Mission Deliver Ian Home

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Blog Series 5 of 5

Continuing from my trip to Texas, this week I wanted to finish telling you my story! This is the part where I flew home, rented a car, and drove back to Texas to get Ian, and then drove back home… You’re all caught up now!

So where was I? Ah, yes… the car rental. I rented with Enterprise. This was the first time I rented a car and the first time driving 36 hours from Florida to Texas and back. Yes, I had successfully avoided the bus trip back home, but I still faced the obstacle: Mission deliver Ian home.

I thought I was going to get a Mitsubishi Mirage, but Enterprise communication isn’t really good, so when my first obstacle came about, which was to reschedule, no one told them. Instead, I got… A 2021 Hyundai Accent! Lol, this is only funny because I currently own a 2005 Hyundai Accent. Let me tell you, in comparison, this was a very simple spaceship in my eyes. Why look for yourself:

Getting ready

How to prepare for a solo road trip, you ask? Well, I can’t say I don’t have ANY experience. In 2006, my family and I fled to Florida from Massachusetts for some reason. My parents wanted a change of pace, so we set off to start a new life. We drove a 1998-2001 Ford Explorer (I called my dad, and that was the year’s estimate lol). 

Anyways, to save money, I prepped sandwiches and a whole bunch of snacks with drinks! Packed my bags, and I missed Ian so much that I couldn’t wait to see him again. We both don’t do so well when we are apart. We’re a whole team!

Hitting the road

I was apprehensive about this whole thing, but I did what I normally do when I step out of my comfort zone. I said fuck it, let’s do this! 

First 18 hrs

The first 6 hours were a breeze, drove straight out of Florida, the day was so nice, and there was barely any traffic. I left on Tuesday at 11 am. Straight into Alabama. That drive through the state was so fast, felt like it was 30 minutes. I only stopped to get gas, I only used the bathroom when I went to get gas, and I had a snack with me and ate when I made my stops. I also made sure to stay hydrated. I then drove through Mississippi, Louisiana, and finally Texas.

Now, my budget was already really tight, but my faith in God to help me see things through was much larger. It was when the sun fell that it became hard. I immediately grew tired as the light went out on the day. I looked for a cheap hotel but had no luck. So, on the road, I stayed for 18 hours straight. 

Nearly made it!

With 4 hours left to drive. I had made it to Houston alive and well. The sandwiches went bad, though. I don’t know how because they were in the cooler the whole time. Thankfully, I had bought a variety of snacks. Also, I do intermediate fasting most of the time, so I just needed to make sure I’m hydrated.

The last 3 hours were the hardest. It was 1 a.m., and I was exhausted. I ended up taking a 1-hour nap. I couldn’t just take a nap anywhere. SAFETY! Guess what I did? I found a hotel, parked my car, and slept in it lol. I felt this would be safer than a gas station full of people constantly walking by. The parking lot of the hotel was okay, nothing crazy. The car was not so comfortable to sleep in, and I didn’t have a blanket   

Break time

I finally made it to Lily’s house at 7:15 am! I walked right in and the first thing I did was find Ian to let him know I was back. He thought I abandoned him even though I told him I would be back. Lol. 

Lily was sleeping, but she knew I was almost there and left the door open for me. I waited for her to wake up again. Then we hung out for a bit and planned something for my last day in Texas!

The snow was all gone, and everything went back to normal in Texas. Supplies were restocked and everything! WE DECIDED TO DO THE BONFIRE!

Bonfire

The bonfire consisted of good food, good company, and the epic fire that was controlled by Lily BF! I finally crashed after I prepared to leave for the next day. Ian and I were homesick.

Hitting the road

It was 7 am sharp on Wednesday morning. I planned this time and already had my reservation for my hotel in Pensacola, Florida. All I had to do was drive 11-12 hours. I was so ready, and this time I had Ian, so I wasn’t alone. We set off on our final destination: Home 

Hotel Nightmare

The drive was smooth. There was more traffic than the day before, but it was okay. I made it to Super Motel 6 around 6 pm. Super sketch place, but you get what you pay for! Take a look at the monstrosity. Someone even tried to come into my room. They didn’t get in. I figured out the lock as soon as I got there. It was so hard to find my room, too.

There were roaches, the towels were stained, but at least I didn’t have to drive through the night. I counted my blessings, and I prepared for bed. I had another early morning the next day. The bed was horrible, too. It was just a terrible hotel.

Speeding Ticket

Woke up and got ready to go. Not even an hour into the drive, and I got pulled over for speeding… There were barely any cars on the road. It was 7 AM I was almost passing Austin, TX. It was a state trooper, and I was going well above the speed limit.

There was no way out of this ticket. It was the end of the month, and I looked like a mess lol. This was my first speeding ticket. The officer was nice enough after I told him a little of my story and let him know what to do, so I didn’t get points on my license.

I had to take a 4-hour driving course and save money on the speeding ticket by doing so. Thankfully, God always provides me with an escape plan in these types of situations.

Taking this course also looks good on my car insurance. It was good that I got stopped because I learned my tires could catch fire from speeding. While I didn’t know the percentage of how likely this could happen, the thought of it kept me driving only 5-10 miles above the speed limit WITH the flow of traffic. There are always loopholes in the system. 😉

Made it back!

Finally made it back home around 2 pm. My next task was to get the car cleaned and return it to Enterprise. I went to get a car wash, vacuum, and fill up the gas.

Return Rental | Walk home

I returned the car, and because of COVID, I had to walk home. Yes, after all, I walked home. Again, it wasn’t that bad. It was a 2-mile walk. I got my steps in, and exercise is good for you! Despite my blisters, I made it home, and I was so over and done with the day.

I think Ian is done traveling for a bit, but this was fun. I wouldn’t change anything.

Count Your Blessings

• Rode a bus for the first time and got the privilege to travel with my dog.
• Ian made a friend
• I got to see Lily!
• I got to fly in a plane again (WINDOW SEAT)
• I got to rent a car and go on a road trip
• I made it home safe and sound
• I am alive to tell this story

Thank you so much for tuning in this month to witness the 1st spoken word collection: Spiritual Rehab. 1st Short Story: Dios, Patria Y Libertad and THIS BLOG! Stay tuned for APRIL 2021! There’s lots more to come, so don’t stray too far from this corner of the internet.

Stay Blessed & Stay Tuned ❤