Where were we? Kam and I were standing on the side of the road while the wet and smoking ashes of what I owned were herded into piles. Some were tossed on the side of the road. I'm not sure what happened to them all. At that point I didn't care. All I'm thinking about is where do I go from there, what the fuck do I do now?
I briefly considered heading back to Boston but remembered I had no apartment, no job, no nothing. I did a good job of closing everything up that I had nothing to come back to. What a waste it would be, could you imagine the story of my trip to Chicago? "My truck blew up, my stuff got burned so I decided to come back."
"You didn't even make it to Chicago," faceless conversation participant asks?
"Nah, decided that wasn't a good sign."
"How far did you make it?"
"Snowshoe, Pennsylvania."
"Where?"

Exactly. I had no idea where we were, didn't even believe there was a town named Snowshoe in the middle of Pennsylvania. The tow truckers (there were a few of them now, trucks burning on the side of the road attract that sort of attention I guess), were cool and helped us figure out where exactly we were. They gave us a ride to this truck stop where they said we could get some food and wait until U Haul sent a truck to finish the trip. I felt like I was in limbo. I was homeless, had very little to my name and uncertain what's next.
In the truck the driver said "at least you can say you took a ride in a vintage '73 Mack truck." Yeah, that makes it all worth it. I'd gladly do it again.

We waited there in the parking lot for hours, Kam and I, until we decided to head to the truck stop and get some food. I wasn't particularly hungry, I really doubted I'd ever eat again but something to do would be better than standing there getting roasted in the sun and stewing over the situation.

I've been in truck stops around the country, including a very weird liquor store/fireworks shop on a reservation just outside of Las Vegas, but this was the nicest one I've ever been to. I felt like I stepped back sixty years, where people were run out of town if they were seen holding hands in public. Very old timey and very cozy. The customers looked like regulars that were enjoying their daily tea and swapping stories. We took a seat by the window in case U Haul decided to actually deliver the truck that they promised (going on four hours now).
Everyone was wondering about the burnt out shell outside the window and seeing us sunburnt and covered in dirt and ashes they had some questions for us. The waitresses were very cool, each came by to offer condolences and ask if there was anything they could do.
I remember I ordered chicken fingers but I don't think I finished. They offered some pie on the house or coffee but I wouldn't have been able to eat any of it. My mind was going in too many places.

Past the five hour mark the truck carrying our truck pulled up and we were off. The excitement and relief to finally be on the road and changing my life was over. The truck was covered with safety notice inside and out and I wondered if that was intentional or merely ironic. It was a long haul to Chicago and I don't think either of us spoke for some time. I fell asleep somewhere in Indiana at a rest stop and in the morning had the terrible feeling that I woke up into a bad dream. Things got slowly easier and we were talking though not laughing. Kam has a knack for making me laugh, he has the same sense of humor as I do but neither of us were in the mood. He lost all he brought with him on the trip; changes of clothes, his palm, his books and his ipod. All I had was burnt and warped cds and dvds in burned and wet boxes in the back.
Indiana was very rural and for a while, I was jealous. I knew living in that area would wear me down with boredom but I wish I could live in a place so seemingly free of constant stress everywhere, somewhere where you knew everyone around you and your father and his father went to the same high school you went to. We passed a bonfire with a bunch of people congregating around it and it made me think about my life and what could have been had I made other choices. I knew I was too wrapped up in things I shouldn't be and place too much importance and effort on things that are needless and I was offered the perfect opportunity to change what needed to be changed.

We stopped in Akron, the home of Devo, to pick up food, clothes and charges for my cell phone and Kam's ipod. I picked up a few t shirts and a couple pairs of shorts. When we got to Chicago we were hot and neither of us had had a good night's sleep for days. I scrambled to get a place on schedule with my move and ended up agreeing to move in with someone I didn't know very well and only talked to for some time on the phone. It was one of many risks I took for this move but he had a flexible lease and a good price for a two bedroom apartment. I was in Chicago.