In Canada, my phone passed away. The whole part with the car trouble until the end of the trip happened without me having a phone. I had to use either my tablet, or kept borrowing BG’s phone (thanks for that too BG!), or my sister’s phone.
In New York, after the tire was switched out, we carried on as planned. We saw all the Bethels and enjoyed our time in the countryside. New York is a GORGEOUS state and outside of the city is always so peaceful. Our last day we went to Patterson in the morning and drove back into the city. We were planning to visit the Brooklyn Cat Cafe before returning the vehicle, which, I honestly should have just returned it and met up with my friends later.
After the cat cafe, it was time to return the vehicle. BG and I were going together and would return to New York city on the bus (remember, the car was from New Jersey but right by New York). We would meet up with Ashley and my sister somewhere later on that night.
I think the car knew. The car knew it would be returned and it was not going to let us go without a fight. Aside from being stuck in the horrible Manhattan traffic trying to enter the bridge to New Jersey, this car had other plans. Another light turned on, not only that, but it was followed by the stench of smoke. This car was putting its plan into motion. Anxiety was creeping up on me again, but I was already on the driver’s seat so it was time to fight.
With Turo, when you return a car, you’re supposed to return it with a filled up gas tank. After the 10,000 years of being stuck in the NY traffic, we finally crossed over to New Jersey. I went to the first gas station I saw and filled up the tank. Once I got back into the car of doom, I notice yet, another light turn on followed by a noise… a noise I did not like one bit. BG and I start praying in our heads. The place was only a 15 minute drive from there, but I gotta say, those were the longest 15 minutes of my life. “It just needs to make it there… It just has to!”
Every turn and every freeway switch, I heard the ugly noise and smelled the smokey stench while I glanced at the colorful array of lights on the dashboard. BG was just as irritated, “If we get lung cancer because of this car, this guy better pay for our medical expenses!” There was no way this car was still going, but for some reason it still was but I was just going along with it without question. “We just have to make it.” The car was begging us to put it out of its misery while also trying to bring us down with it.
After the 15 minute drive of agony, we turned the corner into the street where this wretched car belonged. There just so happened to be a parking spot right in front of the owner’s house. I KID YOU NOT as soon as I drive into the spot, the car… gives… up.
BOOM! We felt the trap-mobile collapse, but we made it! “We’re here, and we made it! Let’s go.” BG and I leave the car and we put the keys in the mailbox, just as the owner instructed us to, and we left. GOODBYE MISERY-MOBILE! GOOD RIDDANCE! I felt an ultimate freedom and peace, despite having a long, cold, night-time walk to catch the bus that would take us back to New York. To be honest, that walk felt shorter than the drive. Next, we just needed to meet up with Chantal and Ashley then get some dinner and head to bed for the early flight home the next day.
Do I regret anything? Well, I wish I could have had this trip without the car trouble, but in the end, I wouldn’t be typing these very lines if I hadn’t. I believe that you just have to take everything thrown at you and deal with it because, well, there’s nothing else you can do. You can stop, and not try anything or not go anywhere because of fear and fill your head with “what ifs”, but the truth is that there is only so much you can control ahead of time. The possibilities of “what if’s” are endless, trust me, I know. The point is that adventure is not meant to be comfortable. I would totally repeat this trip again especially because I have already had the experience where it all goes wrong, survived it and yet, we still accomplished all that we wanted.
Yes, my life is full of mishaps and casualties, but you know what? They always end up making great stories!
Releasing Ropes 