Goodbye to My Wild Blue Honda -- and the Rest of My Trip

This trip has progressed very, very differently than I anticipated. As it turns out, I won't get to see New Orleans, Atlanta or St. Augustine. Nor will I visit Mobile, Little Rock or Oklahoma City on the way back.

My trusty steed of steel and glass and I must part company. The air conditioning system self destructed, apparently shooting metal fragments throughout its own components. Repairs are far too expensive to be worth the investment. Having it repaired feels like a bad risk, since I've been having one issue after another with it since December 2010. I never imagined I would say goodbye this soon, even so, and in Texas, of all places.

So I'm staying in Austin longer than originally scheduled. I consulted with my sweetie, and he recommends using the money that would have gone into repairs -- as well as seeing if my old car has a reasonable trade-in value -- as a down payment on a new car. After that, the expense of continuing my trip would prove too great for our bank account, so I'll head home from Austin next Wednesday. Hopefully in a new, reasonably priced car.

As you might guess, I'm disappointed that I must cut my trip short. I'm also grieving my car. As it turns out, my trip is less important to me than having transportation on a regular basis. This trip is a symbol of the freedom to do what I want when the mood takes me. Without a car, I could still do that, I suppose, but on a much more limited basis. At least I took a few photos of my faithful steed to remember it by. Here's one, taken at a rest stop somewhere along I-10 in Texas:
On the plus side, there are a few adventures I wanted to have on the way to Austin that I may stop and have on the way home. I never did see the Carlsbad Caverns, the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge in Taos or the Grand Canyon. I also wanted to do the Ghost Tour in Jerome, Arizona. All of those -- or even a few -- might prove possible on my return trip.

Even without seeing a lot of Austin, I've already had adventures aplenty in Texas. My blessings go out to Nick, my tow truck drive with a heart of gold. Such a gentleman, and delightful company. I would never have made it to my hotel in Austin without him. My blessings also go out to the three young men who will forever remain nameless -- since they never gave me their names -- who pushed my car to the Miller Creek RV Park just outside Johnson City, Texas. By the time I put my Honda in park and turned around, they were already running across Interstate 290 in the maddening Texas heat, back to their cars and their own adventures.

I do have transportation in Austin, having rented a red Dodge behemoth of some sort. It eats gas for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the best thing I can say about it is it's a nice color, it runs and has amazing brakes. Other than that, I dislike it -- probably because I miss my own car. A standard-size, bright red, gas guzzling vehicle cannot compare to my cool blue, compact, hybrid chariot.

Well, it's late -- at least according Texas time -- and I need to get a little more work done before I get to sleep. Take care, dear readers, and may you realize your own brilliance and shine like the stars you are.

~Love and Blessings,
Selene~