This was a particularly special ride, for one it was the only woman who picked me up, but also the circumstances of meeting were somewhat 'serendipitous' to use the word she chose. I had been staying with SV, but with a 3 year-old running around it was a bit much. I knew it was time to move on, my next destination was my sister in saskatoon. Terrific! I had intended to say my goodbyes and get dropped off on the edge of town by around 3pm-ish, after N's birthday party, dance recital, and gymnastics class (oh my!). But as sometimes happens with days like this and schedules it was closer to 5pm when I got out onto the side of the road. I got my first ride pretty quick, which was good because I was in a horrible spot, the traffic was moving far too fast and I wasn't far enough outside of the city. My first ride suggested staying on the no.2 and heading up to Edmonton before crossing over to Saskatoon. This was not what I wanted, sure there might be more traffic, but because of the late start to the day I wanted someone going straight to Sask. Which meant choosing a highway with less traffic on it, but with more chances that whoever is on it plans to go the whole way to Sask., as well. I had a feeling before leaving that I would catch a specific ride, this time a woman or perhaps a family, that they would go the whole way and like me intended to leave a few hours before they actually did, and that my perfect ride was due to come along I just had to wait for it.
Unfortunately my sister was not so confident. The idea of hitching already made her uncomfortable, the late start to the day did nothing to quell her fears. She was also concerned about how I would get into her apartment, she goes to bed early and sleeps soundly. So I am sitting on the side of the road, talking to my sister on the phone, and hearing that she really wasn't ready for me to come that night, oh fuck. We did get our one and only fight out of the way, but this left me scrambling to get a ride and another place to stay back in Calgary for the night, and rescheduling to leave the following morning. So now I am on the phone with my mom's friend Rosemary trying to figure out exactly which dirt road I am sitting beside. My sign for Saskatoon is out, but I'm turned away from the road and not at all trying to get a ride. All of a sudden a van pulls up, they open the door, I see three of them, middle aged, two male one female. They are going to Drumhiller, not to sask. but it would be easier to catch a ride from there... but knowing my sister really isn't ready for me I decide to turn them down, when another car pulls over across the road. She yells out that she came back to get me, but sees that I already have a ride. I ask, phone still to ear, are you going to Saskatoon? She says yes, and I say, Wait! You are my ride!! I say thank-you to the van going as far as Drumhiller, and thank-you to Rosemary, I no longer need to be picked up or a place to stay for tonight.
When I asked her later, DH, why she decided to pick me up she said it was serendipity. She was supposed to leave a few hours earlier, but worked later than intended that day, and that if my sign had said anything different she wouldn't have stopped, but it said Saskatoon and that is where she was heading. She paused. Then said, I was also thinking of my son, and was pretty sure that he would have wanted me to stop.
continued...
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Calgary: 3-year-olds, water melons, and kitty-cat costumes. The pics.
N, checking out her momma's belly.
SV + N, sitting pretty for a portrait.
Crocodills + Kitty-cats, like lunching together.
N, decided she had to put on her cat costume.
You have to admit, she's a pretty cute kid! Oh yeah, watermelons, the kid ate so much watermelon I tried to convince her she would turn into one!Calgary: 3-year-olds, water melons, and kitty-cat costumes.
I have arrived in London ON, my home town, and I am once again sitting in a starbucks trying to write episodes about my experience hitchhiking across 6 provinces. When I left off last, I had just posted the pictures of my second hitch with RM into Calgary. RM made sure I got right to the door of my friends place, and I arrived in time to chat with PB before he headed off to work, I crawled into bed with SV, and tried to get caught up on my sleep.
