Ditched, Alone, & Stranded

It was a long night last night as I made a night of it at SXSW in Austin and crashed with a couple students from the University of Texas. They were happy to welcome me and as Couch Surfing hosts on a regular basis they were used to having guests like myself. It was a long night at SXSW and one if the latest nights of the trip. I didn’t wake up until noon. I always try to get to bed early on the eve of a big drive, which leads to today.

I was worried that the drive would be tough after a long night, but I slept well. The drive was as smooth as could be (though there were a few other crazy drivers around me at times). Rice and I even made a special stop… at Rice University in Houston. That was special for Rice, it meant a lot to him. About eight hours later I finally made it to Baton Rouge, and to my new host at 10:01 p.m.

Well, there are good and bad times. I was stranded. Ditched by my host, a former MSU student who was expecting me. She was nowhere to be found and her roommate didn’t seem to want me around. Louisiana State wasn’t off to a good note like the University of Texas. For the first time in six months it was late at night and I didn’t have a place to sleep. This coming on a night when i was in a great mood and ready to celebrate. I made it to the 25th state tonight and it ends up this way. Hey, that’s life, welcome to Motel 6. It’s $50 down the drain, but it could be worse.

This has been the first real glitch of my trip and hosts, as for now I’ll just keep my head up after a long night of frustration. Rice and I will figure out the plan tomorrow.

*Now it’s the following morning, I’m at Starbucks trying to get work done and figuring out what to do and who to call. I’ll start making some calls at noon, until now I’m just trying to stay sane and I have some great help from my Starbucks cup….

The Way I See It #204 “Remember your dreams and fight for them. You must know what you want from life. There is just one thing that makes your dream become impossible: the fear of failure. Never forget your dreams. Your silent heart will guide you. Be silent now. It is the possibility of a dream that makes life interesting. You can choose beteen being a victim of destiny or an adventurer who is fighting for something important.” – Paulo Coelho