Josephine goes to camp in North Carolina, and this summer, we decided to drive there from 30A in Florida. My business partner and close friend, Beth, sends her daughter to the same camp, so we planned to make the easy 8-hour drive together.
A Rocky Start
We got off to a bit of a rocky start – Jamil and Julie left for the airport with the car key, and Jamil had to pay the Uber driver to bring it back to us. But we still had a lovely first day, topped off with a great evening with my cousin and her family in Atlanta. And we set out on Day Two full of excitement for a couple of fun nights in Asheville.
Starbucks Detour
It’s only about three hours from Atlanta to Asheville – easy-peasy by comparison to the five-plus-hour trek the day before. So when Josephine and Nellie said they’d love a snack and a Frappuccino from Starbucks, Beth and I were more than happy to oblige.
I figured the Starbucks indicated on the roadside sign would be in a shopping center near the highway, so I pulled into the closest strip mall. The Starbucks wasn’t there. In fact, the entire strip center was under construction. I did a little turn around in the parking lot and made my way back to the main road to find the promised coffee shop. We had to drive quite a while before we found it, and when we pulled into the parking lot, we were all ready for refreshments.
The Flat Tire
As Josephine got out of the backseat, she said, “Hey Mom, there’s a hole in your tire.” I thought she was joking or maybe misinterpreted something on the tire, but I went around to check anyway. Turns out, I shouldn’t have underestimated her. There was not only a hole; there was a GAPING hole that was spewing air like I’ve never really seen before. I knew it was only a matter of time before we hit zero PSI and would be driving on the rim.
Beth and I ordered the girls back into the car and immediately started brainstorming a solution. Fortunately, it was 2PM on a Saturday, and we were in a reasonably populated area. There had to be an open tire shop nearby, so we started driving in the direction that looked more densely commercial on Google Maps.
Finding Help
The first place I called was basically useless, but at the second place, Mavis Tires, the nicest guy answered the phone. I explained that my father had tried on many occasions to teach me how to change a tire, but my lack of size and strength made that an unlikely feat for me. I couldn’t lift the spare, much less use the jack effectively.
Out of the goodness of his heart, he told me to sit tight. He’d be there right away to save the day. We pulled over into the entrance of a rather beautiful retirement community to wait for our knight in shining armor.
At the Shop
Soon enough, Jerry from Mavis arrived and pumped our tire up enough for us to scurry over to the shop. Before we knew it, the car was suspended in the garage, getting THREE new tires, an oil change, and an alignment. We used that time to have a little picnic at the Publix grocery store that was just a little walk away. Sweet Jerry offered to let us drive his truck to go elsewhere, but we felt like the simple pleasure of impromptu charcuterie and pretzels was actually pretty special.
Lessons in Resiliency
In the end, the abrasions of travel made the drive way more memorable than it would have been otherwise. It was fun. And it was a learning experience for our girls. They got to see us roll with the punches. We didn’t get stressed out or angry. We found solutions and made the most of a potentially unpleasant situation. I think the girls will remember the way we handled the unexpected hiccup, and I feel confident they’ll keep their chins up and find a way to make lemonade out of their lemons.
