Chapter 42: Boom Town and Home

On December 7th, I arrived in Odessa around 3 PM. I turned on the apps and worked for a little bit.

Around 5 PM I picked up a customer from a doctor's office, an elderly lady. She said she used to be a member of Odessa's City Counsel and told me of some interesting things Odessa used to do.

Some of the roads were blocked off and she said, "Oh, I forgot, the Christmas Parade of Lights is today. It's an annual event. You should go see it!"

So, after dropping her off, I found a nice place to park and watched.

As I watched, I felt like God had led me back to Odessa just for this!

I worked in the Midland and Odessa Area until around February 1, 2025, building up my bank account as much as I could.

I had a doctor's appointment on February 13, so it was imperative that I return home by then. On February 1st, I went to see the Petroleum Museum in Midland.

Then, I was on the eight hour trip home.

In Texarkana, once again, I had to take care of business. My tags needed to be renewed. I had to get my taxes filed for the year. My car needed maintenance. I needed to check my mail and storage. And, I had to get an Uber inspection in order to be able to drive on the Arkansas side of Texarkana.

I got all of that taken care of, then my brother (who is still in prison) asked me to take control of his money and property so I could put a camper on his property, so he would have a place to parole out to when the time came.

My aunt took me to Mount Pleasant where we found a damaged camper in good condition that had been involved in a wreck on the way to the dealer. It was brand new, but everything worked on the inside, except a few electrical outlets, and the water heater. We spent $9000 of my brother's money on it. But, it had to be put in my name because my brother was not out to do it.

I called a contractor and got it hooked up.

My dad's will stipulated that my brother is not to sell the property for a full 10 years, and someone in the family has to live on that property during that time, and he has to maintain the taxes. If he fails in any of that, the property will revert to me.

As I said, I don't want the property or the responsibility, so I was doing everything I could to help him keep it in his name. The property is on the Arkansas side of Texarkana.

My brother then informed me that he wouldn't be getting out of prison for another 2 years. "You might as well stay there until I get out."

I had to show POA papers to the water and electric company to get it hooked up, and after that, I only had to pay around $125 a month for the utilities and propane. It was nice to be able to sleep in a bed, and have a refrigerator and freezer and stove to cook on.

I still had to shower at the truck stop, occasionally, but for the most part, I heated water on the stove and bathed in it.

I made tea every day to take to work with me, and I put my brother's money in my brokerage account to buy stocks with it, so it could grow. He only allowed me $5000 to start with.

I payed off all my debts except one, then worked to put the money back into the account, knowing it had to be there when he got out of prison.

It felt good to be paying him and not all the interest I had to pay.

When school let out, business slowed down drastically, and I had to start doing Uber deliveries to make up for what I wasn't making delivering. I wished I was back in Midland again, where the money was better, but it felt good to be home.

I still told my story to as many people as would hear it, and I was blessed with trips out of town occasionally, where I could add more cities to the cities in Texas that I had visited. By July, I had seen 219 Texas cities - out of 1,518 to see in all. I still had a long way to go.

I started putting all of my earnings into the brokerage account and only pulling out what I needed to pay my bills with. It grew from $5000 in April to $8400 in July. So, I talked my brother into putting in all of his money so that he would have enough to live on when he got out just from the gains. We would each get the money every week we needed from the gains that way, and it would be in my name, so he could pursue getting help with his health and other financial help without any problems.

For the first time in my life, I felt I had a future. And, I felt that God was still coordinating everything to take care of me.

My next goal was to obtain health insurance again.

Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Chapter 41: El Paso

Around the first part of December, my brakes started failing. It had started making a funny noise, so I drove it to the nearest automotive repair shop and learned that I needed a whole new brake system.

I only had about $400 put back, so I had to utilize my overdraft privilege in my checking account in order to pay for the repairs, and they had to come down from the price, only fixing the part of the system that was causing most of the problems, and leaving the back drum alone. Still, it overdrew my account and I knew I wasn't going to be able to make my next bill, which was the biggest bill I had to pay - and the most important one, to me. Without that account, I would be dead in the water if I needed to take out another loan.

So, I got the repairs, and then went back to Texarkana. It was an eight hour drive.

I saw the DK oil refinery in Big Spring along the way. I ate BBQ. I enjoyed the drive as much as I could, adding new cities to the list of cities visited along the way.

When I got to Texarkana, I reborrowed some money from another loan account and refinanced that account so I could bring my account back into the green and pay a bill or two. It was worth it, even though my bills went up $10 per month.

Then I drove back to the Midland and Odessa area to resume my adventures.

The money was good there; but, I started thinking the grass might be greener in a more populated city, and where there is more people, the money had to be better, right?

I decided to go see El Paso.

