Road Trip Dice Roll

I recently took a road trip back to visit friends in Iowa — where I’m from — and it was pretty great.

The car I rented, a 2019 Nissan Versa, ran like a dream. The roads were clear and the days were sunny, with puffy white clouds floating above in a radiant blue sky.

With only 40k miles on its odometer, I didn’t sweat getting from Point A to Point B. The little Versa’s strong, young engine, good tires, even a backup camera — all made it a journey of simply ticking off the miles across stunningly beautiful Nebraska.

OK — That was kind of a joke. I’m sure Nebraskans love their state, but God, it can be soooo boring! Hundreds of miles of flatty flatness to push through before finally getting a little touch of a landscape with trees and hills when approaching the eastern side.

In general, I love road trips. Packing up and hitting the Open Road, where Adventure awaits. Yes, that’s what I always think before the actual trip begins.

Then, reality sets in.

When I was younger, I was much more adventurous when it came to taking a road trip with my own car. Which was almost always at least 15 years old and in questionable shape under the hood (and everywhere else).

But my unbridled optimism usually prevailed, and after maybe getting an oil change, I would fearlessly drive off into The Great Unknown.

Mostly, God watched over me and I made it to my destination and back home again. But there were times when things did not go well.

A visit to Missouri is burned into my memory, when my car ( I won’t say the brand, but not generally known for being untrustworthy) broke down while I was there and TWICE on the way back to Colorado.

That was sort of the Road Trip From Hell, and I hope to never repeat it.

There have been a few other White Knuckle Drives, but I always seem to forget how bad they were and naively jump in my vehicle blissfully looking forward to motoring to the next Wherever.

I DO love going to new places, and I also love to visit familiar places -- and see familiar faces -- to see how they’ve changed (or not).

Not being an airplane lover, I embrace the idea of getting to my destination under my own (vehicle’s) power and having my own wheels (rented or otherwise) when I get there.

But -- no question -- it IS far better if you can rent a car that you trust to make it there and back…

Now that I’m older, I’m not certain just how many Road Trips still lay ahead for me and any passengers who are brave enough to accompany me.

But the Open Road Adventure -- whether a Dream or a Nightmare -- still beckons.