Tom drove slowly down John's street, tapping his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel. They had planned this road trip for months, saving up for gas and food, but now it was time to hit the open road and John was taking forever to get ready. Tom honked his old pickup truck's horn again. "John, come on man! We said we'd leave at 8am sharp."
A few moments later, John emerged from the front door hauling an oversized suitcase behind him. "I know, I know, I'm almost ready," he shouted as he dragged the suitcase down the front steps. Tom watched with amusement as John struggled with the giant bag, wheels thumping on each step. Finally, he wrestled it to the truck and tossed it in the back.
"Geez, what do you have in there?" asked Tom as John jumped into the passenger seat. "The kitchen sink?"
"Very funny. I just wanted to be prepared, you never know what we might need," replied John defensively.
"Well I hope you packed light because there's no room for anything else back there now," joked Tom. He checked his watch - it was 8:05am. "Alright, we're officially five minutes behind schedule. Our first stop better be for coffee."
With that, Tom put the truck into gear and they pulled away from the curb, starting down the long road ahead of them. They chatted easily as they drove through town, discussing everything from friends they hadn't seen in ages to sports and current events. Soon the houses and strip malls thinned out, giving way to open fields and trees as they left the city limits behind. Tom cranked up the radio as one of their favorite songs came on. They sung along loudly and terribly off key, not caring who might hear.
It felt good to be on the move with nothing but possibilities in front of them. After a busy few months, they were both in desperate need of an escape. This trip had been carefully planned to give them exactly that - unplugging from responsibilities and routine, if only for a little while. Following wherever the road took them seemed like the perfect adventure.
An hour into the drive, Tom spotted a small roadside diner up ahead. "Coffee break?" he asked John, who nodded eagerly in response. They pulled into the dusty parking lot, noting only a few other vehicles among the many empty spaces. Inside, classical rock played softly over the radio while an elderly couple sat drinking coffee at the counter. An older woman in an apron spotted them as they walked in.
"Just take a seat anywhere, hon, I'll be right with ya," she called from behind the counter. Tom and John chose a booth by the window, sliding onto the worn vinyl seats. Tom gazed out at the surrounding fields, still untouched by development. "You know, I sometimes forget how beautiful it is out here away from the city," he commented.
John hummed in agreement as he perused the laminated menu. When the waitress finally made her way over, coffee pot in hand, they placed their orders - eggs, bacon and toast for Tom and buttermilk pancakes for John. "It's gonna be about 10 minutes for the food, sugar," she drawled in a thick southern accent. "But y'all help yourselves to that coffee."
The weak diner brew was far from Tom's preferred specialty roast but it did the job of waking him up. They chatted some more as they slowly nursed their cups, talking their waitress' ear off about their road trip plans to wherever the wind may take them. Refueled with caffeine, they were ready to hit the road once more.