It was about a four and a half hour trip from Midland to El Paso, and it was mostly desert. The drive was long, and mostly boring. I stopped in Van Horn to eat along the way.

By the time I got to Sierra Blanca (named for the white poppies that grow on the mountain, making it look white), I could see the outlines of the mountain ranges before me.

It was beautiful. It was as if God painted a canvass to show to only me, even though I knew that wasn't the case.

As the mountains got bigger in the distance, I reflected on how blessed I was. God had chose me to travel and tell people my story, and along the way, I got to see His great masterpieces. I got to see places I had never been, sites I had never seen before, eat foods I had never tried before at restaurants I'd never eaten at before. I got to talk to people from all over the world in my car.

I began to praise God and thank Him from bringing me there, at that place, at that time. Ninety five percent of the people I knew had never experienced all I had experienced on this adventure, and yet it was ME that God chose to show this to.

The closer I got to El Paso, the more majestic and beautiful the mountains looked before me. I got tears in my eyes as I sang praises to God.

Was it worth it to have gone through all I had gone through during the past year? At this point, my answer was a resounding YES! I would forever sing Lauren Diagle's "Trust in You"!

Then, I got to El Paso. I turned the Uber app on and the first trip I made was to a casino. I said to the passenger, "I didn't think it was legal to gamble in Texas!"

He said, "Oh, you aren't going to be in Texas. You will be two minutes inside of New Mexico, right on the line."

Amazing!

That night I stayed at a Pilot truck stock in Anthony, New Mexico, overlooking the great city of El Paso, Texas. I saw the most beautiful sunset I had ever seen in my life!

I drove around in the El Paso city for about four days. The Uber and Lyft apps kept trying to send me to the Port of Entry at the Jaurez border to Mexico. I did not want to go out of the country. My cancellation rate was going up in my app, and my acceptance rate was going down.

Then, one day I was sent to the military base at Fort Bliss. I found myself in a little turn-around, and I couldn't back out to go the other way, so I just had to drive through. I was sent through a checkpoint at the base, and explained that I was an Uber driver and it was my first time here.

The military police took my license and looked at it, walked around my vehicle, asked me a bunch of questions, then escorted me off the base before finally giving me my license back and advised me to go get a pass before I come back.

It was very intimidating, even though I knew they were just doing their job.

I wasn't making but two thirds of the money I made in the Midland and Odessa area, and the people there were rude and had no patience for a driver who had never been there before. I got my first safety report while I was there because the Uber navigation waited until I was right at a turn to tell me. I was blessed not to have caused a wreck, and it would have been totally my fault, and it added to my unease of working there.

When I am in Texarkana, my home town, I argue with Uber navigation all day long and it acts like it is its idea when we finally get there; but, when I am in a city I don't know, I have to listen to either it or the customer, because I have no idea where I am, much less where I am going.

I got to see some interesting things while I was there, though. The city was largely clean, but there were still a few street corners where homeless stood with their signs begging for help. I came across one guy holding a sign that said, "Need $ for more Cocaine." and in the bottom corner he had written "(Just exercising my 1st Amendment rights. IYKYK"

I thought that was hilarious, and even got him to pose for a picture:

El Paso had been beautiful. It was a city sitting on a mountain, and anywhere you looked in the city, you could see the whole city! But, as I said, the money wasn't that good, and my ratings were fluctuating to the negative, so I decided to back to the Midland and Odessa area.

Besides, Trump had just been re-elected as president, and I wanted to be there when the "big BOOM" happened in those oil towns. It's not every day you get to see history in the making.

Chapter 40: Jack Rabbits in Odessa and Brakes and Thanksgiving

It took me about a week to catch up in my checking account after getting my engine block clamp fixed. I was still struggling to pay the $3500 a month in bills I had accrued from the Ford Focus, back in 2023. I couldn't move on to another city until I had some money put back, but the money was good there, better than anywhere else I'd been, so I stayed, happily.

I let God guide me through my circumstances. Every Uber ride request was guidance from God: "This person needs a ride." "That person needs some advice." "This person needs to hear your story."

Every ping was a message from God for me to take action, and after every trip, God rewarded me through the Uber app for my efforts. I praised God that He allowed me to do so, and prayed against every attack from Satan that came my way in the form of car problems and bills. God provided me with what I needed to keep going, and most of the time it was at the end of my rope, JUST IN TIME.

I drove around in the Midland and Odessa areas praying constantly.

In the Odessa area, I began to notice a lot of Jack rabbit statues. I did some research on Google and found that Odessa used to be a rodeo town, much like Amarillo. The main feature in their rodeos were the jack rabbit lassoing contests. The original jack rabbit statue was placed at the Odessa College by John Ben Shepperd, who also has a street named after him in Odessa. He used to be the Secretary of State in Texas and the Lietenant Governor in the early 50s, and he was apparently from Odessa.

