So I’ve been hitting it hard the last few days to get to Port Clinton to pick my new phone up before the post office closed for the weekend! Finally, I have a phone again- YAY!!! I can’t believe I made it over a month without a phone. At least now I know I can be independent without technology, although it was really challenging! Being disconnected from the world was nice for a little while, but then I started missing my people back home. Their continual and daily support is a huge motivating factor for me, especially when I’m not hiking with a group.
Anyway, when I got to town I was ready for a little break from the trail. I ran into two other SOBO buddies in town, Chaco and Doc, when I was eating a lumberjack sized breakfast at the local diner. They were going to try to get a hitch to the Yeungling brewery in Pottsville, about 15 miles down the highway. I, of course, was down for the adventure! We got an immediate hitch from a Haitian man who said that “it was God’s will to pick us up.” Right on, man! Straight to the brewery! The tour was great, complete with several free samples. As we were standing outside trying to feel out the hitching situation back to Port Clinton, we met Dave. It was his 50th birthday and he came on a pink party bus with about twenty of his friends for the tour. We became instant friends and Dave insisted we ride back with them. Inside the bus were platters of sandwiches, snacks, fruit and veggies, and of course tons of Yeungling beer! Best hitch of my life! Dave gave us Yeungling baseball hats and sat talking with us the whole way back. Such an awesome ride! Then when we got back to town, we headed over to the local firehouse, where there was an all you can eat and drink pig roast going on! As hikers, I’m pretty sure we got our $12 money’s worth!
It’s hard for me to convey how truly amazing it is how the trail constantly provides these kind of opportunities. It’s not just about getting free stuff (which is great, don’t get me wrong!), but it’s how people are so willing to open up their doors for you because they want you to experience life with them. It’s a beautiful thing! And the cool part is, these people are everywhere- you just have to open yourself up to find them.
Miles of Misadventures 