Let me tell you something: there is no such thing as a one-day truck show.

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The day before a one-day truck show is CLEANING DAY. For the lucky ones, this means uncovering the custom ride that lives in the garage and dusting it off. But for the majority of us, cleaning day means hours of washing, vacuuming, shining, polishing, and wiping down. And that’s only if you’re not still grinding, welding, painting, and/or fixing your ride to drive it to the show! This is the day that you realize, “Are you serious?! I’ve been anticipating this show for months, and now that it’s here, the truck’s not ready and neither am I!”

The day of the one-day truck show is SHOWING DAY. Normally starting before sunrise, it often includes meeting up with other trucks along the way, forming one big logistical nightmare conquerable only by cell phones. Windows down, coffee in hand, system bangin’, and remarkably awake, often we see the sun rise while on the road. I remember one time when I was truck number 13 out of 17 cruisin’ out to a show on an empty freeway. I knew some of the truckers while some were friends of friends, but who cared? Rollin’ deep is fun no matter what! Sometimes we even pick up lone trucks or tag along with other groups since it’s obvious where these custom rides are all heading.

Once at the show, it’s time to clean the ride again. I try to fit in and pretend like I care that my truck is clean even when part of me is rebelling against another cleaning. Then the rest of the day is spent in search of food, shade, liquid, contests, and sick rides, and occasionally a nap. One of my favorite times is watching the trucks leave, because it’s always more impressive to watch a truck actually rollin’. People are more likely to show off and break stuff at the end of the show. Then comes the journey home, the long, tired journey home, where you feel sunburned but cold, hungry but have no appetite, and bummed yet relieved it’s over. Priority becomes making it home without falling asleep because the minute you’re home…you’re asleep.

The day after the one-day truck show is RECOVERING DAY. This is where you realize just how tired you really are! Unfortunately, instead of rest, most of us fall back to the real world of normalcy. It’s time to download all your pictures and check online for other pictures. You expect show coverage by the next morning, if not the night of. You are full of ideas for the next show. Recovering day can also be a let down because you don’t see hundreds of custom trucks in one location.

Then next show comes and you repeat this existential cycle of clean, show, recover. Why clean? It’ll only get dirty again! Why show? You’ve never won and you never will! Why recover? You’ll only wear yourself out again! Why do any of this?

Because you love it; you love it every time. And you know that others who show up love it too. Repetition does not negate that adrenaline rush of a show.