My journey from Guatemala City to Indio took 16 hours and didn’t go as planned.
Isabella Rolz
My flight out of Guatemala got delayed, so when I landed in Houston, I had to rush through the George Bush Intercontinental Airport to catch my next flight to Los Angeles.
I planned on taking a train from Los Angeles to Palm Springs (and from there, a bus to Indio) but received an email that Amtrak had halted service from its station in Palm Springs due to high winds.
The most convenient alternative was to rent a car for about $120 and drive three hours to Palm Springs. I’ll admit that I panicked at the thought of landing in Los Angeles at 8:30 p.m. and having to drive alone in the dark.
After picking up my suitcase at baggage claim, I took a shuttle bus to pick up my rental car. It was already 9 p.m. by this point, and my stomach was empty. So, I stopped at the first open restaurant I saw: Denny’s.
I thought the roads would be clear since it was late, but the drive to Palm Springs was prolonged because of traffic in Los Angeles.
I dropped off the car at Palm Springs International Airport around 1 a.m. From there, I took a 50-minute Uber to Indio that cost about $40 and arrived at the Airbnb around 2 a.m., clocking in a 16-hour travel day.
