When I told folks I was planning to drive from California to New Mexico, some of them asked "Are you sure you're safe driving by yourself?" in a tone that suggested "Are you mad?"
I had done this trip before, in the opposite direction, driving a '62 VW Van named Melvan from Las Cruces to California, but that had been decades ago.
After a few of these "Are you sure?'s" I lost a little confidence and started to worry about all the things that could happen. In the end the trip turned out to be mostly boring with a few scary parts.
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| Last look at my old home, with Tuesday morning trash ready for pickup. |
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| Heading West, there were a few ominous signs: "Poisonous snakes", "High Winds", "Pull off the Highway if You Can't See Because of Sandstorms", "Zero Visibility Possible". There were dust devils on the horizon at one point, and another place on the highway where three lanes of traffic narrowed down to one, but the semis never slowed down. I had planned to stop midway, but I had a hard time finding the overnight hotel - I'm blaming the fact one of the street signs had blown away, but I should also confess I am geographically challenged. The boredom was the worst part - the route was pretty straight, and I just found myself alternating between checking the speedometer, the tachometer, the temperature gauge, the gas gauge, and the traffic around me. I've heard of 'highway hypnosis', so I made sure to stop at least once every two hours and walk around. But, I made it. |
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