The dirty mule

Hitching out of Irvine was not an easy task, it is difficult to describe the feeling that overcomes you as 100's of 1000's of frantic, flustered, and chronically frustrated drivers pass you by in the heat of the day, pretending to busy themselves with changing the radio station, and refusing to make eye contact. Something like being invisible, it gets to a point if you wait long enough, that you really do wonder, can these people see me? Then you remind yourself that it is absurd to think such thoughts and the whole thing becomes funny. I laugh out loud and try to send out a smile, and some positive energy. About 5 hours into my character building session, a teenager pulls off on the shoulder and looks at me franticly as if to say... hurry up get in the car. He looks absolutely harmless, so I skip the formalities, like where are you headed, and is it ok if I film you? I throw my enormous bag in his back seat, and jump in. It turns out the kid is from Texas, and is headed all the way to San Fransisco. I am immediately reminded of how good things throughout my entire life, have consistently sprouted from the worst of situations , and I make a mental note never to despair about catching a ride again. 3 hour's into the trip we had completely dissected the kids entire life, he was a recent high school graduate from a private school, and the sole child of two intellectuals that desperately wanted to send him East to attend a prestigious ivy league school. He had some very different thoughts though, He claimed that in a rebellious fervor he had built a small empire dealing marijuana back in Texas, and was currently headed to San Fransisco to meet with his supplier. I quickly wrote this comment off, and assumed it was complete braggadocio. This kid probably thought that any respectable hitchhiker would be impressed with his sense of all things worldly, and had thusly concocted this story to gain my approval. Regardless of my doubts of his sincerity we reached San Fransisco both of us feeling as though we had made a new friend in the world. He was quick to offer up the couch in his large hotel room at the Hilton, I said thanks, and he said I will be right back, I have to meet somebody down the street . I gratefully laid down my gear in the plush hotel room, and quickly fell asleep. 1 hour later the door opens, and my host stumbles through the door,shoulders slumped, tears in his eyes as he falls on the hotel bed in child like fashion. By the time the poor kid pulled himself together, and had built up the courage to speak, I was all ears. With wet eyes, and a quivering lip, he softly stated, I just lost $90,000........... Any part of me that had doubted this kids initial sincerity flew out the window. I have seen the look of true desperation before, both in my own life, and in the faces of suffering people all over the world, it is not a look that is easily manufactured. The story went like this.....Kid walks down the street to meet his contact, ignorantly leaves his bag in contacts car, goes in to a restaurant for five minutes. When they come out all the cars on the street had their windows broken, and personal effects stolen, Kids scarred to death because an official exchange never took place. I felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility to help this guy, he clearly had no business in this lifestyle, and had the rare gift of being born surrounded by love,intelligence,and money. I had already spent some time counseling him from afar in the car, regarding his decisions to abandon his family in pursuit of a career in drugs, but he needed some well thought out guidance. At this unique juncture I thought he might actually listen to me, so I made a rare decision to operate against my instincts, and I spent the night in the Hilton, went to breakfast with the kid, and unloaded some carefully worded advice his way before I said goodbye. An interesting start to the my Bay area adventures.

I jumped off the train around 12am, and thought to myself, I had better get a good sleep and quickly found myself a spot in the dirt and crashed. The next morning I awoke to a smattering of rain, quickly packed up my gear, and found a nice little cafe in the train lounge that I camped beside the night before. This is where I began my search for the Skinner family. The Skinners are related to some good friends of mine back in Boise, Idaho, and I was really looking forward to meeting them. I quickly found Heather online, and she agreed to pick me up at her earliest convenience. To this point in my journey, most of my interactions with people had spawned out of either random meetings on the street, or people that had simply opened their couches for me to sleep on. So this meeting with the Skinners was special, here was a family of four that had completely sold out, to the idea of bringing me, a dirty traveling stranger into their highly structured world. This was a family that was constantly on the run, living a very busy life juggling school, kids activities, work and home life. I thought to myself initially, where am I going to fit into this? Where indeed, I almost immediately fell into the roll of the new fifth family member. I was fed, my wounds cleaned, entertained, and given a much needed nights sleep. More importantly I was exposed to a family that genuinely cared for a complete strangers wellbeing, and went all out to make sure that I experienced the best that Southern California had to offer. Day one began with a dinner at a local wing joint where I was treated to a spicy pre game meal with a beer, my first in weeks, soooo good! I was then treated to a baseball game featuring their son who hit a nice double in the bottom of the fourth,as I recall. Day two I was dropped of in the Newport beach area with a lunch and directions on what to do and where to go. I found a gorgeous beach, and spent my day swimming, sunning, and exploring the many beaches and harbors in the area. So my two days were up, I was driven to and dropped of at the very same spot I had been picked up two days earlier by Heather, we parted this time with a hug, and each of us the excitement of having made a new friend. While the Southern California sun had treated me well, I new my feet in particular were begging me for an extended rest, my soul for the smell of a forest, and my mind for a few less people. I threw on my backpack trudged my blistered feet to the nearest freeway exit I could find, and put up my sign that read simply, San Fransisco.

