• The dancing waves catches the beams of the sun, casting bright diamonds of light on my hand as we cross for the last time, MacArthur Causeway. Leaving behind our place of birth that as been our main identity for so long. Like the waves, ever so smoothly, we cruise along the roads of Florida up were they speak our tongue but with different nature. Our destination Texas then California, just to meet real cowboys and for the first time really watch the sun set.

    Arm with only few camping gear, 500 dollars, and our love of life we head out not knowing how quickly the vast land enveloped us. Driving as though we’re being cashed, Victoria speed along while Joseph rants and raves to slow down. Mike is constantly reminded us to stop at a restaurant. Mike having been the one to get a car that runs on veggie oil is in charge of asking every restaurant for oil. Passing Fort. Palm we change road handing to Pensacola. We seem to fade away into the green of passing trees. Four times we stop for oil food and bathroom we were down $250. We stop to sleep off the road in Louisiana near Interstate 25. Vicky screaming and hauling orders at Joseph, who refuses to touch any thing dirty. Mike and I look at each other knowing this was going to last a while. Together we hurry to set up camp.

    Gathering around we started a fire and hope that the cops don’t show up. We all sat back and relax except Joseph, who (the only one with cooking experience) was cooking. ****Mike turned to me and points at my shoes, and comments “ you think if we put them in the ground something will grow?’ with out smiling, and the others over hear him and laughed. They were the oldest shoes in my closet; I brought them along specifically because I didn’t want my feet to sweat in the hot road. They proved to be the best possible shoes for my journey.

    In the morning we packing up with hast to Texas. No one spoke just the sounds of the wind rushing by the window as though trying to haul us back into our old routine. Breaking through the chains, we arrive at our first destination San Angelo, Texas. Passing its brooders we reach downtown. As we drove through downtown, San Angelo we glance around trying to get a feel of it. We all made a few list of places we wanted to go. I couldn’t help my self from noticing the difference between my downtown and this strange one. Having been use to dirty, narrow, one-way streets and the random homeless people walking around I wasn’t expecting the wide clean lively streets. There was life after 5 pm here unlike downtown Miami where everything closes. Looking around the car I could see the excitement on every ones face. Parking the car we part ways to explore this unusual land.

    Thousand wondering face searching for life is all I found in the heart of down town. With every bar I went to I heard the hardships of every individual with the scent of alcohol in their breath. I kept thinking what is my goal here and what is it I’m hoping to find on this trip. What’s the point of continuing to California? We have no more money and if not for our shameless begging we would not have food to eat. I’m I learning about people? Or getting to know my homeland? Is the journey to find myself? Can it be that this trip serves no purpose in any way? Leaving my thoughts I enter a lounge playing Superchick one girl revolution. It’s a karaoke bar and I see Vicky singing along. Her faces glowing with a mix of embarrassment and excitement. The day drags on and with the cover of night we find our self together once again and make way for our sleeping bag.

    Drifting in and out of sleep we talk about our journey. Mike wants to stay here because he found “love”, Joseph no longer want to be poor and Vicky is fast asleep. This path that we were walking together has dived and for me it’s time to go to my roots. I have yet to figure out what brought me here but it’s time for me to go home. Taxes do not have real cowboys like the movies and the sunset can wait for another day. That morning we said our goodbyes to Mike and hit the rode back to Florida. I watch as we slip back to our routine. There is a feeling of just going home and spending a lifetime to find just that is.