The drive was pretty uneventful. I called Veronica only about 2 hours in thinking that I was already lost! I wasn't... at the first checkpoint I was SO nervous. My little car, Marilyn, was PACKED. I totally thought they would stop me and search my car. Not that it would matter, but the thought was enough to make my stomach churn. Harley tried to make friends with the drug-sniffing German Sheppard, of course. The agent asked my country of citizenship, I replied "United States". Then he said "and the dog"? I am such a tard... I just sat there and stared at him like WTF?! Really?! He laughed and I nervously giggled. A border patrol agent with a sense of humor, who knew?
Our first stop was Yuma... good ol' Arizona. I already had it in my head that I wasn't going to let my tank get below half. Harley took his first out-of-state potty break...T.M.I. - Whatevs! Arizona was long and boring. In between Phoenix and Flagstaff I saw a sign that read "Accident. Freeway closed in 11 miles"... FML. OF COURSE this would happen. So, being me, alone, I freaked a little... I called Veronica and my mom... 28 going on 10 :) Traffic was stopped and people were turning off their cars and posting up on the side of the road. I was going nowhere. Mom tells me to pull off the freeway and eat some lunch, no point in waiting. True, but I'm impatient so I thought "what would I do if I were home?????" So, I pulled off the road and drove to the next on ramp. Worked like a charm. Traffic was moving and I was soon again on my way. Once we hit Flagstaff, I started to enjoy the scenery and noticed the weather dropped about ten degrees.
I crossed into New Mexico around sunset... can I just say that the scenery reminded me of The Hills Have Eyes and all those crazy movies. I know they were all filmed here, but seeing empty shacks, abandoned pancake houses, and fading billboards made it more realistic. I knew my love of horror movies would one day backfire on me.
When I crossed the state line I almost swerved off the road trying to take a picture of the "Welcome to New Mexico" sign (note to self: this is NOT a good idea). So, while planning my trip, I totally didn't take into account the time changes. It got dark. Fast. I was still two hours from Veronica's house. I started to get tired and nervous. I can drive the streets in San Diego with my eyes closed, here, notsomuch. My tired eyes started to blur, so I turned up the volume on my radio...Unwritten Law (the black album) playing, rolled down my window, and drove like hell. Harley, at this point was SO tired, he was resting his head on my shoulder...dead weight. At one point we drove under a bridge that was all lit up in pretty colored lights! At least there was a lot to look at driving into the city.
I arrived around 9:30p...I think - Veronica? - this was the first time I had come to visit my BFF since she moved here forever and a day ago. I was more than excited! She came out to greet me as soon as we pulled up. Marilyn was being super loud. Marilyn, again, is my super stubborn bitch of a car.
Elvis, the cat; Layla, the Lab; and Andrew, the hubby were all there with welcoming arms/paws. The minute I walked in, Andrew offered me alcohol; Veronica offered food. Yes AND Yes, please! We stayed up, chatted a bit, then went to bed. I was tired. My first ever trip across more than one state, all by myself. I made it. Safe and sound. Tomorrow, I have one full day in New Mexico with my best friend forever.
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