The cross-country drive is over. I am back in Canada now and am feeling pretty depressed about the whole thing.
The road trip was the best decision I have ever made in my life. Not only did I have the opportunity to see beautiful scenery, learn about different cultures and histories and meet wonderful people, but I also learned a lot about myself and what I wanted to do in the future.
This is the last post that includes some of the things I have learned and experienced during my time on the road.
21) Fill up your tank: As I drove into California I screamed so loud! I couldn’t believe that I made it across the entire country.
In all that excitement, I didn’t realize that my gas tank was empty. As soon as the gas light turned on, I noticed a sign that read “No service for the next 34 miles.” I panicked. All I kept thinking was that I was in the middle of the desert, close to the California/Mexico border and I could be stranded.
Thankfully, by some miracle, I managed to make it through those 34 miles and reached a gas station. So, before taking any journey, make sure your gas tank is full!
22) Mexico/U.S. border: As I just mentioned, I was driving close to the border – I was on Hwy 8 heading toward San Diego which is 30 minutes away from Tijuana.
Before entering San Diego, I, along with all the other vehicles, were stopped by highway patrol. As usual, I was sent to secondary questioning but again, it was nothing serious.
During questioning however, I started asking the officers about the dangers of being so close to Tijuana. They said that they constantly have to deal with human and drug trafficking; in fact, they said that this year alone, they confiscated over $100 million worth of cocaine…yikes!
23) Valet parking hustle: As you know, many major cities have parking garages and valet services that can sometimes get really pricey. What I learned in L.A. is that you can hustle and negotiate those parking rates.
I was staying in a hotel in downtown L.A. and it charged $35 for parking per night. I needed it for three nights so it would cost me $105 to park there. But, I worked out a deal with one of the valet drivers: I would pay him $50 for three nights but I won’t take my car out at all…he agreed and everyone was happy!
24) Everything closes at 5 p.m.: If you’re planning to visit a lot of museums and art galleries you should know that almost all of them close at 5 p.m no matter which city you’re in. So, if you like sleeping in, you may only be able to fit in one or two. But, if you’re in a place like San Francisco, where there are countless attractions, you may want to prioritize.
25) Driving with a pigeon: During a cruise through L.A. I heard a loud *thump* on the roof of my car. I decided to continue driving and investigate when I reached my hotel.
When I got out of the car the valet guys were laughing. I noticed that a pigeon was standing on the roof of the car! It had been there the whole time I was driving through the city. It didn’t fly away even when the valet guys tried to scare it away…it just kept walking around the roof and the hood of the car.
I am a very spiritual person and I researched the meaning of this. Apparently, the car represents ambition, drive and ability to navigate from one stage of life to another and the pigeon represents a message from my subconscious or a desire to return home. This did happen near the end of my trip and so it seems fitting.
BOULEVARD 