Adventures in Van Dwelling: Truck Stop Misery
It's just past midnight as we pull in to yet another rest stop in Middle-America. A foggy haze lingers in the air as the parking stalls bask in the street lights' tangerine glow. Moths thump and swirl around the glowing bulbs and fireflies drift silently and gracefully up from the grass and through the trees, casting their magic upon all those who dare gaze.The gravel crackles under our tires as the van rolls slowly into it's spot and the engine shuts off. It's quiet, but only for a moment as our ears adjust and the hum-drum-rumbles of the surrounding 18 wheelers fill the night air. At first I find myself miffed by their inconsideration of my peaceful roadside moment, but within minutes my level of understanding raises along with the internal temperature of our van.
My skin begins to stick to itself and everything becomes wet. In an instant, I realize... this is going to be a long night. We de-clothe to the best of our abilities and prepare ourselves both physically and mentally for our attempts at sleep. "We can do this. We will sleep." I tell myself as I peel my legs from the vinyl of my bench and strive to find the elusive perfect sleep position.
An hour or two pass, I really can't be sure as the lines between consciousness and sleep begin to blur. I finally start to drift when... "UUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHGGGGGHHHH!!!!" Seriously!? Meisha groans out load in sheer unconscious, hot, sweaty, sticky pain. 93% Humidity. Not. Fun. She groans so loudly that it wakes her as well. We both have a good chuckle at the sheer misery of the situation and continue our attempts toward any semblance of rest.
Another hour. "Screw this." I say to myself. "I'm taking pictures." I felt that by capturing visual representation of our misery, maybe I could somehow begin to cope. I pulled out the tripod, set the timer, and snapped a self portrait that seemed to accurately describe my feelings at the time. I was pleased.
I return to the van invigorated and exhausted all at the same time, hoping Mr. Sandman was not completely allergic to humidity. The wind picks up and I find momentary relief as the gusts breach our cracked windows and blow across my exposed skin. The wind must have felt my appreciation and picks up a little more. Ahhhh... now this it what I needed! Within minutes, the wind is blowing so hard that the van begins to rock from side to side. Something starts to feel a little off and I check the weather on my phone:
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ALERT... TORN DOWN POWER LINES... UPROOTED TREES... POSSIBLE TORNADOS... ALARMS SOUNDED... FIND SHELTER.
This is really going to be a long night AND a long morning. Blegh. Heavy rains begin to flood down the windows of our van as the lighting and thunder fill the sky with an electric symphony. Lightning flashes from end to end across the horizon in 1/2 second intervals and the clouds are moving almost too fast for our Utahn brains to comprehend. Meisha ooohs and aaahs at the sheer beauty of this powerful storm while I frantically Google terms like "What to do in a tornado while traveling", hoping our reception doesn't cut out before peace-of-mind is achieved.
We formulate a plan to watch the sky for funnels, and if necessary, run into the rest stop and hug the toilets for safety. If we can't make it there, strap on the seat belts and turn on the camera, cuz it's gonna be a bumpy ride!
Well... the storm blew over, the van stayed put and our excitement waned as the sun rose. I know, I know, kinda anti-climatic but I don't write the story, just tell it. Maybe next time...
After reading your post I started remembering my first night in Key West back in August 1990. After watching the sunset and polishing off several cases of beer I found myself without a hotel room and unable to drive back to Miami. I did have the vinyl back seat of my 1980 VW Rabbit (I like to call that type of accommodation the “El Carcito Hotel”). I should have drank some more beer because that was longest night of my life. It was my first true experience with the humidity after growing up on the Central Coast of California. Great blog. Please keep up the travels and posts. C. A. Moore (rhumbrave.blogspot.com)
Hahaha! We’re gonna have to use that one… “El Carcito Hotel” 🙂
Funny how we can look back on those miserable moments with a certain fondness. Maybe next time we find ourselves in this situation, we’ll just have to make a beer run to get through the night. Cheers.
@cipher- Working on the tutorial post for space/time bending now. It may take a lifetime to complete, but we'll see… guess it depends on how well I bend it 😛 I'm really hoping it's just the angle of the pic that makes me look so Ethiopian. I feel pretty healthy & we're doing our best to stay in shape and stay nourished. It'll certainly be nice once we get out of the flatlands and can find some climbing. In the meantime, maybe I need to double the dose on my protein shakes lol. …and your compliments on the writing are much appreciated as well 🙂
–Josh–
It has been a few years since I have read your great writing style… always have loved your story telling, and this one kept me chuckling as well as feeling bad for you both. Ahhh, the adventures you have waiting for you!
I will be in Chicago this Thursday and Friday night in a nice air conditioned hotel with a shower! I will have a spare key for you if you and Meisha want a break! I look forward to seeing you both!
Great Scott! Lighting?? You should have tried to bend space and time while you had the chance! Just kidding. I agree with the others, your writing is wonderful, the situation sounded amazing and terrible at the same time.. 93% humidity is insanity. As for the picture you look particularly Ethiopian. Take care out there.
@Savannah – Thanks for the compliment and the offer 🙂 We'll definitely look forward to visiting your air conditioned home some time next month. That storm was absolutely incredible and unlike anything we'd experienced before. Definitely a bit exciting.
@Garrett – Thanks dude. I really enjoyed writing this post… even if I didn't enjoy living it lol. I seriously laugh at myself every time I see the pic. Maybe one day there will be an amazing Vagabloggers book, who knows? I miss you guys too, but not work haha. Give me a call/skype some time and we can catch up. Hope you're getting closer to the NR….
Josh, that is crazy bro. Your photo is awesome, but I have to say that your writing is truly amazing. Can't wait to read your next blog. Also, I really do want to see a book written of all of this. We miss you here at work. I hope you guy's are doing well. Take care.
-Garrett
I love your writing Josh! It's fun to hear you describe the storms in the midwest. We've been here nearly a year and are still not totally used to it. I can't imagine having only a car as a shelter from the storms though. Glad you are safe! I hope you guys can find some cool relief from this crazy heat wave we are having. Our air conditioned home is always open to you! 🙂