"I did it!" she exclaimed joyfully as she drove past the town sign. Lily gripped the steering wheel, the wind whipping through her hair, feeling both exhilaration and trepidation. She released the pressure on the accelerator and tried to soak in the breathtaking scenes of the desert and the mountain ranges as she drove onto Highway 66.
She had never gone beyond the perimeter of her little town since she moved in as a little kid after the death of her parents. She was raised by her paternal grandmother, a lovely but very conservative woman. Lily had grown to love her even though their ideology differed as she grew. Mémé, as she used to call her grandma, got sick when Lily finished high school. Instead of proceeding to college, Lily cared for Mémé for three years before she passed away.
The town, though beautiful, feels stagnant to her, and she begins to grow disenchanted. She felt a yearning to see the world beyond the familiar faces of Harmony Falls, its conversations, and its predictable routine. She yearns to venture into the unknown and step outside her comfort zone. So while taking care of Mémé, she worked as a waitress in a restaurant, and she saved up to buy a used car.
The smell of parched earth, the changing sand colours of cinnamon, and rust that stretched endlessly towards a horizon revibrated her mind. She realized for the first time she was truly stepping out of her comfort zone.
"Gosh, this is strange. Am I making a mistake?" She wonders. "Should I have just stayed in Harmony Falls?"
She didn't have a thorough plan; she just wanted to leave her little town and drive to Albuquerque. First, she would lodge in a motel, look for a job, and find a way to get singing gigs there.
Her hands were on the steering wheel as she raced past the picturesque desert, but her mind was no longer paying attention to the scenes; instead, thoughts were racing through her mind. She drove past the 60-kilometre mark, and at a distance of about 200 meters, there was a hitchhiker with his arm extended and hands forming a thumbs up.
"Should I pick him?" she questioned herself, a knot forming in her stomach. "What if he is dangerous?" Lily hesitated, her foot hovering over the brake. This was her first real test of independence, her first encounter with the unknown.
She remembered a conversation with Mémé, "The world is full of wonder, Lily," her grandmother had said. "But it also has its dangers. You must learn to trust your instincts, to be cautious, but never let fear hold you back."
Lily took a deep breath, recalling Mémé's words. With a determined sigh, Lily pulled over.
"Hi, I'm Mike," the hitchhiker said as he moved closer. "I am going to Albuquerque; are you also going that way?"
"Yes, I am," Lily responded with a bit of suspicion; the hitchhiker was looking like he was in his forties. "Why are you in the middle of the desert alone and hitchhiking?" she asked.
"Well, it is a habit of mine; I do come to the desert to camp a day or two. It is a way of getting solitude and inspiration for my songs. And I find hitching the perfect way to meet with strangers," Mike responded, tugging his belongings.
Lily looked warily as she invited him into the car. At first, she drove in silence, scared of whether to have a more in-depth conversation with Mike. But gradually she felt at ease. Mike broke the silence.
"Why are you going to Albuquerque?"
"I am going there for a fresh start. I have lived in my little town, Harmony Falls, for many years. I want to explore the world, and the nearest city is Albuquerque. Also, I want to pursue my passion for singing; I have only performed in Harmony Falls. I want to take my talent to the next level."
"So why Albuquerque?" Lily asked to briefly look at Mike before turning her attention back to the road.
"Let's say I live there for the time being and also got a gig there." Mike began sharing stories of his struggles—playing in empty rooms, living paycheck to paycheck, but always holding onto his passion.
As the miles rolled by, their conversation grew easier; the initial tension Lily had felt had faded completely. They soon entered the city of Albuquerque. Mike helped her navigate the city and told her of the motels she could stay at. Mike asked to be dropped at a major roundabout near the city centre. But before he alighted, he gave a card to Lily and said, "I want to make a promise that no matter how the city life can be, "you won't back down."
Lily said, "I won't be back down."
"Thank you", Mike said as he waved as she drove off.
Just hundreds of meters from where she dropped Mike on her way to the motel, she saw her billboard advertising a music concert with Mike's picture in a band called Midnight Horizon. When she got to her motel, she Googled the band and discovered that they were global stars and Mike was their lead singer. She couldn't believe she had just driven a star from the desert to the city.
She opened the card; in it, there was a VIP ticket for the concert, and Mike penned this:
"Thank you for the hitch, and you can call this number if you're looking for a gig."
