We snagged a bite to eat at a diner, found a hotel with two twin beds, and both collapsed groaning from the aches earned from the first leg of the journey. I didn't even make it under the covers as I passed out on the bed, shirtless and still in my jeans, exhausted and grateful to be finally off the road.

I woke to the sound of a computer keyboard clicking, rousing me from a deep slumber. My back hurt, legs and neck cramped, and my cheek was surprisingly moist. Cautiously, I opened an eye to be blinded by the morning sun shining directly through the horizontal blinds in an...