Why rush?

With most of the mountainous terrain behind us, Mickey and I stopped in the city of St. George, UT for gas and some eats. We were about 122 miles north of Las Vegas with about two hours to go. We felt we were making good time so there was no need to...

*phone rings*

"Hi, Donnie? This is Katheryn from ____ Apartments. How are you? We were wondering when you and Mickey were going to come in and sign your lease. Just keep in mind that we close at 5:00 PM."

It was 3:15 PM, and we were a good two hours away. I screamed in my phone that we were on our way, slammed the phone closed and jumped in the U-Haul truck like I was getting chased by LAPD. I squealed out of the gas station on to a busy street and quickly made my way back to I-15.

Why the rush? It was Saturday, so the leasing office for our building would be closed on Sunday. Plus it wasn't like we had family we could stay with until Monday. After being on the road for two days, we wanted to rest in our own place...in our own bed.

For the entire trip, Mickey and I drove together. At this point, I told her to zoom ahead so we would make it on time. Plus, I didn't trust pushing the U-Haul at 85 miles per hour.

A Burger King in Salina, UT

Two hours and 140 miles south of the great city of Salt Lake City lies the village of Salina, Utah. Sitting as a zit along interstate 70, it boasts an impressive population of 2,393 people. Out of that metropolis, four are employed at the Burger King on South State St.

Mickey and I pulled off at exit 56 to gas up and grab a snack at this Burger King. As we walked the short distance from the gas pumps to the restaurant and convenience store, the mountains of Utah surrounded us from all angles. The arid air continuously whisked the desert sand creating a symphony of secludedness. Our journey west consisted of many exits, but none felt like Salina, UT.

I had to ask myself, "Who lives here?"

Think about it. You're on a road trip, home is behind you, and your destination is in front of you. What else is left? What's in between point A and B? Those small towns that line interstate highways providing you with gas, Red Bull and a release for the last 4 Red Bulls? Where are these places? And more important than that, who lives in the middle of nowhere?

Donnie vs. The Rockies (part 4)

4th QUARTER

We sat in the Shell station for quite some time, neither of us wanting to get out of our car. I knew we weren't done with the mountain terrain just yet, but I needed this break. I needed this time to just close my eyes.

I bought Mickey some aspirin for her headache and told her we'd take it slow. I gassed up both cars, grabbed some apple juice, cleared the windshield and started the U-Haul once again.

Don't laugh, but my iPOD and I have this connection. Yes, it is very possible to have a human like connection with an electronic device. I do my part in filling his brain with the music that fits my personality. He does his part by playing the music on command. It's a wonderful relationship that I treasure everyday. Sometimes when I let him DJ, I really believe he's paying attention to how I'm feeling. It's almost as if the ear buds give him access to my brain waves and emotions, and he takes those brain signals to shuffle in the perfect song.

War "All Day Music" // All Day Music (1971)


It was amazing how the sight of the sun rising and this song helped make the second half of the mountains so much easier to deal with. The snow had come to a stop and the roads were free of any major traffic. Mickey took her spot behind me and snapped these images with her camera phone.