After John Ben Shepperd died, the town commemorated his memory by having 50 jackrabbit statues made, and gave them to businesses to paint any way they wanted to. Only 37 of them are still sitting outside of these businesses. Some businesses opted to donate their statue to the Odessa art museum.

I decided to embark on a scavenger hunt of sorts. Everytime I came across a statue, I took a photo and posted it on Facebook.

These are only a few of the pictures I took.

I sat in a Burger King one morning, eating breakfast, wondering how I was going to celebrate my Thanksgiving holiday. I no money, and no family around me, and I didn't know anyone in the area. I was searching online to find out where the homeless shelters were and were they having a dinner for the holiday?

As I sat there eating, a lady came to my table and said, "God told me to ask you if you wanted to join us for Thanksgiving at our church this Sunday." It was as if God was right there, answering my questions.

I gladly accepted her invitation, and invited her to hear my story.

She became a Facebook friend.

Once again, I knew that I was on a mission from God, and He was with me, every step of the way!

Chapter 39: Midland

I drove from Lubbock to the Midland and Odessa area.

On the way, I read historical markers, marking schools that were no longer there, and telling the story of 60 black union soldiers who drank horse blood and horse urine after defeating the Comanche Indians and warding off settlement raids and finding themselves 5 days from the nearest settlement where they could get water. All but four of them made it out alive, awarding them a historical marker for their "creative endurance".

The two cities are about 20 miles away from each other, so I prepared to work in both cities for at least a month, while I caught up on my bills and put some money back for further travelling.

When I got there, I was surprised at the amount of dust there was in the air. It was dry. The area had little to no rainfall. But, the communities inside the city were interesting. Some of them were beautiful, with rock lawns, rather than grass.

I thought, "It must be nice not to have to mow your yard!"

There were some neighborhoods that had lots of trees, but you could tell that they were all transplanted. And, I was surprised that there were so many in that area! There were all different kinds of trees there, and they seemed to be thriving, so I did some research to find out where the water was coming from.

I found out that Midland and Odessa had a lot of groundwater, but that after the oil boom, the water became contaminated, so now they get their water from the Colorado River Authority.

The locals said they hated it. It tasted bad, and they couldn't even cook with it.

When I would tell them where I was from, they would ask me why I chose to come there, of all places. It was an invitation to tell my story.

There was a bar there called "Fair to Midland" which warranted a story about how that phrase came to be from one of my customers, who said it was because back in the day, if you asked someone how they were doing, they would say "fair to midling." It came from the fact that Midland used to be a cotton town before the oil rigs came, and the midling grade was the highest grade of cotton there was.

I drove people to the airport there, and noted that it was called "The Midland Air and Space port", but there were no space ships there.

And, I saw the Armadillo Hotel. That place was HUGE!

The money was really good there. Much better than I expected. I stayed busy, and most of my uber trips were 15 mile trips, which made for a good earning at the end of the day!

There were about fifteen truck stops in the area - more truck stops than in any area I had been through so far.

At night, I would sleep at the truck stops, and I would shower at the nearest Planet Fitness in the mornings, if I couldn't afford the truck stop showers. I hated using the Planet Fitnesses there, because the water pressure was low, and the shower turned cold everytime someone flushed a toilet.

After about a week, one Saturday morning I went to fill my car up with gas. It was about 9:00 a.m.. When I got to the gas pump to start my car, I turned the key and there was nothing. No click. No turning over of engine. Just nothing.

My stomach sank.

I googled some local shops, praying someone was open on a Saturday. I found one, but they would close at noon, and I had to tow my own vehicle there.

I googled some towing companies. Most of them wanted $250 for the tow, plus mileage. I only had about $300 saved up.

I finally found one that would do it for a $100 flat fee.

It was 10:30 a.m. by the time I made it to the shop.

They stayed working on my car until 2 PM, trying find out what was wrong with it, knowing that I was living in my car and couldn't afford a room.

I took the opportunity to tell them my story while I worked, and it was my story that saved me!

The shop owner stopped me and said, "You said you just had your transmission worked on?". He went to the back for about 20 minutes and came back and said, "Your car is ready to go." and handed me a small clamp. He explained, "When they fixed your transmission, this clamp hooks the transmission to the block. It broke, and instead of replacing the clamp, they soldered it on. So, when the engine got hot, it broke again, and that is why you couldn't start your car!"

It cost me $352 to have that fixed. I was overdrawn in my checking account again, and I had bills to pay. But, now that my car was fixed, I was confident I could catch up again.

