The Kids & The Happy Hippie Truck

Posted Mon, 2010-06-07 21:51 by Emily Caryl

I was at the Port Townsend Brewery last Friday night when four travelers walked in - kids in their early 20s, each of them shouldering backpacks.  They saw me, ambled over, and asked if there was somewhere nearby to eat.  "Yes," I said.  "But you're here.  You should have a beer first."

They really needed to eat, they explained.  They'd just ridden the bus from the ferry to the Park & Ride.  None of them had ever been to Port Townsend before.  They spotted the brewery across the street from the bus stop, and thought they'd check it out.  But the brewery doesn't serve food.  And they were starving.  Food before beer.

"In that case," I offered, "you should call Waterfront Pizza and have them deliver a pizza to you here.  You can have a beer and eat too."  So that's what they did.

Turns out, The Kids were all from Louisiana, students at LSU.  Hannah, Fernando, Joshua, and Matthew.  They left Baton Rouge with the intent to deliver a friend's car to him in Alaska.  But somewhere in the middle of Wyoming, the friend's car was rear ended and totaled.  With their transportation gone, they couldn't get to Alaska.  So they decided to head to Forks, WA to hike in the Olympics and see the home of Twilight.  And the only way to get to Forks via bus is through Port Townsend.

I asked The Kids where they were staying Friday night.  They planned to sleep under the shelter at the Park & Ride.  The bus they needed to catch departed at 6:00 am.

"Don't be silly," I said.  "You can't sleep at the bus stop.  Why don't you come up to my house?  You can pitch tents in my yard, sleep there, and walk down to the Park & Ride to catch your bus in the morning."  So that's what they did.

We had an awesome time hanging out, laughing and talking Friday night.  We took a long walk, drank a few beers, listened to music.  The Kids were the epitome of Southern charm - polite, grateful, funny.  And they were bursting with eagerness, a lifetime of adventure ahead of them. 

Hannah is an international studies major.  She's studying French and will take classes in Swahili next semester.  One day, she's going to help save Africa.

Matthew is set to attend the Naval Academy in the fall.  He's currently an environmental engineering major but will probably switch to oceanography at The Academy.

Fernando and Joshua are honorary volunteer firefighters in Peru.  Bomberos.  Apparently, they were stuck in Peru with nowhere to stay.  So someone dropped them off at a fire station.  The firefighters fed them and got them drunk on Peruvian wine.  They slid down the fire pole, danced with the Chief in his office, peed off the roof, and went on calls with the firefighters.  In the morning, they were given gifts of t-shirts and jackets and made honorary firefighters.  Then they were driven to the airport in the ambulance with the sirens blaring!

Finally, a little after midnight (and after a few more beers), The Kids voiced concern that they should get to bed.  After all, they had a bus to catch in a few hours.

"Don't be silly," I said.  "You can't take the bus to Forks.  Get a good night's sleep, we'll all go to breakfast at the Blue Moose tomorrow, and you can drive my truck to Forks."  So that's what they did.

One friend described my truck as The Happy Hippie Truck.  She's a little Toyota pick-up that I bought brand new in 1994.  She has a little over 235,000 miles on her now.  I have a newer car too, but I keep the truck around as a second vehicle since it still runs fine and it was paid for over a decade ago.  The truck isn't worth much anyway.  She's been wrecked at least a dozen times, the front left fender is completely rusted, and the headlights don't aim well.

But it's convenient to have a second vehicle around.  And, when I think about parting ways with her, I kinda feel like crying.  Every one of those 235,000 miles represents an adventure.  I've driven that truck across the country more times than I can count.  The Happy Hippie Truck reminds me of a thousand road trips.

I remember finding the truck along a dirt road after getting lost and nearly killing myself hiking alone in a slot canyon in Escalante.  I remember marathon runs from Atlanta to the Grand Canyon; I could make the drive in 48 hours.  I remember driving my friends around the parking lot after a Phish show for HOURS until they finally remembered where they parked their car.  I remember huddling in the back with Loose Lucy, underneath blankets, reading a book, while a thunderstorm raged outside at Black Canyon of the Gunnison.  I remember driving from Atlanta to Port Townsend with two dogs and two cats while towing a U-Haul trailer.

A few friends have questioned the wisdom of loaning a vehicle to four complete strangers for an entire week and a 200 mile road trip.  To be perfectly honest, I don't even know their last names.  But I couldn't help but smile when I watched The Kids drive away.  One more road trip for The Happy Hippie Truck.  One more adventure.  That's exactly what she was made for.

So cheers to The Kids and road trips and adventure!  Travel safely.  And I'll see you on Sunday.  Hopefully...

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