The three days I spent in Calgary were pretty great. I had not seen SV in too many years, I remembered when she was pregnant her daughter, N, but N is now 3 years old, and SV is pregnant with her second child, as son, B. It was easy catching up with SV, we'd stayed in touch somewhat over the years using FB and Skype, as many of us do, but nothing beats the real thing. She's the same fun, easy to talk to, bright and shiny personality I remember from when we lived together in Whistler, but there is more, now she is a terrific mother. I mean a really good mother!!! I hope to be like her someday. She runs a daycare out of her home, takes care of the family and finances, on top of that she is taking classes online so that she can have a job outside of the home too in the future, not to mention that she still has a bar-tending gig on the side. It was pretty humbling for me, a student, always just making enough to take care of myself through till the next semester, to watch her balance everything in her life, and to always be putting the needs of her daughter and soon to be son first. Real life. It hasn't hit me yet, but I am impressed by how my various friends are managing it. PB was also great to see, matured a lot since I saw him last and really falling into the role and pace of being a dad! It was great watching the family together and seeing how happy he was sitting there at the end of a long work day with N sitting on his lap.
I got to see how they handled a bit of stress, as well. Its not easy being a parent, and its not easy living away from friends and family, and putting responsibilities first. PB and SV are getting married a year from now, and I think that they are ready. Two people who are looking towards the future, working hard to establish themselves in jobs that are satisfying and that they can move up in, thinking of their kids and the future they want for them. I am really proud of the person and parent SV has become. Her daughter, N, is pretty fantastic too! She is so much like her mother - stubborn and fun! She kept me laughing, but also kept her parents on their toes. I was impressed with how she was dealt with when being difficult - sternly and quickly, she really couldn't get away with much, though it didn't stop her from trying.
It was fun too the night SV brought me out one night and I got to meet her Calgary friends. It was nice to see her out and having fun, I also really enjoyed the people I met that night, and kinda wished I could stay a bit longer! It will definitely be fun to stop in on Calgary again in the future, and I wish SV + PB + N all the best this summer until I see them at NK + T's wedding!
The three days I spent in Calgary were pretty great. I had not seen SV in too many years, I remembered when she was pregnant her daughter, N, but N is now 3 years old, and SV is pregnant with her second child, as son, B. It was easy catching up with SV, we'd stayed in touch somewhat over the years using FB and Skype, as many of us do, but nothing beats the real thing. She's the same fun, easy to talk to, bright and shiny personality I remember from when we lived together in Whistler, but there is more, now she is a terrific mother. I mean a really good mother!!! I hope to be like her someday. She runs a daycare out of her home, takes care of the family and finances, on top of that she is taking classes online so that she can have a job outside of the home too in the future, not to mention that she still has a bar-tending gig on the side. It was pretty humbling for me, a student, always just making enough to take care of myself through till the next semester, to watch her balance everything in her life, and to always be putting the needs of her daughter and soon to be son first. Real life. It hasn't hit me yet, but I am impressed by how my various friends are managing it. PB was also great to see, matured a lot since I saw him last and really falling into the role and pace of being a dad! It was great watching the family together and seeing how happy he was sitting there at the end of a long work day with N sitting on his lap.
I got to see how they handled a bit of stress, as well. Its not easy being a parent, and its not easy living away from friends and family, and putting responsibilities first. PB and SV are getting married a year from now, and I think that they are ready. Two people who are looking towards the future, working hard to establish themselves in jobs that are satisfying and that they can move up in, thinking of their kids and the future they want for them. I am really proud of the person and parent SV has become. Her daughter, N, is pretty fantastic too! She is so much like her mother - stubborn and fun! She kept me laughing, but also kept her parents on their toes. I was impressed with how she was dealt with when being difficult - sternly and quickly, she really couldn't get away with much, though it didn't stop her from trying.
It was fun too the night SV brought me out one night and I got to meet her Calgary friends. It was nice to see her out and having fun, I also really enjoyed the people I met that night, and kinda wished I could stay a bit longer! It will definitely be fun to stop in on Calgary again in the future, and I wish SV + PB + N all the best this summer until I see them at NK + T's wedding!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
merrit to calgary. pics.
This was what it was like for most of the trip. I mostly just listened.
Made it to Kamloops no problem, kept going straight through to Calgary.
Great views from the cab of the truck.
On the side of the road.
On the road.
Caught my reflection.
Yellow trees. Loved the colour up against the dark sky.
RM, an amazing storyteller.
