Worst. Road. Trip. Ever.

The man from AAA tows my car.

I haven't left the country since March 2009, a fact that depresses me somewhat. That's why my sister and I found ourselves heading down California's 5 freeway last Thursday, on Christmas Eve's Eve. Our mission? To spend a few hours in Tijuana, solely so I can continue to say I've left the country every year since 2001. Yes, it counts. Or would have, anyway.

Part I – The First Leak

We left Los Angeles at about 8:30 am. After an hour of driving – about one-third of the way to TJ – we stopped for breakfast. Jackie looked at the front of my car and said, “Uh oh.” Underneath was what looked like coolant, while a barely-there sliver of smoke came out of the hood.
I asked Jackie, “What do you think?”

She said, “It’s up to you.”

Me: “Let’s just keep going another 30 miles and see.”