Roadtrip

With the shove and push of a wrist, the doors to the baby blue and white campervan audibly slid shut with a metallic thud. 

“Well, I think that’s everything,” Narin said, clapping the dust off her hands before giving them an extra couple pats on the sides of her pants. “Bedding, water bottles, clothing, toiletries, map, surfboard, camera…” She trailed off, counting out the items she had just packed into the vehicle.

Here she was, in the open parking lot of her apartment complex, getting ready to embark on the first road trip of her life. While the naut had considered calling up a friend to join her, at the same time she felt a little shy about having those she knew closely share such an intimate space with her in a tiny van for a couple of days.

The weather was slated to be cloudy and drizzly for most of the week- Not great for business at the beachfront ice cream shack Narin owned, especially during August. As a solo venture, it made decent money sitting in a good location without having to pay for other employees or maintaining a customer eating space. Being Narin’s primary source of income for the last several years, while she took breaks in the winter months, she felt like the crummy weather could be a good opportunity to explore more of the region she lived in. 

With a hand running through her short hair, she let out a deep sigh she didn’t know she was holding in before moving to the driver’s side of the campervan and hopping in. Buckling up, Narin plugged in her phone to act as a GPS on the way. Where to? A mountainous oceanside national park, filled with towering snowy cliffs, scenic running rivers and lakes, and a remote beach not often frequented by people. 

“Man, I hope the $275 a day I’m paying for this van rental will be worth it..!” Narin halfheartedly joked as she turned the keys to the van, firing up the ignition with the resounding whirring of the motor. Backing up and pulling out of her parking spot, then driving out of the lot, the wave of excitement seemed to crash over her like a wave. “I guess I’m really doing this, huh!” 

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The sea monster who had taken the form of a human about four years ago never ventured far from the water. While she owned a minivan of her own to drive around town, running errands and supply groceries for her own home as well as her small business, she never took the opportunity to explore deeper into the land, beyond the comforts of her oceanside town- At least, not purposefully before. 

Switching town to town along the coast, running from the people who saw her younger and more naive self not yet completely familiar with the world on the land, the blue haired young woman had only traveled in the past if the situation necessitated it. But now, she was finally doing it for her own curiosity and enjoyment. So as she drove quietly down the highway, air conditioning on at a comfortable temperature, windows slightly down to let in some of the outside air, Narin enjoyed the moment. The sound of the tires moving along the asphalt roads, the wind rushing by, the sounds of only a couple other cars audibly passing by, all while taking in the view of stretching rows of trees and overcast skies, the mountain range seemingly growing in size as she drove nearer and nearer to it, Narin found a sort of meditative beauty in it all. 

“In half a mile, take Exit 16, on right, to Oceanview Road”, read the slightly robotic voice of the AI Maps assistant, somewhat jolting Narin out of her peaceful moment. 

Turning on her turning light blinkers, the soft and repetitive “click, click, click”, sounded for a bit as she changed her lanes towards the exit. “Guess I’m nearly there… Huh? 3 hours left?! Haven’t I already been driving for hours?” She huffed, somewhat exasperated and in need of a break. “Might make a quick pit stop then… Wonder if there’s any good food around!” 

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As Narin neared the entrance of the national park, the overcast sky began to rain. At first a couple light drops didn't seem to be reason for any real concern, but as time went on, small beads of water became large, pelting drops hit the windshield and roof of the car. 

Turning on the windshield wiper, Narin worriedly clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Hope this rain won't impact driving conditions on rougher roads too much…" 

Finally seeing the wood sign informing her that she was entering the park, she continued to follow the directions given out by her phone app until she finally reached the lake. 

Fortunately, by the time the blue and white campervan made it to the lakeside road, the rain had let up, and she was nearing a small patch of sunlight. Right before her was a beautiful grey lake, reflecting not only the dark slopes of trees around it but the peeking rays of sunlight and blue sky from the distant sky. Framed by stretching hills of spruce and fir trees, fresh rain clouds delicately coating the tips of the mountains in the distance, it was truly a breathtaking view. 

After finding a place to park by the roadside, Narin debated on grabbing a light rain jacket and shutting off the vehicle to do a little walk, but decided otherwise. Letting the vehicle idle for a short while with the wipers going, Narin then turned it off, listening to the sound of gentle rain like a small drum on the roof of her van, admiring the lake view in front of her. 

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Narin would spend the next several days exploring more of the park- From strange hiking trails deep in the forest to exciting cliffs, crashing waves right beneath, she enjoyed it all- And especially the freedom the campervan gave her to be able to sleep and shower practically anywhere. And despite the weather being mostly overcast with bouts of rain and showers here and there, she enjoyed the mystical look of mountains, cliffs, forests and more through the mist and fog. 

Before she knew it, Narin had to make the somewhat dreaded drive home, but decided to take a scenic highway route right along the ocean to get there. So as the sun rose above the horizon on Narin’s last day of her road trip, Narin had parked her car by the sidewalk of a typically busy beach known for great surfing waves- Not too far from where she lived. Though with it being early in the morning, there were barely any people nearby as she looked across the stretch of sand and sea. 

Excitedly grabbing her surfboard, before she had a chance to shuffle around and change into her surf suit, she suddenly noticed the black camera bag sitting sadly unused, right next to the surf gear. 

“I forgot to take photos!” She exclaimed in disbelief. Letting out a disappointed sigh, she was a little upset that she wouldn’t have any photos to look back on, until she realized that it wasn’t too late. “I guess I should pose and snap a photo right now! I want to be able to look back on this moment.” Narin said, smiling fondly as she looked up into the new day’s sky, taking in a deep breath of the cool and salty ocean air. 

Opening up the sliding van door and setting up the camera on a tripod a little ways away, Narin positioned it for a vertical shot and adjusted the timer to 10 seconds and hit the button, rushing back back to the van. As she still held onto her trusty white surfboard with her right hand, she sat on the edge of the van, bringing up one leg to her other knee with her left hand in a comfortable sitting position. The dreadnaut who had found a new life gave her best grin. 

“Smile!”