La dolche vita.

DAY 11, NOV. 19 – 8 DAYS UNTIL THE WEDDING

You know life is good when you’re rollin’ down the road from Phoenix to Tuscon, milkshake in hand, warm weather on skin.

Arizona.

“Why’s the HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) lane going slower than everyone else?” my partner complains. “Look at that guy – he’s right on that other guy’s ass!”

Will you meet me in the middle, will you meet me in the air plays on the radio, lyrics from America’s “Sister Golden Hair.”

Rosie, the GPS unit, tells us where to take Lezlie, the car.

Palm trees and saguaro cacti decorate the roadside. As my travel buddy is wont to do, he starts making hilariously dirty jokes from the drivers seat that have me laughing far too hard for my stomach.

Life is good.

* * *

Once we arrived in Tuscon, we needed to visit a national forest ranger to get a fire permit and maps for camping in the area. We got to the building – a federal building – and were required to hand over ID and submit to a metal detector.

All I had was the dress on my back. My purse was in the car, along with it my ID.

A hefty security guard looked at my partner.

“How old is she?” he asked, while I chuckled at the fact that my partner was asked and not me.

“Uhh, 26?” my partner replied.

“Then she’s gonna need ID,” said the guard, with eyebrows that made me think of an angry Muppet.

They wouldn’t even let me stand in the air conditioned doorway, and sent me out of the building.

Americans take ranger security very seriously, apparently.

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