When it boils down to it, a trip isn’t about the destination, it is about the memories you created while there. A trip doesn’t have to be an epic journey either. For example, it can be as simple as going to the local pharmacy to buy a comb. That was a particular expedition I took not long ago. It was just my friend and me, and everything that could go wrong did. In retrospect, I must admit it was probably one of the best trips I have ever taken. Life decided to give us lemons that particular day, and boy did we make lemonade.
The odyssey was set to take place right after school, and to our dismay, in the pouring rain. (That brings me to my first point: what is bad weather and what is not is interpretive, adaptability is key for a good time.) My canvas shoes soaked through immediately, causing an unexpected wardrobe change into the ghastly pair of shoes I kept in my PE locker. (Another point, don’t care about what you look like while adventuring, no one else does.) Many minutes of puddle-sloshing later, we traversed, or rather, ran for our lives across the highway onto Main Street. (Take note, rain, highways, and highschoolers weighed down with backpacks are not conducive to safety when mixed.) Although we knew we were there for a comb, we had no choice but to stop for various delicious edibles. (Always bring extra money; you never know when you may need a hotdog or chai.) The comb did get purchased, and after being safely stowed in my backpack, I parted ways with my friend.
Alone and resembling a sheep left out in the rain, I headed for the transit station to catch a ride home. The station was empty, save me, and the sound of rain tapping on the aluminum roof created a metronome as a hummed benignly to myself. Looking to my left, I found an abandoned laptop case and despite my sense of right and wrong, I opened it up and looked inside, untamable curiosity driving me forward. A transit schedule was inside, and as it turned out, I had missed the last bus by over an hour. (Double-checking bus times the day before saves time in the long-run.) As luck would have it, my phone was dead, and I was unable to call my mom. (Teenagers should always have a working cell phone. Things go wrong when they don’t.) The laptops owner was nowhere to be found, and a chunk of my dwindling money was spent using the payphone, in an attempt to reach my mom. Unsuccessful, I left a message. (To parents: don’t screen your calls if you know your child is adventuring.) However, upon trying again several minutes later, she picked up her phone, and drove over to retrieve forlorn and soggy me. (Persistence pays off.)
The laptop couldn’t be left there, and when I was picked up it came home with me, where we eventually contacted the owner and mailed it to him. The comb, the cause of this epic peregrination, is still with me today. (Spend that extra buck for obviously better quality.) And although the destination was nothing special, in fact, to someone who wasn’t there it might seem like the journey wasn’t either, the memories will always be. (Luxurious yet frivolous commodities don’t make life better, but all the little things added up over time; a rainy day, a hotdog, a chai, or even a comb.)
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