This Easter, I was expecting to head down to Auburn, Alabama to see the family. It’s a long drive, and in the end, I decided that it might be a bit much for a long weekend. But it got me thinking about other long weekend drives and some of the exciting (and not so exciting) places we encounter along the way.
Bowling Green, Ohio (not to be confused with Bowling Green, KY - how many Bowling Greens are there anyway?) has a population of 31,638 and is the home of Bowling Green State University (Go Falcons!) How do you know all this useful information, Sara? I’m glad you asked. In the Fall of 2022, I was overjoyed when I realized that I would have enough time off over the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend (known to Canadians as just “Thanksgiving”) to drive down to Nashville to see my nephews’ football game.
Jake was in 12th grade, Hank was in 11th grade, and unless they both play in the NFL together someday (Lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise), it would have been their final season playing together. The plan was for my son and I to take 2 days to drive down there and arrive a couple of hours before the game started - just enough time to grab some Chipotle and find a shirt to represent the team. One of the greatest things about heading south is hitting all the restaurants we can’t get (or rarely go to) in Canada.
Our dinner stop was Red Lobster. Lex and I gorged on seafood and cheddar biscuits and hopped back in the van ready to continue the trip. But my 2020, fairly new van, wouldn’t go in reverse. It just revved up really loudly. Luckily, I was on an incline and rolled back. When I put it in drive, it made a loud “Cla- CLUNK” sound and the engine light came on. Growing up in Alabama where there were no vehicle safety laws in the 80’s and 90’s, I drove a few duds that made that sound. My first car ever, a Chevette, would only go in reverse by the end of its driving life. So, I knew that this sound was probably not good. We drove another 20 minutes and decided to get a hotel for the night. The next morning, I drove to the Chrysler dealership at 7:30 am to see if there was anything we could do.
The guy behind the counter, Kevin, told me it would take a while to find out the problem and that they could drive me back to the hotel and call me once they knew.
Fifteen minutes of waiting and Kevin said my ride was there.
“Where?”
“That white truck, right there.”
I looked over and saw a smaller version of Santa Claus sitting in a white truck with a gun rack (thankfully no gun). I climbed in and said hello. He said his name was Lynn and he was happy to make my acquaintance. We began driving back to the hotel, making small talk.
Lynn: “Are you here with your husband?”
Me: (thinking, “That’s very presumptuous, Lynn) No, I’m here with my 15-year-old son.
Lynn: “I have a son and a daughter back in Illinois. When my daughter was in high school, she told me she wasn’t getting up for school, that she was going to sleep in. So I flipped her bed over and said, ‘No you aren’t, you son of a b—-!’”
The truck was silent for a minute.
Me: “So, ahem, how old do you think some of these buildings are, Lynn?”
Lynn: “Oh I’d say at least 100 years old.”
Lex and I spent the day napping, eating, watching tv, and trying to figure out our plan. It was surprisingly nice. It isn’t often that me and my kid get to just “lounge” together.
I got the call around 2 pm.
Kevin: Looks like your transmission is shot.
Me: Oh man.
Kevin: It gets worse. If you wait for a transmission in Ohio, you are 625 on the waiting list.
I looked at Lex. Could we live here and start a new life waiting for a transmission? It just didn’t seem feasible.
Me: Think we'll make it back to Canada, Kevin?
Kevin: Yes, just don’t go in reverse.
Here is another little fact. There was not a single uber in Bowling Green, Ohio. Not one. So when I had to take a cab back to get my van, he pulled in his own minivan. I climbed in, he told me about his life and his dreams, and when I asked him how much I owed him, he said “Is 8 bucks alright?”
I picked up my van, picked up my son and our luggage, and drove straight home to Canada. While we were disappointed about missing the game and the American fast food, we were happy to get to know a little place called Bowling Green.
I doubt I'll ever see Kevin or Lynn or my cab driver ever again, but for one weird, unexpected day, I got a window into their lives... their hopes and heartbreaks... and maybe they got a glimpse into mine.
Maybe that's how side trips and detours go and maybe that's why they're so memorable. We create our plans and have expectations (which are often great), but they usually don't come with surprises (in fact, we plan hard to avoid them). But sometimes, life takes us on a detour. And while maybe we don’t end up where we wanted to go, we might just find something beautiful and unexpected wherever we land.
I was in Rome 2 years ago and could picture almost all the places you mentioned...and understand the unwillingness to cart your bags all over those uneven stone streets. I marveled at the ancient architecture, too!
Enjoyable read. Once had a ride from Sauble Beach to Georgetown, Ontario with a CAA guy. It was hip hop all the way and not a lot of conversation. Thankfully, I am comfortable with long silences and grateful that I didn't have to find my own way home. CHEERS, SARA!