Road Trip!! Jose Francisco moves to Florida

After 7 years of living with us, Jose Francisco decides to move to Florida.  He got a job through a friend of a family of a friend (as latinos so often do), and packed his car and … took off… well, sort of took off.  I drove him in his car.  He was concerned about driving that far (about 14 hours) from Houston to Tampa, Florida.  So he asked me to go with him.  I figured that meant drive the whole way.  Sure enough.  I drove the whole way.  But that was okay by me. 

We left Friday afternoon, November 4th, and drove for about 6 hours.  We stopped at the Florida state line Visitor Center and slept in the car.  It wasn’t terrible.  Wasn’t that great either.  The temperatures were fine for sleeping, and there weren’t any police or vagabonds around to bother us.  There were LOTS of semi-trucks and about a dozen other cars/trucks with people snoozing, so that helped us feel safe and okay.  I leaned the seat back and took the best 5 hour sleep I could muster. 

Next thing I know, the sun is up!  We’re on the road again by 8 a.m.   more hours… and about the time the sun is starting to go down again… we arrive in Bradenton, Florida (south of Tampa).  It has been a long time since I’ve made such an epic drive like that.  It was good to know I could still do it.  But I was tired, for sure.  

We use the GPS to find his new home… his employer’s house and office…. and we chill out for the rest of the evening.  The employer wasn’t there, nor were his family.  Only his teenage son came to let us in, then quickly left.  So I ended up never meeting the employer or anyone else.  Saturday, we make our way to the airport where Jose would drop me off.   The drive to the airport was actually kind of nice!  Tampa has LOTS of beach access and fishing spots right off of the freeway.  I’d really like to come back and stay a few days here.  But we finally arrive at the airport, I gather my bag, and say goodbye.  Yes, that was kind of a sad moment.  

Art display inside Tampa’s Intl airport

I hop on a Frontier airline jet and fly to Denver.  No, not Houston.  Denver.  Frontier Airlines often has super cheap deals, but it often requires you making some wonky connection that can add HOURS to your trip.  For me, it was a total of 8 hours to fly from Tampa back to Houston (by way of Denver with a 1 hour layover).  Cost?  Only $79.  Not bad.