The $50 Hampton Inn and the Stranger Who Helped Me
My destination that night was Natchitoches, Louisiana. Just a few nights earlier, I’d been caught in one of the worst storms of my life while camping in a tent in Bowie, Texas. That night, the lightning was so close and the rain so sideways that I ended up calling the police to rescue me. You can read that full story here . So as I rode into Nacogdoches, I already had a little weather-related PTSD. I could see storms building on the radar and hear the thunder rumbling in the distance. I had originally planned to camp in the city park that night. But before heading over, I stopped at a Subway restaurant to grab dinner and think through my options. It was a newer Subway, located right next to a couple of hotels, including a brand-new Hampton Inn. I sat down to eat, watching the radar, trying to decide: Do I spend the money to stay somewhere dry and safe, or do I take my chances in the tent again and hope there's no lightning? I don’t mind rain. But lightning? Not anymore. As I ...
