired, I’m going to nap. If I want to stop & see something, I will. If I want to eat, I will. But I wasn’t looking to extend my rental.

I got to Iowa & took a small break. Ain’t nothing in Iowa. The best part was napping —in the car! & the fast food I hadn’t eaten in a month. No, I wasn’t saving fast food for a month! I hadn’t eaten fast food the whole month of January!

I passed through Nebraska. I’ve always been curious about Nebraska. Ain’t much going on there either. Well, everyone knows that. When I passed through Omaha, I was like, OK, this could be happening!?! But it was late & I know everything was closed, conservative style. Driving through Nebraska was the scariest. It was dark & snowy & I was surrounded by nothing but truckers. It was late in the night. The DMV booklet is right, don’t use your high beams in the low fog or snow or low fog-snow weather. If you can’t see, get the fuck off the road. During the day in certain parts for long periods of time, I didn’t have cellular service, go figure, so I was like, great! It is flatlands galore. All the radio stations play country music & the rental didn’t read my iPod for some reason. Yes, I own an iPod & I use it frequently. & no, I’m not entirely against country music, but one does like to bump that gangster rap & oldies aside from Britney & & T.Swizzle & rock! I saw a windmill & I was like, this is a must! LMFAO! I stopped & took a shot of it. As in photograph & not whiskey!

I finally got out of Nebraska after shouting “Beetlejuice” 3 times. Yes, that’s ALL it took! Then, I entered Colorado. The entrance of Colorado was like the exit of Nebraska: near eternal. Given I had been driving for a while. I had a catnap in Nebraska.

I originally planned to stay in Denver & really check it out, versus the places I had already been, but then I started thinking, I have a car with all my stuff in it & how safe is Denver?!? I literally sat there & debated to stay or not. I concluded, after so much going back & forth with myself, & the few in my head, no. I REALLY wanted to, but that was one risk I didn’t want to take. It’s bad enough I did have Survival insurance! Is that even around still?!? LMFAO! Parking in a structure, or secured area, or not, I didn’t want to risk the rental getting broken into. I couldn’t take the “important” stuff with me, everything was! Plus, I did the calculations. I would’ve lost like 16 hours, minimum. Again, I wasn’t looking to extend my rental also. I took my time through Denver though. I stopped to rest, & when I did, I became I restless. All of a sudden. The drivers were aggressive in Denver! The mountain roads were steep & there was snow. I know I probably pissed of some truck drivers. I drove with caution. I wasn’t going to crash! Plus, having not driven for years, my driving record is CLEAN! I was not looking to get a ticket or crash in the middle of nowhere.

I felt like such a trucker, on the road; stopping at all the gas stations & bombing the toilets & I DON’T mean that in a terroristic way! I mean in a digestive way! LMFAO. I was surprised to see stops / gas stations have showers! Times have changed. One thing, along the way, I also kept an eye on the gas prices & doing some statistics of my own on them. I was mentally preparing of what the damage would be come my arrival & the need to drive in the great state of California. Everyone knows you need to drive in California & the gas prices are intentionally higher. Add that to the list of conspiracy theories. My feet hurt a tad because I had been wearing the same shoes & my body wasn’t giving off the smell of ass yet.

That night, I made out to Utah. I was most cautious about wildlife running out toward me the road in Utah. People sped there, too! Utah was beautiful. I felt sooooooo close to the stars. The night sky was clear & vivid. The geography was beautiful. I wouldn’t mind camping there. I, then, broke for a few hours.

I finished up Utah & got to Vegas via Arizona. Driving through Arizona was scenic, too. Aside from actually being there, I really felt like I was in the desert. The roads were windy & narrow & there was construction going on. Even better! The sunrise peaking over the mountains was beautiful. Once I got to Vegas, I was definitely like, I know where I’m at & I’m getting home today! There was an accident in Vegas, & I was like, it begins… the traffic, the population.

By this time, I was a little irritated because I had a little tooooo much time to think & there were certain negative thoughts that were going through my head. Curse that rental not reading my iPod! I had to shake them off. I got gasoline in Vegas & that’s when the I noticed the prices had crept up. I also needed to stretch.

I chose this route because it helped me wrap up my “I-want-to-do-the-whole-Midwest-while-I’m-in-Chicago” mission; I was able to see more. The one exception, & I could see myself still going there, is South Dakota. Although, there are debates whether the Dakotas are apart of the Midwest, because some argue they’re not & not wholly as a state, I still consider [half of] South Dakota, & I guess [half of] North Dakota, too, part of the Midwest. I want to see Mount Rushmore. I was somewhat on a time schedule. I had other things planned.

I’ve been to Vegas God only knows how many times. (I had to basically ban myself from there). I didn’t want the navigation on my mobile, that we all rely on [now], to take me the “long” way to Los Angeles/ the Valley, so I took the route I know, the back way to/ fro Vegas. When I hopped onto the 14, I was like, OK, time to start driving like an Angeleno: aggressive & like you’re trying to get home to shit! Or, bomb the toilet, rather. More than I already had been. Plus, people speed in the damn desert! Westerns overrule FIBs at any given moment. I got to my destination & thanked Jesus, Fiona Goode, & Dionysus! My feet smelled. I needed to stretch. I unloaded the van immediately.

The first thing I did when I arrived to Los Angeles, after the grand entrance was made, shower or no shower, that I had been saying I would do for the LONGEST, was go to Runyon Canyon. I had been longing to go on a hike in a canyon! I had been longing to go to the beach, too, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. I would know, I’ve been there.

I returned the rental at LAX. I know, way out there! But it was cheaper, by a lot, to drop it off there, & I’m pretty cheap, or extremely frugal, rather, & then hopped on the Flyaway, & headed back to home, to the Valley —& showered! I made it, from lake to shining sea.