I drove around the Midland and Odessa area catching up on my bills after that.

Chapter 38: Amarillo

About two weeks before I left Lubbock completely, I took a trip to Amarillo.

My goal was to see Abernathy, as it was next on the list of cities to see in alphabetical order.

I passed through Abernathy on my way and marked that off my bucket list of cities to see. It was a small town with a very small population. Downtown looked dead. But, I made my way to the City Hall and took a picture of the historical marker to share with my friends and family on Facebook:

Then, I made my way on up to Amarillo.

Amarillo is a one hour and forty minute trip from Lubbock. There was nothing but desert on the way. No trees, just dust, and grass and fields of cactus and scrub.

About twenty minutes before entering Amarillo, there was a sign pointing the way to Palo Duro Canyon State Park. I was weary from the drive, but it was Saturday, and it was already 2:30 in the afternoon. I didn't figure I would be able to drive too much for Uber when I got there, anyway, so I made the turn to drive another ten miles to see the canyon. Besides, a lot of people in Lubbock had said that I should.

As I said, there was nothing but grass and desert, and then...there was THAT!

It was as if the whole terrain had changed in the blink of an eye!

It was beautiful.

I was blessed, because when I drove through the gates of the park, the lady at the gate told me that they had just finished the cattle drive, and because of that, everyone was allowed in for free all day!

I drove around in the park, stopping to take pictures and do a little hiking and viewing the creeks and ledges and gift shops and horse trails and camping areas along the way. I learned that, back in the day, the Comanche Indians had used the area as a hideout.

Then, I headed on to Amarillo. I was hungry.

Another big thing the locals told me about was the 72 oz Steak Challenge at The Big Texas restaurant in Amarillo. So, I went there to check it out.

I asked about the challenge, and was told that if I failed to eat the steak AND all the sides and dessert within an hour, I had to pay $72 for the steak. I decided against taking the challenge, and got a chopped steak dinner for $19.99 instead.

I enjoyed the dinner! It was crowded, and there was even a cowboy doing serenades at tables with a guitar.

Then, I went to work, picking up passengers for the next few days.

Amarillo's atmosphere was a lot different from Lubbock's. It was a cattle town, but it was busy enough. And, it was a big town that acted small, a lot like Lubbock. I told my story to a lot of people there, and was also directed to eat at the Big Texan, which I had already done. Then, everyone who did so also told me that Will Ferrell, the famous actor, had tried the challenge just two weeks before.

"Did he do it?" I asked.

"No, but he tried!" I was told.

The money wasn't as good as Lubbock was, and I was still reeling from the transmission situation, so I decided to go back to Lubbock to work until the end of the month, but not before I went to view the Helium Monument at the Discovery Museum in Amarillo.

Then, I went back to Lubbock. As I said, at the end of the month, I left Lubbock with tears in my eyes.

Chapter 37: Homecoming in Lubbock

I started the long drive back to Texarkana, to get my car fixed. I knew my trusty mechanic would welcome me with an open stall.

I Ubered along the way, stopping in Wichita Falls for the night, and Ubering their the next day until I got enough gas money to keep going.

I had been sending money to my brother's books. He was currently in prison, and since my dad died, I was all he had, so I felt it was my responsibility to help him as much as I could.

My dad, when he died, left him a sizeable amount of money, and his property, with the stipulation that someone had to live on the property, he couldn't sell it for ten years, and he had to maintain the taxes on the property during that time, or the property would automatically revert to my name.

I didn't want the property, to be honest. It was located on the Arkansas side of Texarkana, and the house was condemned. I didn't want to spend the money for the upkeep. I didn't want the responsibility.

As I said, I was on my way back to Texarkana, and all I had was $500.

On the way, I read historical markers and passed by the biggest provider of hay on this side of the United States!

There was really nothing to see but a lot of grass. If I hadn't stopped to read the marker, I might not have realized how much there was to actually see.

When I got to Wyndham, Texas, about two hours from Texarkana on Highway 82, I stopped to get a bite to eat and use the restroom at a truck stop. When I got back to my car, I started it and put it in the reverse to back out of the parking spot I was in, and the car wouldn't go.

I was stuck.

I started begging for help on Facebook, only to face another barrage of attacks from followers on the social media site.

I finally contacted a local garage, who came and towed my vehicle to their shop. I was informed that I needed a new transmission.

This, again.

But, at least this time, the car was MINE. I owed no car payment. And, it wasn't the same kind of transmission that the Ford Focus had a year ago.

Still, it would be two days before they could have it fixed, and it would take a big chunk of my $500 just to get a room while I waited, and the transmission was going to cost $3,000. My aunt was taking care of my brother's money for him at the time. She suggested I ask him for a loan.

