"That, along with heading west, was all I cared about. I didn't care about America's post offices, people, pets, American valleys, rivers, streams, mountains, plains, or American miracles. I just gritted my teeth and fought the wind as I passed all those eighteen-wheeler trucks, and kept my eyes on the lines in the road while singing public-domain songs like 'Happy Birthday' and 'Greensleeves.' " ( Lopez 100)
With this quote in mind, I believe Lopez defines a road trip as merely a way to get somewhere. The narrator apathetically states that she just doesn't care about her surroundings or the possibility of new experiences on the road. Her inner power struggle with the part of her that just wants to go home and the part that is determined to finish what she started is yet another example of her lack of enthusiasm. It isn't the road that keeps her going but rather her determination to continue despite her unsatisfying experiences. She started out with the illusion that she was going to be "so fucking cool" on her motorcycle and quickly realized that she was naïve in her vision of the prospective awesomeness awaiting her on her journey.
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I would have to agree with your interpretation of the excerpt, to a degree. It is evident that a certain amount of determination exists within her but perhaps that is not the only emotion keeping her on the road; rather, fear might be the force driving her farther down the road. When first trying to make camp for the night Lopez and Magdalena are told that the nearest open campsite is 30 miles away. Lopez is immediately faced with a dilemma because her inexperience (I'm actually not sure if it is her or the bike) on a motorcycle only allows her to travel at a top speed of 25 miles per hour; it seems reasonable enough to say that if she can't get 30 miles down the road she probably can't return home, at least on her own. When Magdalena leaves her, Lopez's problem becomes further compounded; in her mind the only alternative is riding a Greyhound bus home but to Lopez Greyhound bus's remind her "of the streets of England during the plague."(73) Her only option, it seems, is to keep continuing on her journey. To be honest, I'm not quite sure if it is fear that moves her I simply call it fear to give it a name. It seems to be a mixture of emotions, perhaps fear and determination; or beginners anxiety and determination. Any thoughts?
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