Travel Journal: Rained Out & Most of Day 5

June 19, 2014

Travel Journal: Rained Out & Most of Day 5

So here's a funny story. It's 3 a.m. and this ^^^ is my view. Why are you staring into the dark Lisa? Because it's pouring down the rain and apparently my tent is no longer waterproof.

We knew a storm was rolling through but falling asleep around 10, it was cool and quiet. It wasn't until 2 a.m. when I was awakened with water splashing in my face that I realized I was in trouble. I was ok at first, tucked my macbook and phone under a towel and slid back under my bag. Wait, is my back getting wet? I started feeling around, yep, puddles were forming!! You have got to be kidding me!?

I immediately move all my junk to the middle but that's useless cause it's literally raining inside my tent. Damn rain fly is even broken! So I frantically pack up anything (my concern was my macbook and pink book) into dry safety. I threw my (light) rain jacket on and just kinda sat there. What the shit am I gonna do!? I text mom, "are you awake?" Nothing. I shift everything around again. Man everything is wet. I cry a little. I'm getting soaked. My tent is flooding. I need to take action.

I gather up my "important" stuff and only dry warmth (a light pink jacket and a sheet); my sleeping bag is now sopping wet. With no break in the rain, I make a run for the clubs big canopy tent. I know I'll be cold, but I should be dry...

So here I sit. In the dark. Wet. Cold.

All of that ^^^ was typed on my phone around 3 a.m., in the dark, cold, wet...
Here's my follow up...

I was cold. And wet. ~Have I mentioned that yet? I didn't know what I should do. I texted mom again. She was snug as a bug. Dry. I didn't want to wake her up because a) I'd be standing there in the POURING rain trying to wake her and then explain what was going on. b) I wanted her to sleep; didn't want to bother her. Our big Penske (like a Uhaul) truck was sitting there all big and happy so I climbed inside the cab. I had wrapped my macbook in a dry towel shoved in a dry sack shoved in my backpack so I dug the towel out and dried off. I wrapped as tight as I could in my sheet and pink jacket and dozed in and out of uncomfortable sleep in the cab of the truck. I contemplated calling a taxi for a hotel room. Suck it up buttercup.

Finally, dawn. People were moving around. I kicked the door open and fell out of the truck. Still wet. Still cold. But dawn means sun. Warm beautiful sun. It mostly stopped raining. Woke up mom, assessed the damage, and made a game plan.

Woke up mom: "Why didn't you wake me up!? I'm glad you didn't... but why didn't you!? Why didn't you climb in my tent? You were wet...I'm glad you didn't... but...thank you? I'm sorry... Poor Lisa..."
Assessed the damage: my clothes bag was in a puddle of water, clothes mostly soaked. Sleeping bag and pillow soaked. There was about 4 inches of water in the tent. Broken.
Made a game plan: get to laundromat (beat the crowd, I'm sure I'm not the only one!), go to Walmart for a new tent.

Mission accomplished. Thankfully today was another optional day otherwise we would have had to load up and bike out. Mom ended up going out for 34 miles and I opted for a 2000 yard swim at the local Y. At the end of the day, I have a new adventure behind me and a new tent! Woohoo! Silver lining, RIGHT!?