Hotels Across the Country
Room 1 – Upstate New York
Comedy night at the Marquis was never any good. But he was from out of town and he didn’t know any better so I let him take me there anyway. Turns out, it’s not half bad when you’re with someone you like.
I’m not sure if I can call this love just yet, but it feels different. I don’t know, maybe I’ve seen one too many love stories. Or maybe I haven’t seen enough. You know what I hate about them? At the end of the movie, no one ever says what love is. The characters just fall in love and get married and then the credits roll. No definition, no answer, just a kiss and a blackout. What kind of bullshit is that? How the hell am I supposed to know when I’m in love if no one tells me what it actually means to be in love?
Whatever… I’m sure one day I’ll figure it out. Maybe one day he’ll come back and then I’ll know for sure.
Room 2 – Minneapolis, Minnesota
She saw me from across the street. Don’t ask me how, but she did. And I knew the moment I saw her that she would be the source of all my happiness. And then, my bus soared away and she disappeared into my hindsight.
I always take the same bus home, but that night I didn’t. And now I can’t go back to my old route again. I come back to that same stop at the same corner, across from the same hotel, hoping that I’ll see her again.
But, somewhere deep down, I know that I’m really waiting for her to see me.
Room 3 – The Great Plains (Or Somewhere Close to Kansas)
“Draw me a picture of the stars,” she said. I held her close and promised her I would.
But the next day, I forgot what the stars looked like. And pretty soon, I forgot what she looked like too.
“Draw me a picture of the stars,” I said. She held me close and promised me she would.
“One day, you’ll see them too.”
Room 4 – The Quiet B&B in Opal, Wyoming
From a note left at the front desk upon departure: “The service and food was lovely. And, if anyone ever asks, the scratches on my husband’s back came from all your cats. HaHaHa!”
Room 5 – The Grand Canyon
From a postcard sent home on August 16th, 2003: “We got on the road with nothing but $200 bucks for gas and a bunch of old snacks. 526 miles later and we made it! We have no idea where we’re going to stay, but this isn’t a bad place to be stuck in at all. You should come visit soon!”
Room 6 – The Pacific Northwest
From the back of a Polaroid found in the room trash: “This place feels like infinity. He says he never wants to leave.”
Room 7 – Motel California
California is the place of dreams. I guess that’s why we ended up in a cheap motel 2,000 miles away from home. No money, no car, but plenty of hope. But my mother used to say, “You can’t live in a fantasy forever.”
Good thing we made ours a reality before the clock stopped ticking.
Room 8 – Music City
From a scrap of a music sheet found in the back of a desk drawer: “Lobby of Hermitage. 9pm. Bring your best suit and a smile. See you soon!”