During my rather short sabbatical from teaching (I started a 7th grade writing position on 12/11/19), my hubby wanted to take me to one of his favorite destinations - the Davis Mountains. Located in West Texas, Fort Davis is about a nine-hour drive from home. The time passed fairly quickly with each of us driving two hours at a time.
As promised, the mountains are gorgeous.
We stayed at the historic and beautiful Indian Lodge. The Civil Conservation Corp constructed it in the 1930s.
We were treated to breathtaking sunrises each morning.
Of course, the first thing I needed to do upon our arrival was to use the restroom. After finishing that little task, I reached to open the door. But, it wouldn't open.
FYI: I am extremely claustrophobic. Extremely.
Trying not to panic, I turned the door knob again. The door refused to open. "Gary!" escaped my mouth, as I was ready for him to be my knight in shining armor and break down the door. In an effort to save his body and hotel room damages, he asked me to try the knob just one more time.
Success! I was a bit shaky, but at least I was free. Needless to say, I no longer fully closed the bathroom door for the duration of our stay.
My next order of business was to let my sons know that we arrived safely. There was no cell-phone service, so we headed to the only place with a wi-fi connection: an awning by the pool.
Immediately after beginning my arrived-at-our-destination text, a gentleman standing outside the stucco wall surrounding the pool told me that I had a tarantula friend on the wall.
I. Hate. Spiders. I am scared !?*#less of arachnids. So, while I heard him, I tried very hard to ignore his words and continue writing my messages.
However, the trauma didn't end. Hubby goes out of the gate to view said arachnid and utters, "Wow! That's a big one!" Ugh...kill me now before my skin actually crawls off my body. "Breathe, just breathe," I reminded myself.
Then, the older gentleman starts stomping his feet in an effort to scare my nemesis away. But, the spider is so gigantic that it doesn't frighten or intimidate him in the least.
Hubby sees my distress, tells me to follow him out the gate and says, "Don't look to your left." I hold my breath and follow very quickly back to the safety of our room.
Did I tell you that I hate spiders???
These two panic-inducing instances (being locked in the bathroom and the tarantula) set the tone for the remainder of our trip. To say that I was on edge is putting it lightly. My educated brain knows that it is highly unlikely that a spider will leap onto me and chew my face off, but my imagination says it's possible!
It must have been tarantula reunion time, because no matter where we went on the property someone would comment on seeing tarantulas. Not singular...plural. We saw one on the road while driving to the McDonald Observatory, and we saw one in the campground while hiking. It was a case of Spider-on-the-Brain.
Call me a sissy. I don't care.
Anyway, I survived! And, it's doubtful I'll go back. But, my hubby can continue to enjoy the Davis Mountains in his new micro-camper! Just as soon as I finish building it.
Wishing you your own wonderful adventures, and remember that kindness has the power to change the world!