Re:Enough is enough

Yang Xiao Long (Fireballin17)

to me | 5:08 PM (19 minutes ago)

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Well, day one on the road. Or maybe day two? I left pretty late last night, drove until early morning, then stopped to nap before getting back on the road. Probably wasn't the smartest idea to leave at night, but I'm a recovering impulsive after all. Besides, Raven doesn't get up until late, and it just didn't feel right to leave without saying goodbye (which, now that I think about it, is super ironic). She seemed pretty nonchalant about it. No tears or anything, not even any concern I was going to relapse. Part of me thinks she might have been a little sad or disappointed at least that I was leaving so abruptly, but that might have just been me seeing what I want to see. Lord knows I'm good enough at that.

So, overall, a very professional goodbye. It's strange, not knowing if you're ever going to see someone again. I have her number now, obviously, but something tells me I'm not going to be making any cross country trips to say hello. If anything, it'll just be calls around the holidays and stuff like that. It's just all very...confusing at the moment. Confusing and conflicting. Not the best way to be when you're trying to keep off the bottle I suppose.

The drive itself hasn't been so bad so far though. I made it all the way to Minneapolis before I stopped last night. I decided to come home via the Northern route, up I-90 instead of I-80, the way I came. It's about the same travel time, but it gives me an excuse to see some different scenery on the drive. So I left Minneapolis around one after forcing some food down, and around dusk something pretty cool happened.

I picked up a hitchhiker!

I know, I know, more impulsive decisions, but honestly you should have seen this girl. She wasn't standing on the side of the highway, she was roller blading down the highway! She was dressed in so much rainbow shit that she looked like a one-woman pride parade and she's got this tattoo on her arm that - actually, you know what, I'll just drop a picture on the email so you can see for yourself. So yeah, I stopped, because seriously, who wouldn't stop when you pass someone like that, and asked where she was going. Apparently she's hitchhiking all the way up to Winnipeg in Canada. She showed me on a map, and apparently it's only about five hours out of the way over all, so I'm extending my trip ever so slightly to take her there.

I'm going to be honest, It's been pretty nice having a total stranger around. You know me, I make friends quick, and having someone around to talk and vent to makes it easier not to drink. Plus, she's lived a pretty interesting life herself. Get this - she actually worked for another branch of Atlas for a while before quitting to do freelance art stuff (painting, not exactly the same as you, but still). She really loves it, though it doesn't make enough to afford plane tickets to visit home with, hence the hitchhiking when she's feeling homesick.

Oh, I almost forgot, she goes by Neon. Because I guess the rainbows were too subtle, haha.

So yeah, while things started off a little gloomy, I'm feeling more optimistic than ever now. I've got a pseudo-guardian to keep me sane and share some driving responsibilities, and I'm going to see the great snowy north before heading back your way! This actually feels like the trip I wanted to take for the first time since I left.

Neon's driving now. She let me borrow her phone so that I could send this. She says hi and that she promises not to be, quote "some crazy stalker serial killer or anything like that."

I wouldn't worry too much. I'm pretty sure I could take her in a fight ;)

I love you 3

PS - Sorry about the selfie overload! We stopped by this gorgeous view and we had to stop and take some pictures. Hope you like them!

Tell the world that I'm coming home.

Sent from my iPhone