Back on the road again

Friday was the absolute last possible day for me to get my van back if I wanted any chance of making it to Oregon on time for my pet sit. Thankfully, my homeowner had already been incredibly understanding and agreed to push my arrival back a bit, but I was officially out of wiggle room.

The body shop owner had told me several times that parts deliveries usually arrived around 9:30 a.m. and promised he'd call me as soon as he knew anything. By 10:30... I was a nervous wreck.

I had no idea what my next move should be. Do I return the rental car and hope I can find an Uber willing to drive me 2½ hours back to Riverton? Do I keep the rental and just drive straight to Oregon? Do I call the shop again and become *that* customer?

As I frantically called the rental company, looked into Uber options, and tried to come up with every possible backup plan, my phone finally rang.

The parts had arrived.

My van was finished and was just getting one final inspection from the mechanic to make sure everything looked perfect before they handed it back.

I don't think I've ever felt such immediate relief.

The next challenge was getting back to Riverton. I was surprisingly nervous about relying on Uber. I've had rides accepted before that never actually materialized because nobody wanted to make the trip, and asking someone to drive over two hours into rural Wyoming—with another two-and-a-half-hour drive back empty—felt like a big ask.

Thankfully, the rental agency was incredibly kind. They let me begin the return process without officially checking the vehicle in until my Uber actually arrived. My driver accepted the ride, and I gladly tipped extra knowing he'd be making the long drive home without a passenger.

The ride itself...

Let's just say it was entertaining.

My driver was a passionate Flat Earther with opinions on just about every conspiracy theory you can imagine. Two and a half hours flew by listening to perspectives I can honestly say I'd never heard before.

When we finally arrived back in Riverton, my van was still at the mechanic for its final inspection, so I unloaded everything onto the sidewalk outside the shop and waited.

And then she rolled into the parking lot.

I can't even describe how happy I was to see my little home again.

My bed. My kitchen. My gear. My space.

After nearly two weeks, it finally felt like I had my life back.

The funniest part? The two pieces that had delayed everything for days turned out to be almost laughably insignificant. One was a tiny plastic cover for the fuse box under the hood. The other was literally a piece of foam that sits behind the bumper.

Days of delays...

...because of a tiny piece of plastic and a chunk of foam.

Of course, I know those parts matter, and I'm genuinely grateful the shop insisted on fixing everything properly instead of cutting corners. But I'd be lying if a tiny part of my brain wasn't thinking, "Couldn't we just carve up a pool noodle and call it good?" 😂

Instead, they did it right.

After thanking everyone at the shop, I celebrated with some Chinese food before finally pointing the van west. I only drove a couple of hours before finding a beautiful little campsite outside Idaho Falls. The sunset was incredible, and after everything that had happened, it felt so good to be back in my own bed.

The thunderstorm that rolled through overnight had other ideas about how much sleep I'd actually get...

But honestly?

After the last couple of weeks, listening to rain fall on the roof of my own van sounded pretty wonderful.Read more