Now things are getting interesting. The big city in front of me, 80 pounds of gear on me, and approximately 29950 miles in front of me. My contact from C.S. tells me that I am welcome for 1 night on a very soft couch that resides in a small loft overlooking the San Diego harbor. I am more than happy to take her up on that one, I now know without a doubt, that all the training in the world would never have prepared me for 80 pounds, 24 hours a day. My feet are killin me! After brief nights sleep I awoke to the aroma of coffee, and soft music coming from inside Jenines small kitchen. I was kindly provided a cup of strong coffee,toast, and an apple. I ate my breakfast as quickly as I could, and was sent on my way with instructions on how to find the most likely spot to hitch a boat ride. After about 3 hrs of city hiking, and plenty of less than enthusiastic welcomes at local marinas, I locked eyes with a local panhandler who was running back and forth on a bustling two lane road, enthusiastically trying to get attention with a sign that said "SMILE". It seemed to be working for him, as the endless lines of cars passed him, it was rare that a driver wouldn't be smiling. I thought to myself... this guy would be fun to talk to.We talked for about 30 minutes about why he was out there doing what he was doing, how he liked San Diego, and then he asked what I was doing? I told him, and he told me how tough hitching anywhere between San Diego and the bay area was. Of course my previous experience the day before had already clued me in. I asked him if he had any other suggestions? He enthusiastically stated "you could hop a freight!" I said sure. He said where, and how. Next thing I know im poised behind some bushes waiting for the next freight to roll by. Not quite sure if this little plan was going to work out, I made the decision to give it my very best effort. If I failed at least I could say I tried. As I waited in the bushes next to a bend in the track I realized that they looked as if GOD himself had placed them specifically for train hoppers. Im sure I wasn't the first to do this, nor would I be the last. I watched as the train slowed itself down to a crawl through the station...Only about one hundred yards down the track I waited in stealth laughing to myself about what I was about to do. When the moment came I let every ounce of adrenaline in my body spring forth as I attempted to run with 80 pounds on my back in pursuit of a train that was now speeding up again. I grabbed a rail, and jumped, hoping that at least one of my feet would land on the platform I was aiming for. Luckily one foot made it, I pulled the rest of my weight up, took a look around to make sure I was alone and fell to the platform floor in complete exhaustion. It was difficult to know where to get off at, so again I simply hoped that I would be blessed with a safe place to jump off and camp unnoticed. I was fortunate in my choice, I jumped off about 5 minutes before Irvine California where I had a solid nearby contact. I walked next to the track until I found a nice flat spot to lay down for the night. Sleeeeepy time!

As it all begins to sink in, and the doubt and fear begin to creep into my stomach.... I think to myself, Wait one minute you have been here before... you know what happens next, and it is true, I do know. You either give in to that part of you that thinks, it sure would be nice if you were at home watching a movie, eating some popcorn, and preparing your mind for the next days work. Or you refocus, readjust and remind yourself that there is a damn good reason for me to be out here. I never did like that job, that movie I would have been watching probably had the exact same outline as 5 other movies I have seen this year, and don't even get me started on that popcorn in all of its toxic microwavable glory. Im here! I want to be here! Ahhh, nothing like coming to terms with fear. Now where am i going? North. I take a long hard look North, and as far as the eye can see roads, interchanges, off ramps, lines of cars as long as ten football fields. Damn that popcorn is starting to sound good again! Ok you remember how it goes, you write up a witty sign, stick it out like you mean it aaand, wait! So 2hrs into the wait a kind soul who looks like an x hitcher rolls down his window, reaches out as far as he can and says, hey here's 3 bucks, the light rail will take you into San Diego. Thank you Jesus! I am out of here.