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Dec 22, 2023Liked by Jeffrey Streeter

A great adventure! And Amanda is everywhere good writing is found!

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Thank you John and you're right about Amanda!

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What a compliment! I’m the lucky one to be surrounded by such natural storytellers. 🧡

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You have a natural gift, Amanda, not only as a brilliant writer yourself but also in your ability to tease out the best from others.

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Oh, go on ... 🙃 (And thank you!)

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Dec 23, 2023Liked by Jeffrey Streeter

Just marvellous. Reading your story, I felt like I was sitting next to you in that car. Great musical choices as well. Thanks, Jeffrey, and Merry Christmas!

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Thanks for you kind words and happy holidays!

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Hmm. Your title read like that of one of the late Harlan Ellison's stories. A " hook " engaging our attention & encouraging us to follow you through the looking glass & through the wormhole.

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Thanks for reading and commenting, Daniel. I don't recall reading anything by Harlan Ellison, but who knows how words and titles come to us? Borges once described language as a network of quotations and he may have been right.

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According to some Zen / Daoist scholars, answers are within us & without us, we just have to excavate them like a sculptor.

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Feb 13Liked by Jeffrey Streeter

!!!! :)

(loved :)

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Thank you so much!

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I'm late to this, Jeffrey, but not too late! Wonderful adventure -- by my lights, your best writing so far. You're a commendably intrepid spirit, to be sure. Seeing the map, route 1 does seem the route now, but given your choices, I have to say I would have been sorely tempted by route 2 as well. I've been to Guayaquil, briefly, and have a friend who lives in Cuenca, where I've visited. How long did you live in Ecuador?

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Thank you, Jay! Your comments mean a lot to me.

I was in Ecuador for 6 years, 4 of them in Guayaquil. To be honest, most visitors to the country tend to pass through the city on the way to the Galapagos, if they go at all. I loved visiting Cuenca. It's beautiful, isn't it? I have another story about that, which I may share one day.

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Dec 29, 2023·edited Dec 29, 2023Liked by Jeffrey Streeter

You just went for the one night? Did I read that right? Funny. In my 7 years in Mexico and going back and forth from there to the States by car ( from the US border to Cuernavaca a 14 hour drive) I definitely have many road trip stories like that one. Some much more harrowing and complicated. Yours might inspire me to attempt to recall them as written stories. I wish I had written them down contemporaneously.

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That's right, just the one night. I look forward to reading your own stories!

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I too, know next to nothing about the mystery’s that reside under the hood of my car.

Great piece, Jeffrey. I was totally gripped by your story telling. “Is he going to take the short road?” “What’s going to happen if he does?” Etc etc kept running threw my mind. Also, your descriptions are fantastic, so much so that I felt like I was there with you. :)

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Thanks, Michael, for your kind comments. Fortunately, these days, I don't have a car so I don't have to worry about what's going on under the hood!

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Dec 25, 2023Liked by Jeffrey Streeter

Enjoyed that start to Christmas morning

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Thanks Lee and happy holidays!

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Love this story, Jeffrey! Makes me feel a kinship--not just because I too spent a Navidad in Ecuador but also because I too have often expressed the sentiment, “ A mí nadie me dice lo que tengo que hacer” and taken the road advised again. ♥️🇪🇨

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Thanks, Holly! I'm glad this story worked for you and thanks for reading and commenting. I'm looking forward to reading about your own experiences in Ecuador. Meanwhile, feliz navidad!

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Dec 23, 2023Liked by Jeffrey Streeter

Great story, Jeffrey! I really was getting rather worried for you (despite, you know, living to tell the tale.) And I rather like to think of an angel in greasy overalls... :) Feliz Navidad!

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Thanks, Troy! I'm glad to have sparked your imagination 😉 and feliz navidad a ti también!

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What a wonderful read! You literally took me with you on that trip! Thank you Jeffery, it has been nice to have met you in this virtual world of Substack! Here is to a wonderful 2024!

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I hope you're having a beautiful holiday season, Jeffrey. Wishing you and yours all the best. Also, if you aren't familiar with Harlan Ellison, please get acquainted. Here's a trailer for his documentary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EFETkpdfIU

And here's a clip of his famous "PAY THE WRITER" rant from it. So good. xo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5IV23g-fE

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Thank you Sandra! I'll check the clips. And happy holidays to you too!

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Such an evocative picture of your journey, and your pause by starlight. We have been in one or two situations like that in Jamaica in the past - potentially dangerous, but that makes it memorable and wonderful! So after all that, you turned around and went straight back!

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Thank you, Emma! I look forward to hearing more about your stories.

Yes, I turned back. Maybe sometimes we need to make the trip just to find out where we want to be?

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Oh, yes! I think we do. I will turn on my “memory tap” and see what flows out.

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Thank you so much for your kind words! And Merry Christmas to you too!

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Thank you Yi Xue and likewise, it's been great to meet you here. Wishing you all the best for 2024.

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Gracias! Paris Texas, vaya película! Feliz Navidad también

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