You know that part of the first Cars when Lightning McQueen tells his 18 wheeled transport Mac that they have to pull an all-nighter to get across the country as soon as possible? Mac agrees, but as the night goes on he struggles to stay awake and eventually falls asleep on the road. This ultimately contributes to Lightning getting lost in Radiator Springs, setting up the rest of the movie.
What if they stopped overnight? What if Mac found a nice rest stop, pulled over, got some food, and then got back on the road after recharging? What would the movie have looked like then? Weirdly enough, I think about this scene quite a bit. Maybe it’s the guilt of knowing that metaphorically speaking, I’ve got too much dip on my chip at the moment. Maybe I also just like the movie Cars. Maybe both.
Regardless, it gets me thinking about rest stops and then of course my favorite rest stop of all, Farley Plaza. It feels strange even writing those words, but it’s true. Every summer my family and I take a trip down the shore, and to get there we take the Atlantic City Expressway. We’d stop at Farley Plaza every year on our way down, and when I was a kid I used to use that stop as an “almost there” marker. Now, I have more of an idea of where I am for most of the ride so Farley Plaza is more of a place to stop for a bathroom break (and some Pizza Hut if I’m in the mood).
The point is, for both Mac and myself, resting is important. Now that the semester is winding to a close and I find myself more burnt out than ever before, I’m going to listen to my body for once and take a much needed break. I’ll pick this column back up in the new year, but for now, I’ll be refueling for the next stretch of road ahead. Have a lovely holiday everyone, and of course, safe travels!