I contacted my brother and asked to borrow $4000 for the repairs on the transmission, to ensure I had enough in case there were other things that needed to be fixed, as well. I told him that without my car I can't work, and if I can't work, I can't send him any money because I have to pay for my phone and my credit cards I use to do that with, so it was in BOTH of our best interest if he did.

He agreed, and I promised to send him $50 a week until it was paid off.

My car was fixed.

God had opened another door, and I was beyond grateful!

I drove to Texarkana, to ensure everything was fixed, and the check engine light came on. I had to get a few more things taken care of that cost about $400 more, then drove around Texarkana for about two days, to make sure all was good before I headed back to Lubbock to resume my travels.

I was actually missing Lubbock. I never thought I could miss a town I didn't live in, but, as I said, I was in love with Lubbock.

When I bought the car, it had 102,000 miles on it. At this point, it already had 138,000 miles on it. And, it wasn't a CVS transmission; so, I was confident that the transmission would hold.

I went back to Lubbock and drove around until the end of October. Before I left, I went to see the Lake Lubbock Landmark:

And, I saw the Windmill Museum:

I also got to work in Lubbock on game day. The football game for Texas Tech against A&M was the biggest game of the year. Thousands of people were flocking to the AT&T stadium for the big game! It was an exciting event, and I was blessed to be able there to provide my services!

It was a grand experience. I remembered working the AT&T stadium in Arlington, and how busy it was there. I hated that experience, because the traffic was so congested in Arlington. But, the traffic in Lubbock was quite manageable. I would take that over Arlington any day!

However, I had my suitcase, hygiene kit, and blankets and pillows in my trunk. And, I could only transport 3 people in the back seat of my car at any given time, because I had my cooler and necessity box in the front seat - and I didn't want strangers riding in the front with me, anyway. If anyone had luggage, it had to fit in the back seat with them.

Customers for the game day celebration had lawn chairs and ice chests, and sometime 4 or 5 people at a time. I had to do a lot of cancellations. So, I ended up turning off Uber for a few hours until game day was cleared.

When it started, I noticed a statue that was covered in red plastic. It was a horse and rider. It was the "Lone Raider" statue. I asked why it was covered in plastic and a customer explained to me how A&M had vandalized the statue one year before the game day. So now, they cover the statue for a week before the game, and post Raider guards from the teams 24 hours a day as a tradition since then. I found that interesting!

Then, close to the end of October, there was the Texas Tech Homecoming Parade. It was the most talked about event of the whole month I was there. I was blessed to be able to turn off the app and find a great place to park in order to watch it!

By the end of the month, I knew that if I didn't leave Lubbock, I was NEVER going to leave. I was so in love with that city! I felt like I was home.

To this day, I have not found the spirit that Lubbock has in any other city in Texas.

While I was there, I also got to drive one of the World Wrestling Entertainment directors to the Lubbock Airport, AND, I also met one of the owners of Sam's Southern Eatery, who was looking for a new spot to land another restaurant. Lubbock didn't have one, yet.

One week in October, I decided to go to Amarillo. On my way, I would see Abernathy.

Chapter 36: Lubbock

When I finally got to Lubbock, Texas, I decided to Uber around and pick up passengers.

I found that picking up passengers in the cities I visited not only gave me the chance to tell my story, but to also get to know the cities in ways that would not have been possible if I was just passing through. I still had bills to pay, so I still had to make a living.

I would talk to the customers and find out what they liked and disliked about their cities. I would ask questions. I would give answers, based on the information I gathered. And, I would see and experience things I normally wouldn't get to experience otherwise.

Someone told me I should go and see Prairie Dog Town in McKenzie Park. I did a Google search and found out more about it, then I went to go see it, and posted pictures on Facebook for my friends and family to be jealous.

I had never seen a prairie dog before. They were adorable!

I fell in love with Lubbock.

The city was clean. The streets were well maintained, aside from a few construction spots - which every city has. It was laid out in a way that made it so easy to navigate!

There were about 250,000 people there, and even though it was a fairly big city, it acted like a small town. Everyone knew everyone, and everyone could tell you what was going at any given time in the city.

There were lots of great places to eat and be entertained.

I drove Coe Wetzel's bus driver to a motel from the venue they were playing at, Cook's Garage!

I drove on Buddy Holly Drive and Mac Davis Street, both were natives of Lubbock, and Lubbock was proud of them!

After about a week of driving around in Lubbock, seeing Texas Tech University and picking up customers there on a daily basis, my car started acting up. I took it to a local mechanic, but they wanted to charge me $165 just to look at it. I only had $500 in my savings, and what I thought was wrong with it might cost about $400, so I figured I should go back to Texarkana to have my mechanic check it out. So, I started on the 8 hour trip back to Texarkana.

