A short trip

One beautiful morning, I got a phone call from a high school friend that graduated with me in 2013. Let's call him Ted, he was a nice young man, very well built and overall a good person. A little back story about him and how I got to know him. Ted and I met at a wrestling practice, when I first walked in and saw him, his face was very welcoming , he was very polite and friendly. We greeted each other and got to know each other very well. We ended up becoming really good friends. Then graduation came by, it was time for everyone to go into different directions, paths and journey. Ted decided to go to the marines and was stationed in North Carolina.

Some of you, may be wondering what happened to the phone call? Well I answered the call and it was Ted. The reason why he called me was that he wanted to ask me for a favor. So in short, he wanted to see if I could help his newly married wife move to Carolina. His wife, Marybeth, was in the same state and city as me, hence, our hometown. Marybeth wasn't comfortable driving her car for 1,384 miles on her own. That's a 22 hour drive, almost a whole day. Now, I was young, full of great energy and I was yearning to travel, to see the states I haven't seen. So, I agreed to help his wife move her belongings to North Carolina.

The day had come, it was time for Marybeth and I to get on the roads for our little trip. It was very early morning, my alarm clock went off at around 5 AM. I rolled off my bed, got ready to start my day and pack a backpack of essentials, mostly snacks. I prepared myself and I waited at the door for Marybeth. After awhile she pulled up with her car, I hopped in and we were off to North Carolina. While we were on the roads, I glanced out the window, it was still dark but it was beautiful. I could see the stars sparkling above us, at the same moment, the sunrise was peeking to the sky. We were still in our state, Nebraska. We have a long drive ahead of us.

I mostly slept half of the way of this trip, I can't recall the first 5 hours of the ride. I definitely needed sleep, but when I woke up, I believe we were in Missouri. There wasn't much out there, for a time, I thought we were still in Nebraska. In some ways Missouri and Nebraska are similar. They are mostly flat, no mountains, and very easy to drive through. The one difference I noticed was that the farther we got into Missouri, the more trees and small mountains started to appear in our trip. That's when I know that I officially left Nebraska on my own for the first time. A new experience that was very enjoyable. I felt a warm feeling, happy and proud. Proud of myself for being a young man that wants to achieve goals of my own, taking opportunity when I can and being brave to do so.

After almost 12 hour, it was time for me to drive all the way to Carolina. We stopped in Lexington, Kentucky at a gas station. We got more snacks, a bunch of energy drinks and real food. Marybeth recommended that we take a nap before we get back on the road. I was eager to get to our destination and see more of the world but I agreed with her. It was late and getting really dark, also this isn't my vacation, it would be rude if I didn't listen to her. So, we took a break for about a couple hours and rested well.

It was around 12am when we got back on the road. Marybeth was more of a slow driver and careful on the roads, this trip ended up more longer than I expected. But, then I drove the rest of the way to North Carolina and to be honest, I'm also a slow driver at this time of my life. One of my favorite parts of this trip was driving through West Virginia and Virginia. It was eye opening for me, the whole drive through the Virginias was such vivid and beautiful colors. I have never seen so many greens and different wild plants in my life. At the time, it felt as if all the trees and plants were all blooming to be its beautiful self. Every tree has its own colors of personalities, some were pink, some red and even bright peach color. This memory of Virginia will always be something I will always remember and one day I'll go visit it again.

Finally we made it to North Carolina, we pulled up to the house that Marybeth was moving in with Ted. We got out of the car and reached to the sky for a good stretch on our spine. I was so happy to be able to move around and not be stuck in a car. Ted came out to greet us and gave his wife a big hug and kisses. He was very happy that we made it there safely, we chatted, moved Marybeth's belongings in and unpacked. I stayed with them for two days and got to see some part of North Carolina. It was beautiful and very relaxing. It was good talking to Ted, got to know his future plans and what he wants to do in life. We had such an amazing time together, that it was already time for me to go back home.

Ted had already booked me a flight back home before Marybeth and I started driving. It was really nice that he did that for me. I guess in a way, he wanted me to not worry about spending my own money and that he wanted me to enjoy the opportunity he had given me. They took me to the airport and we said our goodbyes to each other.

After our goodbyes, I was on my airplane flying back home. While I was sitting and looking out the window, I thought to myself, what an experience I just had. Never in my life, I thought an opportunity so freeing would just come to my door and asked me if I wanted to take it. I'm glad I did say yes and helped Ted. I'm very grateful that he trusted me and asked for my help. He probably doesn't know but he gave me such an amazing opportunity and experience. Most people don't get a chance like that, so I am forever grateful for the time with them.

Ted and Marybeth's kind deeds gave me a great insight of life and opportunity. If Ted never called me or if I told him I couldn't do it, I wouldn't have gone. I would be at home, missing a chance to live a life of my choice. I'm grateful because I got to travel and see some parts of America, places that I never thought about going, experienced amazing insight about myself, what I love to see and do. Their good deeds helped me overcome fear and not be afraid to try something I haven't done. If there's an opportunity that catches your eyes, don't hesitate to say yes.