Wild Blog post

During a stop to fill up the tank, I had a conversation I did not expect. I entered the convenience store at the gas station to have some coffee and buy some supplies for the road. All I could see on the news was reports of those two women going on a crime spree across the country. It was around noon and the store was somewhat busy, so I was not able to hear what was being sad. I grabbed two cans of soda, almonds, chocolate bars and ordered take-out mac and cheese. Usually I do not eat unhealthy like this, but it was a time to treat myself after all I had been through in this trip. I got in a long check-out line. I was not in a hurry at all and I enjoy talking to strangers, so I initiate a conversation with this woman who was ahead of me in the line. She seemed tired like me. She told me she has been traveling around in a sort of quest to get to know herself better. One could easily say by her clothes and appearance that she had been through a lot. I immediately empathized with her. Suddenly, we hear a gentle voice coming from behind us at the store’s entrance “Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a robbery. Now if nobody loses their head, nobody loses their head”. Great! I was in another dangerous situation. Soon all the costumers were laying down on the floor. Somehow, I was not scared this time. By the authority emanated by her voice, this lady seemed to know what she was doing. It did not feel like she wanted to hurt anyone, but just get her money and go. I looked at the lady who was in front of me in the line and she seemed very calm as well.

All the action didn’t take longer than a minute. In no time, the robber was gone. People started standing up, a woman began to cry uncontrollably while other costumers tried to calm her down. I brushed the dust off my shoulders and things got back to normal – or at least were slowly getting there. By the cashier’s calmness and facial expressions, it seemed like it was not the first time that an armed robbery had happened there, nor it would be the last. The tired woman and I resumed our conversation. As a way to stimulate our connection and keep the conversation alive, I told her about my story – how I had left home to pursue my desire for a new life, but as a result had abandoned my family without further explanations, and how I knew they were feeling betrayed. Telling it was a lot easier than I imagined. I guess I had practice justifying it to myself so many times that it just came out automatically. Also, I did not care anymore about how others would interpret my story after this turbulent journey. For my surprise, she was very interested in my story and understood my side. She herself had gone through a process of breaking ties with her family. She had been loyal to her mother during her entire life, until her passing sometime before. Like me, she felt like it was time to follow her instincts, even if we weren’t quite sure of where they would take us. Our respective quests had been tiring for both of us, but I believe we wouldn’t have it any other way.

The hours flowed like a river. It was early evening when she realized she had to leave. I asked if I could contact her in the future. We exchanged numbers and hugs. This time I didn’t forget to ask for the person’s name – Cheryl. Such a genuine character! This conversation was another boost I needed for this journey. How could someone I had just met be so relatable and care about my story and me? Hitting the road may be sometimes boring, sometimes insane, but there’s no doubt that it can provide moments that we will cherish for the rest of our lives. After finishing a second round of mac and cheese, this time for dinner, it was time to get to the road again. The news was reporting on those two criminal ladies. Taking a quick look at the TV, I immediately recognized one of them. It was her – the lady who had robbed the store earlier. I giggled and left.