RM, when I first met him, posing for a shot.Monday, May 16, 2011
Merrit to Calgary: storytelling
Almost as soon as I was left on the side of the highway, before I had my thumb or sign out, before I even had my coat and bags sorted out a truck driver had pulled over to offer a lift. I asked first for a ride to Kamloops, my initial goal. We pulled into the Walmart parking lot so he could get some dinner, I took photos of his truck and his license plate to send to my contacts, and one more of him in front of his truck just cause. By the time we were exiting the Walmart I had decided to make the whole trip with him to Calgary, my next planned visit.
What followed was one of the most incredible drives of my life. RM gave me the most fascinating oral history of BC, he had grown up on the downtown east side of Vancouver I am guessing during the 1950's, though I never did ask his age. We passed through his families original homestead, he talked about a flood where his grandfather refused to leave the house fearing someone would loot the place, so he stayed on the top floor and the roof while everyone else evacuated. RM had a story like this, or a comment about a good fishing spot, or something about an old girl friend for pretty much every turn on the road. I only wish I could have recorded the entire conversation, I thought about it, but the noise in the cab was too loud, especially on the uphills and we rode together for just about 12 hours. It would have been hard to decide what to record and what to leave out. I did write out his responses to a formal interview I conducted. Hopefully someday I'll have an opportunity to ride with him again. It might also be nice to visit him in Peachland to go fishing or hunting.
The response is usually one of concern when I tell people I am hitchhiking, when I share that I got a ride in a transport truck the concern is magnified. As far as I am concerned this is the best way to travel. I didn't get car sick at all, and love the height and perspective from in the cab, you cover a lot of ground, and especially in this case the stories are fantastic! At one point RM even gave me some advice on how to effectively defend myself with a knife, suggesting that I carry one on me, just in case, while hitchhiking.
I finally fell asleep somewhere between Golden and Banff. I tried so hard to stay awake to hear more stories, but eventually exhaustion overtook me. I felt pretty safe for my body to relax enough to sleep, and it was good to get a few hours in after such a long day. I woke up again just a half hour outside of Calgary, around 5am, just as the sun was starting to make colours in the sky. RM decided to attempt the residential roads with his rig, driving me right up to SV's door. We said our goodbyes and exchanged info, and as a gentleman RM took my heaviest bag and walked me to the doorstep. Making sure I got there safe, he said.
I arrived in time to have a quick chat with PB while he got his coffee ready and before he headed off to work. I shot off a quick text to let everyone know I arrived safely, climbed into bed next to SV, and slept soundly until late morning.
What followed was one of the most incredible drives of my life. RM gave me the most fascinating oral history of BC, he had grown up on the downtown east side of Vancouver I am guessing during the 1950's, though I never did ask his age. We passed through his families original homestead, he talked about a flood where his grandfather refused to leave the house fearing someone would loot the place, so he stayed on the top floor and the roof while everyone else evacuated. RM had a story like this, or a comment about a good fishing spot, or something about an old girl friend for pretty much every turn on the road. I only wish I could have recorded the entire conversation, I thought about it, but the noise in the cab was too loud, especially on the uphills and we rode together for just about 12 hours. It would have been hard to decide what to record and what to leave out. I did write out his responses to a formal interview I conducted. Hopefully someday I'll have an opportunity to ride with him again. It might also be nice to visit him in Peachland to go fishing or hunting.
The response is usually one of concern when I tell people I am hitchhiking, when I share that I got a ride in a transport truck the concern is magnified. As far as I am concerned this is the best way to travel. I didn't get car sick at all, and love the height and perspective from in the cab, you cover a lot of ground, and especially in this case the stories are fantastic! At one point RM even gave me some advice on how to effectively defend myself with a knife, suggesting that I carry one on me, just in case, while hitchhiking.
I finally fell asleep somewhere between Golden and Banff. I tried so hard to stay awake to hear more stories, but eventually exhaustion overtook me. I felt pretty safe for my body to relax enough to sleep, and it was good to get a few hours in after such a long day. I woke up again just a half hour outside of Calgary, around 5am, just as the sun was starting to make colours in the sky. RM decided to attempt the residential roads with his rig, driving me right up to SV's door. We said our goodbyes and exchanged info, and as a gentleman RM took my heaviest bag and walked me to the doorstep. Making sure I got there safe, he said.
