I got lost in a parking garage

I grew up in the middle of a corn field. The most traveling I did was an hour or two drive to cattle shows. I visited Chicago once with my great grandparents as a small child. I think I was six when I went to Niagara Falls. When I was a little older my family had a family vacation once at a fancy mansion in South Carolina. My high school best friends mom got married at Tybee Island when I was 18. 

I got married and had a beautiful honeymoon in Galveston, TX and a cruise to Mexico. 

So, when I drove into Indianapolis by myself for the first time all alone, I was nervous. But I had paid attention to my husband each time we went downtown or anywhere that required offsite parking. I got in just fine. It was getting out that proved a challenge. 

I stood at the kiosk trying to put my ticket in but it kept spitting it back out at me. I even stopped a kind looking woman to ask for help, she couldn’t get my ticket to work either. 

“Am I at the wrong garage?” No, I double checked all my focal points. “Is this the wrong kiosk?” No, it has my garage street name on it and I purposely noted it as I walked into the skyscraper building. 

My last option was to call Paul. He was hanging out with my dad on the farm for the day so I knew I was in for some trash talk. 

“I can’t get out of the parking garage. What do it do?” 

After some knee slapping laughter he finally told me that there would probably be someone working the exit and I could pay there. 

I had thought of that actually but it’s 5 pm in downtown Indianapolis and everyone, I mean everyone, is leaving for the day. It’s rush hour. My face was red hot as I thought about the possibility of being “that” person that had to back up traffic because I couldn’t pay to get out. 

I saddled up and got to the exit. There was a wonderfully still faced woman to take my card as payment. I was ecstatic. I had gotten out of the parking garage, mostly, all on my own.  

I still haven’t traveled much since then but my husband and I are about to make a huge change. One that will affect our two small child, our family, and our friends.

We want to move to North Carolina simply because we want to be with the mountains and the trees. But I am terrified. Red faced as I think of all the ways it could wrong. I’m actually a little teary eyed as I write this sentence. 

There are so many what ifs that send my mind a high speed chase of negative thoughts. It could all go wrong. I mean, what about forest fires?! I say that with a giggle at my need to find something wrong with everything. 

We have been talking about leaving Indiana for years and finally got a breaking point. What is the point of life if we are constantly waiting for something else. We want to make our own future. A future in the mountains with the trees. 

Maybe there will be a wonderfully still faced woman to help us on our way. Maybe we are the wonderfully still faced woman. 

Either way, a mountain top feels a lot less claustrophobic than a parking garage in downtown Indianapolis. 

Love, Livv