After finally getting the battery settled and taking off I got about two days in before the worst part happened. After a long drive, I finally pulled into a rest stop in Colorado, crawl into the back and go to bed. 8 a.m rolls around and I get up, get my things together, get ready and head off down the road. Ten minutes later the van is doing something weird. It stops working after I get to 60. Looking at my gas gauge and knowing that it has had problems in the past I go ahead and turn around and go back to the town I came from. I didn't want to take any chances. So I go back, fill up my gas tank, fill up my backup gas can and take off. Low and behold the van is still doing this weird loud air suction sound and after a few minutes I pull over and pop the hood. 

The first thing I check is the motor oil and that's fine and I pull out the transmission stick and it's clear. Confused from the fact that I went ahead and filled it a little the other day I get the can out and put some more in, check it and it seems fine and I get on the road. 

two minutes later it's back at it. So I pull back over and give good old dad a call. We go back and forth and eventually end up at the conclusion that the transmission is being weird. Realizing I needed more oil I make my way to the next gas station and fill him up and check the tank and it's fine. So thinking that the situation would sort itself out I start making my down this mountain road and the next thing I know it stops working. Panicked and unsure I pull into this pull-off and call my dad back. 

Hysterical and unsure of what to do we realize that I need to get to the next town. Gimli wouldn't drive in 3rd gear at all and it wouldn't go past 30. Devastated that my gearbox was definitely broken we had another problem. I had Lylah with me and I needed somewhere to stay so as we're talking a post was put out that I was stranded. If I had stayed in town that would have costed me another $500 just for almost three nights alone and that's because of the fees they charge which is ridiculous. 

Luckily someone reached out who had a daughter that I met a long time ago and said to ask her to come to get me. She was in Denver and I was in Pueblo and it made sense to just ask for the help so I did. I got lucky because she said she was cool with getting me and with having Lylah over. NOt gonna lie it was wonderful to have someone to come get Lylah and me. I needed the help and with connections, it really does make a difference in situations like mine.