week 7

I was the first one in the hotel dining hall for the complimentary continental breakfast.  I was almost back to college, and my difficult road trip would soon come to an end.  If I leave early this morning and make good time, I can be back at college in two days.  I had only been gone for two weeks, but it felt like an eternity.  I downed my coffee as I waited for my toast to brown. 

The toast popped out and I reached for the butter, hoping that no one else would come to breakfast this early, as I wanted nothing other than to be alone this morning.  Of course, as I was thinking this a woman emerged. 

She hovered over me, reaching for the toast.  She soon introduced herself as Hannah, and asked me what was getting me up this early. 

“Oh, I’m just driving back to university.  I’m hoping to get back in time to make my final exams.”

“Oh, I see.  Where are you driving from?” Hannah inquired. 

I explained that I was driving across the country after visiting my family.  “You must have met so many interesting people on your journey!” she exclaimed.  “Who was the most interesting person that you encountered?” 

I thought that this was a strange question, and I struggled to think of a particular individual.  For some reason, all I could think of was a pair of motorcycle riders that I had overhead at a gas station yesterday.  I felt embarrassed to mention it, but it was early enough in the morning that my social skills were particularly subpar. 

“Well, yesterday I saw these two women who were motorcycling across the country, which I thought was unusual.”

Hannah pondered for a second, then replied that she, too had never seen two women motorcycling together in her own long road trip. 

I wondered why this was, and thought about how thrilling that would be.  But I had too many responsibilities for such things.  Maybe in an alternate life I could afford such adventures.