The whole day has been a bit crazy really, sleeping in a tent through a thunderstorm, getting wet by the flap that I kept open because it was to hot to close, forcing myself out of my wet sleeping bag at 6:30am to get my car to the shop for the third day in a row to fix a water pump that was last weekend's drama. Lingering in a diner asking for more coffee because I was tired and did not know what to do with my day- then loitering in a hotel lobby that had free wi-fi and a nice view. I went down to the beach and decided I wanted to go swimming, but that would require the bathing suit in my car. Walking back to the shop, I bought an overpriced flotation device and ate my toast that I saved from breakfast for lunch. Once I got to my car, I had to climb a latter to get into my trunk since it was still being worked on- I was thrown off by this factor and forgot what I wanted to grab and only took the suit and towel. After changing I realized I forgot sunscreen and thought it better to ask people on the beach to borrow some rather then burn or have to go back to my car. I eventually found a parent that was willing to let me use a some of their babies 30 block. So then the puffing began and about 20 minutes later I had a raft. Determined to get across the lake on my $6.99 raft (not the $40 Kayak I had looked into renting yesterday) I set sail and skimmed the surface of the water at what I thought to be an olympic pace. I found out the length of the lake was one mile and I felt victorious of my two mile venture. Somewhere in the middle though, I stopped, sat up and just started laughing. What the hell am I doing, I thought. I was sitting in the middle of a lake in the mountains of NY on a cheap floatation device with borrow sunscreen not knowing where I was going to sleep tonight (except that it would be in a different country) and the only familiar thing to me at that moment was my car being worked on in a shop. Thats when I decided I needed start writing about these adventures, the humor was to good not to share.
So that chapter ended well- after 3 days and $300 I was certain my car would be running like new (oh, except for a new piece that needed replacing but was not in stock so I would have to have that done in the next 1000 miles...) But a 1000 miles was gold at that point, I was just happy to be leaving Lake Placid and heading up to Montreal. I had to go back to tear down my camp and reorganize my car to hit the road. I was set to go about 6pm, looked at a map and away I went. The scenery was amazing with the fog rolling into the mountains with the sun still high in the sky, I stopped to take some picture because this was the first real weather that you could see all the different elevations around. I was a few miles out of town and stopped to take the photo you see attached, I was pulling out from the shoulder, made a turn and started accelerating- the car died. There was nothing I could do but coast into the nearest driveway. I called the mechanic straight away praying he was still there and he was. I realized I had pulled into a hostel and and older man came out to see what was wrong. Once I new the tow truck was on the way, I chatted with the man as he checked all my fluids confirming that they were full. When I tow truck arrived, it was obvious there was no quick fix and he would have to take it in. That left me without a car or place to sleep. Thankfully it happen to be a hostel that the older man said it was a reasonable place to stay and he could give me a lift into town the next day. I had to call the number on the wall because there was no front desk and balked when the guy told me $35/night. Jay, the mechanic asked to talk with Ken, hostel owner (apparently they knew each other) and proceeded to work out a deal for me because he felt responsible for my misfortune. I agreed to $20 and away my car went leaving me standing in the drive with just my overnight bag, my laptop and my new friend, John.
John has been very generous offering me food and conversation. He has enlightened me to his conspiratorial views and how 9/11 was an inside job. I am exhausted from the day (and now even more from writing about it) and I am sitting in my six person dorm with just me in it. It is safe, I feel good. Curious as to what tomorrow will bring (I'll keep you posted), and grateful for all that I do have.