I arrived in time to have a quick chat with PB while he got his coffee ready and before he headed off to work. I shot off a quick text to let everyone know I arrived safely, climbed into bed next to SV, and slept soundly until late morning.
Friday, May 13, 2011
mount curry to merrit. pics.
my sign. hand writing a 3-year old could improve on.
First spot I hitched from.
Under my red umbrella, sitting in the rain, waiting for a ride.
The breakfast NK made for me! So good, I got to taste it again on the Duffy!
NK + T, Bowen and Lexi.Mount Curry to Merrit: umbrellas and leg warmers
It was a slow start, NK was a bit hungover, the sky was grey, and I was feeling a little groggy from the night before. So we had a slow leisurely breakfast, T made me a giant cup of coffee that took me an hour to finish. Once I hit the bottom of the mug it was time to go. By now raining pretty heavy. NK dropped me at the turn off for Lilloette. Before we left she said I could keep the legwarmers she's made and lent me the night before!
Now picture this. I made a pile out of my luggage and used my rain poncho as a tarp to cover it all. I had written Kamloops, my first goal, on a piece of cardboard in handwriting a 3 year old could have improved on. I sat on top of my pile with a red w/ black poka-dot umbrella and waited for a ride. It took about a 1/2 hour to get picked up by a Whistler local, DW, who could take me as far as Merrit. He was a great guy, been in Whis since '93 met and married his wife there, from Kenora where I'll be working later this summer, and had done his masters in Lund, in actually the same program as a friend of mine who I had visited there. So we had lots of interesting things to talk about. Unfortunately for him the Duffy made me carsick and we had to pull over twice so I could loose that awesome breakfast NK had made for me. Ulch!
When we arrived in Merrit my first ride and I stopped in at the cutest little coffee shop to grab a drink and a bite before parting ways. I was still feeling sick from the Duffy so I went and puked one last time in the toilets there, quickly brushed my teeth, then came out and ordered a tea and a cookie. A lovely girl, J, was working that day, when she saw the leggies that NK gave me she ran into the back and came out with a knit tea cup cozy in a matching blue and served my mint tea in it. I added some honey and all of a sudden felt a million times better! It was such a good feeling after hurling my guts out in the bathroom! Anyways, she loved the legwarmers, and wanted a pair for herself, so I got her contact info to give to NK. What I liked about the whole thing was this lovely set of exchanges and how something as small as a tea cup cozy and a pair of leggies can make you feel so warm and fuzzy inside. My first ride, DW, and I parted company. He dropped me on the off ramp towards Kamloops and continued on his way.
Now picture this. I made a pile out of my luggage and used my rain poncho as a tarp to cover it all. I had written Kamloops, my first goal, on a piece of cardboard in handwriting a 3 year old could have improved on. I sat on top of my pile with a red w/ black poka-dot umbrella and waited for a ride. It took about a 1/2 hour to get picked up by a Whistler local, DW, who could take me as far as Merrit. He was a great guy, been in Whis since '93 met and married his wife there, from Kenora where I'll be working later this summer, and had done his masters in Lund, in actually the same program as a friend of mine who I had visited there. So we had lots of interesting things to talk about. Unfortunately for him the Duffy made me carsick and we had to pull over twice so I could loose that awesome breakfast NK had made for me. Ulch!
When we arrived in Merrit my first ride and I stopped in at the cutest little coffee shop to grab a drink and a bite before parting ways. I was still feeling sick from the Duffy so I went and puked one last time in the toilets there, quickly brushed my teeth, then came out and ordered a tea and a cookie. A lovely girl, J, was working that day, when she saw the leggies that NK gave me she ran into the back and came out with a knit tea cup cozy in a matching blue and served my mint tea in it. I added some honey and all of a sudden felt a million times better! It was such a good feeling after hurling my guts out in the bathroom! Anyways, she loved the legwarmers, and wanted a pair for herself, so I got her contact info to give to NK. What I liked about the whole thing was this lovely set of exchanges and how something as small as a tea cup cozy and a pair of leggies can make you feel so warm and fuzzy inside. My first ride, DW, and I parted company. He dropped me on the off ramp towards Kamloops and continued on his way.
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