The great American road trip has been a symbol of freedom for young, hip and single women for decades. Whatever the reasons- be it the typical post college epic meltdown you have before you get a job, your first breakup, your “I hate my job so I am just going to quit and live off the land” trip or some sort of “mommy needs an escape” adventure, women have been pairing up and hitting the open road together to solidify their friendships and overcome their feelings together.
Ester and Mindy, both in their late twenties, had been on the road for 6 days when we approached them for an interview at truck stop in Arizona. At first, they tried to pepper spray our team, but once we explained who we were, they were happy to tell us all about their trip.
“I was having a really rough time in my normal life and in my routine. I had a bad breakup and nothing on my vision board was coming true. I decided I needed to do something spontaneous,” said Mindy. Ester came along for emotional support and because she has the most hotel points. “So far we have seen a lot of the southwest and I am thinking of joining Talkspace, or stamps.com. We have been listening to a lot of podcasts…” she continued.
“I bought a cowgirl hat from a gas station a few towns over, so you can say we are having a pretty crazy time,” laughed Ester. “I didn’t think we could get any closer, but since we’ve been on the road, Mindy and I have bonded more than ever. We have also argued about where to eat more than we ever have before. And she really hates when I have to stop to use the bathroom so I keep saying I started my period and then pretending it was a false alarm. But overall, best time ever.”
The women plan on staying on the road until Mindy feels better about facing reality. In the meantime, they added visits to local hot springs and casinos to their road trip agenda. They also asked if we knew of any places that offer vision quests or peyote experiences, but we did not.
“I really want to just dig deep within myself and do some soul searching,” said Mindy.
Authorities found Mindy and Ester’s car in the bottom of a canyon early the next morning. No notes were found in the car or in their hotel room, but an investigation of their phone’s internet activity did confirm they rented “Thelma and Louise” the night before.
