Maia's (Mis)adventures

As much as I attempt to fight the sun, I know it's a futile battle for my sleep. I crack my eyes open at 7am, having laid down in bed just 4 hours ago. My body aches and burns from my hours of dancing and sweating last night until I simply couldn't take it anymore...ready to collapse right there in the club. I grab my phone and start the mandatory check of notifications that came in the night. A friend from Austin, Barrett, has replied to an Instagram story of mine. "Are you still in Colorado? You know I live here now!" "I forgot!" I reply. "I was about to grab breakfast at Dozens, want to join me?" We catch up over copious amounts of coffee and biscuits and he tells me his job moved him up here to open a new Alamo Drafthouse location. "How long will you be around?" He asks. "I'm actually looking for a job." "Oh?!" "But only for a few months. I've gotta be back in Texas in October." "Oh.....

My first night sleeping on the road, Texas to Georgia, I pulled into a rest stop and tossed and turned sleeplessly for four hours, before giving up and getting back to driving. I couldn't let myself relax. Every noise beyond my windows was suspect. Every car approaching pulled me back to the world outside. Inconvenient, really, since rest stops are literally places for cars to come and go at all hours of the night. There was so much distrust deposited into my heart. Echo's of people asking if I had a weapon, if I had bear spray for intruders, if I had a way of protecting myself...I couldn't relax. Paranoia does not make a good cuddle buddy. After that, I spent two months parked in a safe place in Georgia. Then two weeks in less safe spaces, but with Ixchel next to me. A friend, another person, bringing me a sense of safety. Now, I'm back to a solo adventure, last night being my first night alone after leaving NYC. I pulled into a rest stop a few hours after the sun had...