To get a better feeling for this post, I will reveal three things about myself. First, I am an introvert. When engaging with new acquaintances, my anxiety kicks into supersonic speed, altogether skipping high gear. Number two, I am a terrible sleeper and have been since childhood. The slightest noise or movement can wake me. Third, despite being an introvert, I will never back down from a fight when I feel a threat towards myself or my loved ones.
Dennis is comfortable striking up conversations with anyone he meets, and I, as you recently learned, am not. Researching for places to visit during our trip, I googled for hours, eventually ending up with a sixty-five-item list of the top places to visit in the U.S. Meanwhile, Dennis was talking to people about our trip, seeking recommendations of what to do and see. He suggested I do the same as we might end up with something off the proverbial beaten path.
Shopping at a flower shop, the woman helping me had a southern inflection. Striking up a conversation, I asked where she called home. She recounted driving across the country from home to L.A. WHAT?!?! I saw this as a sign to step out of my introvert self and ask what she thought was a must-see. “Marfa, Texas,” she said. She explained Marfa is a quirky artist colony, and the “Marfa Lights,” which some consider a supernatural occurrence (others think they are headlights in the distance.) Another shopper in the store chimed in saying he had been there, and I should see the town. Interesting. Marfa had shown up on a couple of my searches, but I had dismissed it. It moved to the top of my list of things to see. Dennis was not enamored with Marfa saying it is out of our way. Debating, I gave up on seeing Marfa as our trip will need lots of the c-word; compromise.
While in Tucson, we finalized plans to see our daughter’s parents-in-law in Leakey, Texas. From our first meeting, it is a pleasure to know Patti and Terry. They are warm, welcoming, and great hosts, extending an open invitation for us to come and see them Last year, taking them up on their offer, we invited ourselves to their Leakey home (which is breathtaking inside and out) and thought we’d like seem them again during our trek through Texas. Being big-hearted people, they welcomed us to stay with them for two nights. There was a bonus to going to Leakey; Marfa was now on the way!
Tucson to Marfa is a 520-mile drive. It will most likely rank as one of the lengthiest drives we make. Texas is a massive state with little scenery on a long trip. Dennis received a tip he could drive 80 miles per hour in Texas, and the highway patrol wouldn’t bother him. According to Dennis’ reasoning, if eighty mph is good, eighty-five mph is better to shorten the driving time to Marfa. The Texas Sheriff did not agree with his logic.
Approaching the car, the sheriffs asked us to roll down the windows and looked inside. They asked the cliched question, “how fast do you think you were going?” Dennis proceeded to admit to driving at eighty. It was eighty-five, according to the Sheriff. Justifying his speeding, Dennis told the sheriffs he received information he could drive that fast in Texas. Nope, not true. Somehow Dennis was able to talk his way out of the ticket and received a written warning instead. While not getting a citation, he was incredibly lucky; it forced Dennis to obey the seventy mph signs making the drive time longer, much longer.
As part of this trip experience, we try, when possible, to not book a hotel until we leave for the next place. It gives us flexibility in where we go for the day. After what felt like an endless drive, we reached Marfa, stopped for dinner, and started looking for hotels. I found a nice hotel for $130 a night; our target price is $125 a night. I also discovered the Riata Inn at $80 a night. Dennis chose the Riata Inn because we were staying one night and wanted to use the extra $50 on a better hotel later in the trip. Not my first choice, but hey, this trip is about compromises of all types.
The Riata Inn turned out to be a motel, sign #1 of bad things to come. We found the room key in a mailbox because the front desk was closed for the night, sign #2. Once we found the room, it turned out to be a large room, more than adequate for a one-night stay, a good sign. Climbing into bed and turning out the lights, I noticed the time was 11:16 p.m.
Within minutes, Dennis fell asleep, and I laid awake, listening to a child crying and screaming. Annoyed and exhausted, I managed to find some sympathy for the parents, put a pillow over my head, and fell asleep. An hour later, I awoke to the sound of drilling. It sounded like someone in the room next door was mounting bookshelves to the wall. The noise was persistent, keeping me awake, bad sign #3. Since the front desk was closed, there was no one I could complain to about the racket. Somehow, I dozed off.
Once again, a disturbing noise disrupted my sleep. It sounded like someone trying to break into our car parked right outside the door. I quickly realized the person was trying to break into our room! No more signs of bad things to come, this was it!!! Thank goodness I am the lightest of sleepers. I jumped out of bed screaming, ran to the window, ripped open the curtains to see a guy alternately jiggling our door handle, throwing himself against the door, and yelling for us to open the door. Still screaming at him, I went into fight mode, preparing for him to break into the room, I kept yelling, using every expletive I knew (I know a lot), and banged on the window to get his attention. Dennis came running over and threw himself against the door, telling me, “Your yelling is not helping the situation.” WHAT?!?!?! “My yelling just saved your a$$,” was my response.
Finally, the next-door neighbor heard the commotion and told the idiot he was supposed to be in 103, not 102. “Idiot” didn’t believe him at first and kept going at our door for a few more seconds. Eventually, he went into the correct room. Adrenaline had replaced my blood. I could not stop shaking. As we climbed back into bed, where Dennis went right back to sleep, I noticed the time was 2:44 a.m. I spent the rest of the night awake, shaking, and listing to the morons next door partying until 4:30 a.m. I fell asleep around 5:00 a.m. and managed a couple of hours of sleep. Lessons learned: 1) saving $50 is not always worth it, 2) make certain places we stay are hotels not motels, and 3) I need to let it go because every time I want to win a decision, I say “Marfa.” So much for compromise!
After escaping the Riata Inn, we ate breakfast in the restaurant of the $130-a-night gorgeous hotel I wanted to stay in initially. We asked our server what to see and where the art galleries are located. He brought over a woman who, we learned, was part of the town’s council. She kindly gave us some recommendations but stated Mondays and Tuesdays (we were there on a Monday) are like Sundays for Marfa. I momentarily considered banging my head on the table. My Marfa dream turned out to be nothing but a nightmare! No lights, no art galleries, no shopping.
We did follow her suggestions for visiting the Presidio County Courthouse, Marfa Bookstore, and USO building/visitor center. During our stroll around the town, we learned the filming of the movie “Giant” took place in Marfa. The town is proud of being the movie set for “Giant” with memorabilia abundantly displayed and available for purchase. I am mildly embarrassed to say I have never seen the movie or read the book, so I bought a copy of the book to read during our cross-country excursion.
Dennis and I noticed the people in Marfa were warm, friendly, and welcoming. Reflecting on our interactions with people outside of California, the further east we drive, people become nicer. I am not sure if it is because we are a novelty to them, we are less stressed without day-to-day demands, making us kinder, or if L.A. is an unfriendly city. We’ll keep driving and exploring and let you know what we think in a couple of states.
The Unexpected Gap Year 