It was the first week of October.

Chapter 35: Abernathy or Bust

I went to my doctor's appointment on September 19th, 2024. I got a prescription refill, and she set my next appointment for six months later, February 13, 2025. So, I knew I had plenty of time to travel.

I went back to the Dallas area for about three days, traveling to all the cities I could in those three days, and sleeping at the nearest truck stop I could find at the end of the day.

I went and purchased a Planet Fitness membership, so I could shower any time I needed to on my travels without having to pay $18 every time I showered. The membership was only $28/month out of my account. It was worth it.

Then, I decided to see the next city on my list of cities I had found in Texas. There were 1,518 cities in Texas, and my goal was to see each and every one of them, and talk to people and tell my story as I did so.

God had put me out here. He wanted me to tell the story, so I did.

Each time I told it, I watched my passengers' faces go from anger and shock, to tearful, to joy and amazement. Each of them would thank me for sharing it with them, and told me that I should "write a book", but encouraged me to keep telling it. Many of them said it was what they needed to hear it. It gave them hope. It made them look at their problems in a whole different perspective. I praised God that He had given me such a powerful story to tell!

I travelled toward Lubbock, on my way to Abernathy, Texas, reading all the historical markers I could find on the way. I was in no great hurry to be anywhere, and God was my guide. I was learning a lot about Texas history and learning to appreciate my home on the road, and the life that God had given me. My motto on Facebook had become, "Home-free. Living the American Dream through Faith and Freedom, One Day at a Time!"

I hadn't eaten all day. I was hungry; so, I decided to find a small "mom and pop" diner to eat at.

I was in Windthorst, Texas, at a little crossroads, wondering which direction to take when I saw a general store that was caddy corner to the place I was. On the outside of the little store was a gigantic sign that read, "Windthorst General Store: Established in 1892"!

I immediately parked there and took photos to post on Facebook. I loved posting stuff on Facebook so my friends and family could share in the abundant life God was giving me!

I walked inside and there were two big, burly men with beards, paying for their items at the counter. They looked like bikers without a bike. Definitely the "redneck" type.

I told them I was travelling, trying to see all the cities in Texas, and that I hadn't eaten all day, and asked where the nearest restaurant was.

One of the men said in a big Texas drawl, "Ye can get somethin' ta eat here!"

Okay, then! I smiled. I got a German Sausage wrap, which is something I had never had before, and went on my way. I always tried to get something I had never tried before, because, after all, it was all about having "NEW" experiences.

About an hour later, I found myself reading about five historical markers at the Lake Dewey Landmark.

There was no lake to be seen, however. I kept looking for it. Then, the last historical marker explained that the lake had been drained by the natural formation of a creek nearly 100 years ago. A lot of historical things happened around that lake that formed Texas history.

Then, I found myself in Lubbock, Texas.

Chapter 34: The Garden

In late March, I went to my doctor's appointment, then I loaded my car with my suitcase, hygiene kit, blankets and pillows and left, after visiting my mom's grave, to back to the Dallas area to work, and to start making a list of all the cities that I work in around that area.

It was starting to get warmer at night, and sleeping in my car would be a challenge, I knew, so I determined to pay my cousin $20 a day for letting me stay in her extra bedroom.

She didn't ask for it, but I offered. I didn't want to wear out my welcome there.

In June, my control arms broke on my vehicle. I had to get them replaced at the local Firestone, because driving back to Texarkana was not an option. My mechanic had taken out a warranty for them, but I was unable to be compensated due to the fact I had the second repairs at Firestone in Dallas, and they were replaced by a different company.

At this point, I only had about $500 left.

Then, my cluster went out. I had to have that replaced.

I borrowed some money from my cousin, and I felt like an imp doing so. I was able to pay her back, but I couldn't keep up with my bills and pay $20/day. I apologized to her profusely, but she took it all in stride and told me I shouldn't worry about it. After all, I was family.

I will forever be grateful to her for that!

While I was in the Dallas area, my spirits started to revive when I realized the position that God had placed me in.

I got to see things I'd never taken notice of before.

I saw the Mary Kay building. (I expected it to be pink, but it wasn't! It was brown brick, just like any other building).

I saw the Dallas Baptist University. It was beautiful!

I saw Arlington's AT&T Stadium on game day (it was a mess!).

I got to try Thai food in Sherman, Korean food in Denton, Vietnamese food in Garland. I ate Cajun food in Mesquite, Salvadorian food in Irving, Chinese food in Dallas, and the best Mexican food I ever had in my life in Grand Prairie!

I saw Trader's village in Grand Prairie. It was HUGE!

I started embracing and enjoying my life again.

