The Escape

Self-worth: a feeling that you are a good person who deserves to be treated with respect.  What a funny concept. The idea that we should be treated well is something that everyone can agree upon, but the belief that we deserve to be treated well is sorely lacking.  Ariel has always struggled with this. What makes her worthy of respect, and if she is worthy, then why did she never receive it? Maybe, just maybe, everyone else knew something that she didn’t.  Was there a manual on living a respectable life 101? Or perhaps people were born into respect. Could people see her rough past through her fake smile? Maybe because her birth parents didn’t want her, society deemed her unlovable.  

“Ariel, you just got a table at 30” Aaron, her manager, said breaking through her thoughts.  She plastered on that well-practiced smile and nodded in acknowledgment towards him. Being a server was a good gig, especially at the sports bar.  All she had to do was convince the guys to buy a couple of drinks, flirt a little bit, and she’d make good tips. She hated when the older guys started making comments and getting handsy, but that was the nature of the job.  She quickly approached the table before the smile faded.

“Hey, guys! How are we doing tonight” she asked. “My name is Ariel, and I’m going to be taking care of you.  Can I get you started with something to drink?” The line came out so naturally now that she had practiced it so many times.  The group answered, and she rushed off to put their orders in. Everything in her life, especially work, had become so monotonous to her.  She had lived in the same city her whole life, and she was sick of it. The group had left a little while later, and her shift was finally over.  

Exhausted she traipsed her way to her car, and on her way back to her dorm she realized that she could do something.  She had time off, so why not? A gleam of hope formed inside. A sudden burst of energy followed, as her excitement grew.  Nothing could tie her down once she had set her mind on going. When she got to her dorm room, she threw open her laptop and began the search.  Countless pages and searches later she found it: Sea Side. The next pursuit quickly ensued when she realized she needed somewhere to stay. Spending a hundred dollars a night on a hotel wasn’t realistic for her, so she searched Airbnb's, hostels, and stumbled upon Couchsurfing.  Couchsurfing excited her even more.

Her excitement grew with each letter she typed as she started her hunt for a host.  The first person to pop up caught her eye instantly. His hair was a deep brown, with gentle waves, pushed back out of his eyes.  His smile was one so genuine you couldn’t help but smile back to, and his eyes held a mischievous twinkle in them. After looking at that picture for a few moments, she decided she was ready for this new experience.  All she had to do was type the request and have it be accepted. So, she typed:

Hi! I’m Ariel.  You are the first host that popped up on this, so I figured I’d shoot you a request and give it a try.  I am road tripping to Florida because I found out I have a week off, and it seemed like a fun way to celebrate my birthday.  I am a college student, so I am trying not to stay in a hotel, and I love the idea of being able to meet other travelers. Please let me know if the next four days will work for you since it is very last minute. Thank you, Ariel.  

She nervously pressed send and awaited the response.  This trip was going to be a time for her to focus on herself she decided.  Being surrounded by nature and the beach was going to be great. Being forced to be alone was going to make her have to love herself and be comfortable with who she is. This trip is going to change me; she thought as she drifted to sleep. 

Fifteen hours.  Fifteen hours of driving and she would be at the beach.  It was midnight right after her shift had finished. The day had dragged on longer than any day she could remember.  Between anxiously awaiting the response of the host and waiting for her workday to end, she couldn’t help but check her phone every five minutes.  Determined to go to the beach she decided that even if the host wasn’t able to have her, she was going. She couldn’t wait to hear the sound of the waves crashing on the shore or the feeling of the sand forming in her footsteps.  This is what I need, she thought. It was around 4 pm when she got a message back from the host.

“Hey, what’s up? You’re staring at your phone like someone died” Aliyah, her coworker said, breaking Ariel out of her trance.  

“Well I have a week off of work, and I am going to Florida.  My host request was accepted, and I am leaving when I get off of work.”

“Host request? What does that even mean?”

“I’m staying with someone who opens up their home for travelers.  This is going to be such a cool experience I can’t wait!” Ariel’s response shocked her friend.  Staying with a stranger is a little crazy, but it will be better than staying in a hotel. She wouldn’t be able to meet people in the hotel or be exposed to the culture, even if it is just another state.  

“You are crazy! How do you know that it is going to be safe? What if he is a creep or someone completely different than the profile shows?”  Aliyah questioned, her voice full of concern.

“I will be fine.  I need this trip, and if he is a creep, then I will rent a hotel room.”  

“Okay, fine.  You need to text me when you get down there at least.” Aliyah mumbled in defeat and walked away to check on her table.  The rest of the night word spread to all her coworkers, and a mixture of concern and excitement filled the bar, as the end of her shift approached.  Nothing could stop her. This town was all she’s ever known, and it feels more like a jail than a home anymore. There was nothing holding her back. Nothing was holding her back anymore.  No one could tame the fire that was spreading in her heart. The only thing standing in her way was closing, and she was gone.

Fifteen hours.  Fifteen hours until the beach.  Fifteen hours until her life would change.  Little did she know just how accurate these thoughts were, and that she would never be the same again.