The Lone Trip (Rob)

Leaving Chicago was difficult. Sure, I stayed an extra day. I had a great time too. Brandon (as James mentioned previously) was a gentleman to an extreme. He took me out and showed me the town. From a nice, classy dinner to drinks at the top of the John Hancock Building. Wow, what a view at 96 stories. He wanted me to stay through New Years, but I couldn't. Too many committments. I wanted to make it to New York to see Eddy and Gary, but time was running out. I needed to pick up a ticket by 8pm the night of the 30th. I didn't leave Chicago until 1130 on the 30th. That wasn't happening. So, additional plans included Will, and the promised trip that I made way back when. It's always nice to see Will. More of him to come.

So, I left Chicago...without James. It wasn't that I left James in Chicago, since he did take a plane to Sacramento the day before. But I couldn't get it out of my head that I was leaving him there. The passenger seat was empty. I had no one to talk to. What a trip this has been. I can't even imagine explaining, but I'm going to try. What other trip do you experience:
* traffic that delays your trip about 3 hours (to Sacramento)
* a death in the family
* a heavy snowstorm that delays your trip about 5 hours (to Salt Lake City)
* sleeping in the car because your friend won't wake up.
* seeing your friend's family (James C's family, James L's family, Brian B's family)
* visit the memorial of a stranger that was murdered because you feel a common link (Matthew Shephard)
* sleep in front of a fireplace in the Rocky Mountain National Park (actually Estes Park), but one in the same to me.
* wake up to elk in the front yard.
* stop at T&A's across America to tell our stories
* find a new city (Chicago) where we wouldn't mind moving to and celebrating New Years in it a few days early

There is so much that happens in James and my lives. This trip is a turning point, but a symbolic event that tells me that nothing will change. At least I don't think so. At the beginning of the trip, we hit some things that may have prevented us to go further. In fact, with all of the signs, perhaps we should have turned around. But we didn't. We smiled, acknowledged what was behind us and moved on. That's how James and I react to each other. Every time we are in a fight, one of us kiss the other's ass so that we don't have to go to breakfast alone the next day.

James, believe me when I say - no matter what events that I have in Connecticut or other, they will not compare to the fun that I have with my best friend!

written by

James Coloma on December 31, 2005 from Chicago, United States

from the travel blog: Rob & James - Cross Country Trip - December 2005 to January 2006

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