I got to see the Southfork Ranch in Parker, and the Stockyards in Fort Worth!

Since I had to be careful of my diet, I stayed away from fast food as much as I could. I could get a burger anywhere, at any time, but I knew that wasn't healthy for me. So, I stayed away from burgers and fries as a rule.

But, one day I was craving a burger. I figured if I was going to eat a burger, then it had to be a GOOD burger. Something special.

I was in Fort Worth, so I did a Google search and went to a little place near downtown called "Station M&O Grill and Cocktail Lounge".

I walked into the little bar, and an older gentleman behind the counter said, "Can I help you?"

I took a breath as I looked at all the "Best Burger in Fort Worth" awards on the wall.

I said, "I'm searching for the best burger I have never had."

He said, "My name is Chef Danny. I think I can accommodate."

He suggested I try the "Tijuana Burger". He explained that he cooks his burgers in a bleu cheese butter sauce that he makes himself.

I took his suggestion and ordered it with Sweet Potato fries and a glass of Sweet Tea.

He personally brought the burger to me. It was beautifully stacked with all the fixings, avocados, and topped with blue cheese sauce on top.

It was beautiful, and messy, and VERY delicious. The sweet potato fries were seasoned just right. The tea was delicious. And, he sat and talked with me about my adventures while I ate.

He told me that he started out at the Petroleum Club in Fort Worth as a young man and showed me pictures on the wall of himself as a young man there.

When I left that little lounge that day, I could honestly say I had the best burger, and the best eating experience, I had ever had in my life!

I got to talk to people from all over the world in my car, as I drove them from point A to point B.

I heard lots of stories, gave lots of advice, and told my story to as many people who would listen as I could.

One girl from Australia told me how they drive on the left side of the road in her country. She said that the first time an Uber driver turned "right on red", it scared her half to death here!

I had a doctor's appointment in Texarkana in September, so I decided it was time to get ready to move out of my cousin's apartment and continue my travels. The weather was cooling off enough for me to be able to sleep in my car again, and, as I said, I didn't want to wear out my welcome.

But, I wanted to take my cousin some place special to treat her for her kindness.

So, I wanted to take her to that Mexican place, The Hacienda Buffet, in Grand Prairie.

As we drove to the restaurant, she told me how much she enjoyed eating at Poncho's.

I explained to her that Poncho's was more of a "commercialized" Mexican buffet, and where we were going had more "authentic" food. I don't think she could wrap her head around it, which made the experience even more thrilling for me!

We went inside and the buffet cost $25/person. She said, "Oh, my, that's a little much. Why don't we go Dutch?"

I refused. "NO," I said, "This is my treat. AND, it will be worth it when I see your face."

We walked inside, and there were buffet bars everywhere. Bars with Mexican entrees, Mexican vegetables, Mexican salads, and desserts! Any way you wanted to make a taco, or fajita or whatever!

We went to the table and a waiter brought our drinks and whatever kinds of tortillas we liked.

It was an awesome experience! She took one look around and said, "I just THOUGHT I knew Mexican food. I didn't know CRAP! I've GOT to bring my dad HERE!"

It made me feel good.

I saw the Fort Worth Stockyards, and got to eat at the Badazz Burrito in Fort Worth. It was the home of the 3 lb and 11 lb burrito. A sign on the wall said, "Take the Burrito Challenge!". I asked about it. They said if you eat the 11 lb Burrito in less than 4 minutes, you get $400.

No. I didn't try it.

As I left the Dallas area to go to my doctor's appointment in Texarkana, I praised God and thanked Him for His blessings, for the experiences I had had for the past few months, and petitioned for His guidance and I continued my journey with Him.

I started to realize the unique position He had placed me in, to be able to experience a life that others only talk about maybe having one day. I was having that life out of necessity, and I was blessed to be able to!

I was beginning to learn that I didn't have to have a lot of "stuff" in order to live an abundant life.

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you. Matthew 6:33 My bills were caught up. I was still paying them down, but I had everything I needed. I was blessed.

The world was His garden, and I was blessed to walk...or drive...in it.

Chapter 33: Take It All Back

December, and then January of 2024, I worked all around the Dallas area on the Lyft app, paying for my rental, sleeping and showering at the truck stops, and doing good.

I was slowly falling behind on my bills, but at least I could pay something.

At this point, I was paying $3,500 a month in bills, and I paid them all on-line so I wouldn't have to go back to Texarkana.

A big water blister formed on my leg, just before I had left Texarkana around the first of December. It would not heal. It drained constantly. My legs were swollen.

I had already dropped my insurance, because I couldn't afford it.

On February 3, 2024, my aunt called me and told me to come back to Texarkana. My dad, apparently, had left me some money. She wanted to give it to me.

