Up a Hill

My head was throbbing. The night before brought its share of adventures from the French and Russian girls we met the night before.

We rented a car and took of exploring. Soon, our convertible snaked up a wet asphalt road. It was an old beat up Chevy, with a sticky manual and a tendency to skid. We climbed from Budva to the top of the hills for an hour and half, stopping every time cars came the other way as the road was built in Middle Ages.

Tyler sat sullenly behind the wheel. He wanted to rent a sports car and fly around these turns, instead he pressed the pedal to the floor and fumed through the turtle pace of the junker.

Eric was taking photos and maintaining that this trip was a good idea.

Eric - "Tyler, you didn't have this attitude while you seduced the Russian girl last night."

Tyler - "Yeah!" "Because THAT was a good idea."

Eric  - "That wasn't a good idea. That was a GREAT idea".

I contemplated the European soundtrack. My mood seems to switch with the different songs, a random mix of emotions, accentuated by the brittleness of a hungover nervous system.

The radio signaled weakened as we ascended the local peak and for Tyler's sake I prayed that we would keep our musical inspiration.

The vista around would have suited Tour de France. The ocean stretched to the horizon and snaked into the continent through a series of giant interconnected bays. The mountains sprang from the waterline and shot up to the heavens. The sun shone brightly, after a brief rain and the clouds swam in the voluminous, puffy chunks.

My thoughts changed back to introspection. Two months on the road is a while and I still had a month to go. Money was ok and the times were better. Travel becomes a its own routine. The parade of gorgeous destinations and wonderful strangers is always just around the corner. Just keep your eyes open.

I had a few days left with the boys and would take a bus to Skopje to meet my parents.

The world was my oyster.