When Joanie asked me to travel with her to California, I didn't even hesitate! For I loved my best friend like a sister! Now I had a sister who had married and moved on in her life while her best friend Joanie and I became close. What amazed me the most about Joanie was that she always knew something about everything, I loved learning about the world from her. I was pretty clueless, sheltered and not aware of the culture around me. We had some great laughs at my silliness, my goofiness and our friendship! Now I have always had this desire in me to have a life long friend, someone who stayed with ya through out your whole life! And I would have sworn our friendship would end just like that at the time....(BUT then again, I probably think THAT about everyone I befriend!)
I bought a plane ticket back from California, my boyfriend Tony would pick me up once I got back to Boise Idaho from California. I was thrilled to take on this road trip with my Joanie girl! We first stopped over in Salem Oregon for a wedding of Joanie's college friends. She was very excited about her film school in Burbank California. So when we left Beaverton Oregon at 9pm after the wedding ceremony after getting a tank of gas. We drove the whole 20 hours without stopping for the night on subway sandwhiches.We arrived in Burbank California late afternoon that next day. We were a bit "high" off of all the caffeine and sugar we bought through out the night to stay awake on the road. That road trip was one of my favorite adventures with my best friend!
Joanie threw the map to the floor of the car frustrated as she kick up her bare feet against the dashboard of her old blue Saturn car. "This damn thing doesn't even have this small town listed! Where the hell ARE we?!" I chuckled as I pulled the car into the ONLY gas station I had seen for miles. It was dark out and the last thing I wanted was an empty gas tank for 2 young women traveling across the country. "This place looks like a scene in a scary movie!" Joanie exclaimed as I got out to pump the gas, I whispered over my shoulder "It's safer HERE then running out of gas out THERE in the total dark!" She giggled and stretched standing beside me. We always stayed close to each other, although I told Joanie not to worry for I was becoming quite the "Bad ASS" then she would just shove me in my shoulder and roll her eyes. At this gas station I went to find the restroom when there was a sudden knock on the door as I was washing my hands, I smiled knowingly as I opened it saying without looking up from the paper towels "YES, I am washing my hands!" Joanie stood there looking around worriedly in her reply "Oh good...I had to run over and reminded you, I forgot to tell you before you went off." I rolled my eyes "Shit lady! Every freakin' time I use the restroom you say "Don't forget to wash your hands afterwords." it is getting ridiculous! YES, YES, I KNOW! And..I do wash my hands!...most of the time." I laughed as Joanie tried to slap my shoulder and we ran back to the car. I knew all about Joanie's germ phobias and often teased her about them. Every time we stopped she said the same things about washing my hands, I always felt safe and happy to get back in the car through out the night. To the endless playing radio of the popular songs like; Uncle Crackers "Fish in the sea", or Smash Mouth "All Star" song that we sang along with. I always knew when Joanie would turn up the volume to her favorite song "Lady Marmalade" from the movie Moulin Rouge. We took turns driving, but since Joanie had a hard time seeing in the dark I drove mostly. Joanie hit the brakes on the highway as I sat upright from the passenger seat,"What? what was it?" I asked looking around the wide open road for it felt like we were the only ones awake at two in the morning....I waited as Joanie giggled "I thought I saw something.." she explained as my hands went up in the air "Oh for hell's bells! Let me drive...pull over in this turn out. " Joanie shakily pulled the car over saying "I don't see a turn out thingy...." I squealed out "Dear God! we are going to die young!" She laughed and shrugged as I took over for the rest of the night. Around 5am Joanie feel sound asleep in the passenger seat while I watch the most amazing sun rise over the horizon! My most favorite song at the time was "Drops of Jupiter" by Train. Joanie and I loved singing along to that song from the radio for it played ALL the time on this road trip. Suddenly, as Joanie slept peacefully and I drove right into the most amazing sun rise I had ever seen! I thought about how I wasn't going to be 21 years old forever, That this road trip was just the beginning of many more in the whole of my life time. Then the soft sound of the radio played my favorite song again and I chuckled because it was all such perfect timing as I softly sang along with "drops of Jupiter", For I truly felt like I was Sailing through the milky way at that exact moment of such amazing beauty of the approaching morning!
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