Routine can often be exhausting. Especially when we don't know how to manage it and we take on too much workload. Even a small but poorly managed workload can create a stressful routine. That's what Daphne is feeling. She works all day, five days a week. She starts very early at 7 a.m. and finishes at 6 p.m. Her days are long and tedious. She's a programmer in a big city. Her position is highly sought after and has a lot of competition. That's why she has to work from dawn to dusk so her superiors will even consider replacing her with someone more efficient. Luckily for her, she has goals she wants to achieve, like buying her own house, that keep her focused despite the tedious routine.
She focuses on the day she'll have her own house and not have to rent an apartment. Every time she imagines herself in that house, she can endure the long hours that await her. But we all have limits, and sometimes we need to unwind, even if we have a clear goal that motivates us. Her programming job isn't comfortable. She has to spend all day writing code in a small office shared with others. She truly feels like she's becoming more and more overwhelmed each day, and her energy drains away. She only has two days off a week, and she uses one to go shopping and the other to run errands or visit her parents, who live in the same city but she rarely sees.
She'd been thinking for months about doing something to escape that oppressive atmosphere. But she honestly didn't know what. One afternoon, when she got home from work, she put on some TV to entertain herself and saw a movie about some kids who got into a hippie van and went camping in the countryside. They spent time with friends, telling stories, and throwing marshmallows around a campfire. She immediately knew this was what she needed: a trip into nature to get away from her routine and recharge. In a week, she'd have a two-week vacation. She wanted to do something to take advantage of those days and not just stay home watching TV shows. She wanted a camping trip in the countryside.
So she started making preparations. First, she invited her closest friends and then her parents. With their approval, all that was missing was the transportation. It had to be something special that would be useful for the trip but would also make them better connect with what they wanted to do. And she already knew what kind of transportation it would be: a hippie van. He rented one and packed it for a full week's trip.
When the day of the vacation arrived, they prepared everything and headed to the countryside. It would be a one-day trip to the destination. Along the way, they made jokes, sang, and teased each other. Some said they were preparing for the scary stories they would tell around the campfire at night. The trip was progressing well, and everyone was enjoying themselves. Along the way, they saw a woman in the distance signaling for a ride because her car was broken down, and they needed a ride to the next route. Daphne immediately let her in, and they continued their journey. The woman's name was Herminia, and she started talking to Daphne about the reason for their trip to the countryside. Then she told her everything they wanted to do.
Herminia confessed that she had been doing something similar for a long time, but her work schedule didn't allow for it. She was a songwriter and was completely booked. She had come to see her aunt, who was sick, and she hadn't been able to see her for a while. Just as they were talking, Daphne saw a large pothole in the wagon and tried to avoid it. But it was too late, and the tire fell inside. The result was that they broke the front suspension, and they couldn't fix it simply by changing a tire. They were far from everything now, and to top it all off, it would soon be dark. But Herminia told them not to worry, as they were already very close to her aunt's house and that they could spend the night at her house.
Daphne didn't want to because she was embarrassed about staying in someone else's house, but the conditions forced her. They got out of the truck and walked with Herminia to her aunt's house. When they arrived in town, Herminia saw the local mechanic who could take the truck to town and repair it. He agreed, but that it would take up to a full day. With no other option, Daphne stayed at Herminia's aunt's house and spent the night. There, they met Tina, the aunt. She was in a wheelchair and told everyone she hadn't been able to leave the house for years and that she really wanted to one day be able to do so again. Then a strange thing happened: Herminia was overwhelmed with work, Daphne too, and Tina wanted to get out of the house. So Daphne came up with an idea: they would all go camping together, and then she would bring them back when the van was fixed.
Herminia and Tina looked at each other and didn't know what to say; they needed something like that too. After thinking it over, they decided to go with them. The next day, when the van was repaired, they continued the trip, but now they were all together. When they arrived, they made a bonfire, and Daphne's wish came true. Now she could do what she saw in the movie, but in real life, she made new friends along the way. They all promised each other they would do it again. Because it's necessary to get away from routine from time to time. They had a great vacation.
