I had left my hometown of Palm Springs, CA right after sunrise. I drove for hours and hours and hours. I drove a lot a few years ago. Maybe I thought that a magic mile count would make my problems stay behind. I thought I could hide somewhere far enough in the desert, or the mountains, or the lake. I had tried most everyplace I could think of. Wyoming was my last chance. Surely no problems were big enough to come find you in Wyoming, I thought to myself.
But after 10 hours of driving, I succumbed to the signs on the highway, and settled for the night in what they promised would be a haven of comfort and delight: Elko, NV. Let me tell you, it was neither. I picked a random hotel, checked in, ate something at one of the many casinos that double down as restaurants, and crashed. It was an eventful night. If I dreamt, I don’t recall it. I was happy enough that the room had a bed and no trace of mold.