Friday, August 17, 2018

Day 17 - Ann Arbor, MI

Today, we got a late start as usual. Packing the car is the X factor that always slows us down. We have so many things stuffed in the tiny car, such that everything must be placed in the “right” spot to fit. Thus, things easily become disorganized each time we unpack overnight. Not long after hitting the road, we were greeted by an unfortunate situation. The car suddenly began clanking loud. I pulled over thinking the engine must have fallen out! As it turned out, the rear tire had a big bolt head protruding. Shoot, a flat tire! I thought it odd that a bolt head should be making such a large clanking sound, but what do I know? Fortunately, we broke down about 5 mins from a mechanic, who was able to patch the tire and get us on the road within minutes. What luck! The mechanic, Jose, retrieved the bolt from the tire and gave it to us. This was no ordinary bolt. It was a thick, 5-inch beast! No wonder the car was making such a loud noise. The clanking sound was from the tip of the bolt hitting the inside of the tire frame with every tire rotation. Crazy!



We didn’t pull into Ann Arbor until late at night. We hit the grocery store, since our AirBNB had a full kitchen where we could actually do a little cooking. As luck would have it, we ran into a man by the name of Guy Williams in the parking lot. Guy noticed the “On the Road for Climate Action” magnet on the side of our car and struck up conversation. As it turns out, he owns a non-profit called “Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice.” He and his team played a key role in drafting Detroit’s Climate Action Plan. What serendipity!


After chatting for a bit, Guy invited us over to a community picnic in his neighborhood the next day, and agreed to be interviewed about the work he and his charity have been doing. Video coming shortly! Upon picking up groceries and checking into our AirBNB, Athina took a stroll into town. It was late at night, but we’d had a long day and wanted to get out and explore a bit. We’re so glad we did. Ann Arbor is a cute town!

Click here to learn more about "On the Road for Climate Action!"

                                                        Dr. Shahir Masri
                                                       


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