Arrival

After the semi fiasco, we were home free, as the mountain roads started to wane. A gas station stop of massive sleepy proportions was informative to me in the sense that the really, really friendly gas station attendant had moved from California where she too had Wells Fargo as a bank, after seeing my card. It's too bad they don't have those here... I wasn't quite able to handle this information. They really don't have my bank? I really have to do everything online? I mean, I generally do anyway, but what if someone writes me a check? I guess I'll have to avoid those like the plague now.

So we kept on going, it was late. I don't even know what time it was by then, but we finally crossed the state line to South Carolina, and I began to get a little anxious in the sense of excitement and realization that I was "home". Finally, we were going to make it. So we get closer and closer to the actual city of Columbia, and then to the apartment. I couldn't wait to just sleep, even if it was on the floor with my Uhaul holding everything I own outside. Including a bed. Or so I thought.

We got there at 1 am, and I eagerly jumped out of the car (I was sooo cramped) to look under the office mat for the keys to get into the gate, and the apartment. I looked under the right corner, not there. Looked under the left corner. Not there. Looked under the entire mat, and threw it aside....not there. I go back out and inform Will of this disheartening news. Maybe that's the wrong word. I was actually pretty angry. We were assured that they would be there. So we started looking under planters and such, to no avail. I was so mad I wanted to cry, but kept my composure. So Will, if I seemed somewhat....agitated....yeah....it was totally nothing with you.

It was at this point we started looking up motels in the area and thinking we'd present the bill to the guy who told us the keys would be there in the first place. Fortunately the atmosphere of the place was really nice, and I felt like I was locked out of a resort. There was my upside. After calling Sevon, who was wondering how we were doing, he came up with the idea to email maitenance about the situation. Apparently "24-hour" is not quite so. To this day, I never received a curtesy call.

While making that call to Sevon, Will flagged down a guy driving in, who I was pretty sure was going to run us over. He had a pretty big truck to do it with. He didn't and was pretty skeptical until I showed him my paperwork to prove I wasn't some psycho trying to get in. After that he was actually pretty friendly. Ironically, his name was Ray, not to be confused with Roy....there are some of you that will totally understand that, and for the rest of you, here's a side note. I won't say how he came to be, but "Roy" is the fictional 10-year old who talks like a mafia hit man, and takes care of me while I'm teaching my groups. He helps to keep the other kids in line, makes sure I don't eat the average camp lunch...etc. He's given us countless moments of hilarity.

Anyway, so we ended up staying in a Motel 6, which we also could not find for quite some time and then were finally able to crash. I don't know how Will was not more tired, but I fell asleep through the tv, lights, snoring...couldn't take being awake anymore.

Needless to say, it was just another cross country trip coming to a much needed close. Stay tuned for the pictures of the place. It's pretty nice.