Walking

I couldn’t get a flight back from Los Angeles to Chicago. So I walked.

At first I walked along the freeway. That was difficult because the top speed of the cars racing past me made me afraid I would be run over. I tried rationalizing that they wouldn’t actually hit me. But then a truck would roar by and the wind would blow me and my suitcase onto the grass along the freeway.

Luckily I soon found a side road that ran northwest through the desert. A car came by about every fifteen minutes. Sometimes they would stop and offer me a ride. But I’m too cautious to get in a stranger’s car.

One of the nice surprises was an armadillo that started walking along next to me soon after I crossed the border of Utah. First, I’d never seen one that wasn’t a photograph or stuffed. Second, they are great companions because they adapt your pace and the camaraderie gave me strength.

Colorado was difficult because of the mountains. Also I got so hungry that I was forced to cook and eat the armadillo.

Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois were flat and I got lost in my thoughts. That made the time pass quickly and I soon found myself back in my apartment in Chicago.

The next day I wanted some bread to make a sandwich. The grocery store is only two blocks away. The funny thing is I drove.