I left the Dallas area and drove all the way back to Texarkana in my Lyft rental vehicle. My car was still in storage in Bedford, Texas.

I picked up a check for $25,000.

I was beyond thankful!

I thanked God all the way to the Emergency Room. I figured I should get my legs looked at. I hadn't even cashed the check yet.

The Hospital doctors ran tests and took exrays, then informed me, "Ms. Ponder, you have congestive heart failure!"

They told me to make an appointment with my doctor, and gave me Ferosimide and Potassium for the swelling. I would have to take it, or risk dying. So, I made an appointment with my doctor, and went back to Bedford to get my car out of storage.

So, now, there was REALLY nothing I could do but drive for a living.

I messaged my step dad to let him know that all was forgiven. My dad was taking care of me from beyond the grave, but that all of the problems that occurred after they didn't help me led to me getting congestive heart failure. They had effectively murdered me, but I loved them, anyway.

Ten minutes later, my cousin from Grand Prairie called me and informed me that she was so sorry, she had just been informed that my mother had passed away that morning.

I called my sister, who immediately condemned me for my message to my step dad, which he had apparently got while he was still at the hospital with my mother.

I decided, at that point, it was best not to attend the funeral, due to my current health situation. I didn't need any more stress than I already had, and I would not survive being someone's emotional punching bag. I would go to the grave later, in a few weeks, alone, to pay my respects.

When I got to Bedford, I gave up my Lyft vehicle. I went to get my car out of storage, and I felt HORRIBLE. I was so fatigued, I thought I was going to pass out. So, I called my cousin, who lived in Grand Prairie, and had offered me her extra bedroom if I needed it.

I stayed with her for a week, until I got strong enough to go back to Texarkana.

When I got back to Texarkana, I cashed the check and rented a motel room.

At this point, I just needed a break. I was feeling every emotion under the sun and I needed to recuperate from all the stress.

I got caught up on all my bills and payed them a month ahead of time. Then, I got out my list, and started paying everyone back who helped me.

I went to my mechanic and gave him a generous $1,000 gift. I thought he was going to cry. Tears came to his eyes as he said, "Ms. Ponder, I don't care if it is 2:00 in the morning, and you are 200 miles away, if you need me, you call me, do you hear me?"

Then, I went to the doctor and got a prescription for 90 days of the medication I needed.

When all was said and done, I had about $15,000 left to spend.

I sat in my room, wondering what I was going to do.

I was going through Facebook one morning, and a memory post popped up, reminding me of what I had posted one year ago, to that date.

It was The Dream.

God had told me to give up everything I owned. (I had done that, because I had no choice). He told me to get a shipping post mailbox. (I had one, because I had to have a way to get my mail). He told me to get a storage unit for what I absolutely needed. (I had one). He told me to move into my car (I had done that) and to travel and tell people the story He was about to give me at that time.

It was at that point that all of the emotions I had been feeling drained away. I realized I was exactly where God wanted me to be.

When I didn't do what God wanted me to do right away, He orchestrated the events to put me there, whether I wanted to be there or not.

So, I re-posted the dream, and added:

"Hey, ya'll remember when I posted this last year?

"LOOK at all the negative responses ya'll gave me.

"At this point in my life, I don't know if I am Job, or I am Jonah. I just know that, right now, I am EXACTLY where God wants me to be.

"I have a little bit of money now. I can use it to try to get back a lot of what I have lost over the past year, and probably end up back right where I am with NOTHING left. OR, I can do what God told me to do to begin with and see where that takes me.

"I think I am going to buy another car and go see every city in the state of Texas."

On March 15, 2024, I went to Stone Motors on New Boston road and found a car that I wanted. I took it to my mechanic, and had him look at it before I bought it. He added up the cost of getting it Uber ready, and told me it was a good buy.

So, I spent $4,700 to buy a Chevrolet HHR.

Then, I took it to the shop, had spark plugs, auto-pilot light, control arms, tie rods, cabin air filter, and tire pressure monitoring system and brake pads and front brakes put on it. And I got new tires. That cost me another $4500. But, it was MY car. It was paid for. I didn't owe a payment on it.

I got the insurance on it, then I took the Ford Focus back to the dealership and told them I was done with that car.

The bank said, "Ms. Ponder, you owe us $15,000."

I said, "In the fifteen months I have had this car, I have spent nearly $35,000 keeping it on the road. You aren't getting another dime from me. You can have it back."

They said, "It's gonna hurt your credit!"

I said, "I have fifteen loans, credit cards and revolving loans due to this car. I can reborrow off of them as needed. In seven years, my credit will be okay again. You aren't getting another DIME from me!"

Then, I went back to the motel room to prepare and pray.