Kansas City, MO

The cars in the ditch weren't even the worst part. I think I'd rather it be raining again. I hit a button to my left and the window disappears into the door. No, no I wouldn't. Is it getting hotter in here? Is that possible?

I had left Minneapolis at 8am, expecting the morning haze to lift as I headed South into Iowa, but the sky grew darker. Dense heat slow dancing with brisk winds, each turn meeting the car with its own dynamic intensity. Cold. Hot. Cold. Hot. Winds raised and cars veered towards the gravel outskirts of the road as fat drops collapsed onto the pavement. I trailed a semi and ventured on, squinting, leaning far over my steering wheel, hell bent on Kansas City.

My left hand hangs in front of the air vent separating my window from the steering wheel. So not only is the air conditioning broken, it may actually be getting hotter in here, and nothing is coming in on the radio except church banter. And I'm in Iowa, again.

My right hand slaps the button on the radio. Passing cars drown out what music had been fading into static. My thoughts silence for a moment. The heat stomps on my chest.

This is what I imagine breathing marshmallow cream would be like. Like in those moments when I was younger when we'd imagine a pool filled with Jell-O? Replaced with marshmallow cream. And I'm drowning. Alone. In Iowa. I tug at my seat belt. There is a dark stripe that lays across my chest where it had been resting. The pressure remains.

I press the button on the arm rest that raises the window closed and crank the fan full blast, fingering the grated vents in the dash, attempting to convince them to hold position. The heat's wearing us both out, eh? I give up. My left hand wrenching the steering wheel and the other gripping the mouth piece of my Camelbak, the bladder of which is hanging behind my seat like an IV bag. I put the window down again.

Two hours. Two more hours 'til Kansas City. 'Til air conditioning. 'Til hotel beds and cold beer. My eyes wander towards the groceries which have liquified in their individually sealed packages, the cheese that has now taken on whiz type qualities. 'Til solid foods.