Where did we leave off last...? Hmm... Damn, the 16th... time to play catch up..
The rest of the 16th was mostly getting situated and ready for bed.. Ah, nice floor, comfy wood floor.. I wasn't super comfortable there, so I slept with my knife in one hand and my gun in my jacket, just not a place I really wanted to take my chances with some of the people coming and going through there.
December 17th, I started my day on the floor, 7am, already sweating from the approaching heat, 70*. I left with Mike and Veronica to the gas station, the closest place to get smokes, and a beer, pretty much what breakfast was for the people in this house, Foster's. When we returned, I spent much of the day brown bagging it at 9am and figuring out just how to get out of there, really wasn't my kind of place. Mike was really helpful and cool, told me how to read the "Shift Change" for the train book he gave me, it's how he mostly got around, hopping trains. We also traded hats, he took my old, beaten up black one, and I took his brown one, kind of a fun trade, we'd both had them about the same amount of time and it would be cool to run into him again, he was a good person to meet. I also scoured Craig's List for a ride out of town, anywhere would have been more comfortable than there, but it was free, albeit uncomfortable. Ended up just hanging out at the kitchen table, working on the laptop between cleaning and picking up, just not good at being in dirty places I guess.. At a point later in the day, when the sun began to set again, a larger group from the day before came back in, about 4 or 5 of them. It was this point I decided to bite the bullet and just buy a bus ticket out of town for the following morning, even if it took a good portion of my money. Mike made sure I secured a spot on the couch to sleep, since I'd been so helpful around Foster's the day before and that day, though I think I may have preferred the floor.. Apparently one of the girls there has lice, however, she was on a bed at the other end of the room... Thankfully I didn't catch lice that night, though the thought kept me up for a while... And when I did finally fall asleep, some loudmouth named Trey woke everyone up, can't even remember what he was going on about, but needless to say, it was another night with my knife in hand and gun concealed..
December 18th, I got up early, hadn't showered since the 16th, just brushed my teeth and left. Funny I was at the same station I came into when I took the train from San Antonio, but how different it felt, familiar though it shouldn't be, I'd only been there once before. As I sat, waiting for the bus, I seen a scale, something I'd been meaning to check for a while, my weight. It was one of those silly fortune telling ones, so I asked it a question I seen on the dial, "Is The Risk Too Great?" to which it said, "You Must Gamble To Win." It felt like a good sign at the time haha... When I reached Mobile, AL, it was pouring rain, just dumping.. Lovely start to my time in Alabama. Ended up eating at some fish place, it was alright, can't remember the name of it, but I was able to charge my phone while I ate. Ended up getting a room, early Christmas present, so I didn't have to sleep in the rain, not to mention, I was able to shower, and oh how nice that was...
December 19th, I started back on the road, passing all the old houses, just getting a feel for how beautiful it all was, hell of a place, I can see why my sister in law speaks so fondly of it. I ended up at a place called The Dew Drop Inn, the oldest restaurant in Mobile, Alabama. I ended up meeting a really lovely family, sitting at the table next to me and we all had a conversation. They'd asked where I'd been, where I was headed, what I thought of the area, just a really nice conversation. They were a family of three generations, all there together, some visiting from out of town, all so the newest kids could get a bite to eat where everyone in the family has over the years. I wish I had written down their names, but I want to say Greg or Gary, ended up giving me some money, as well as paying for my meal, gave me best wishes before they took off their way. I also ended up meeting a mother and son that ran a hotel, the only hotel, in a city called Washington out this way, offered to let me stay there but it was in the opposite direction I was headed and had to decline. They also gave me a little cash and said their goodbyes. After leaving I kept heading out toward the bay, hoping I could figure out a way to cross the bridge.. well, what I thought was a bridge. Needless to say, when I got to downtown Mobile, I realized I was in trouble, there were no beaches, only harbors and ports for larger boats, and there was no bridge, only a tunnel, a really long one with no walking access... I ended up finding a bar to charge my phone while I devised a plan, as well as realizing I lost my grey and black beanie, Alabama claimed it's first item. The Haberdasher, picked specifically for the name, which in a way saved me.. There, I met two curious young women, around my age, a little younger. Chelsea and Jackie, asked me why I was walking around with a giant backpack and in hiking boots, so I ended up having a talk with them. They ended up graciously allowing me to spend some time with them, fed me, grabbed me a drink while we bar hopped all night, just really incredibly generous, ended up going to have dinner at Chelsea's work, and wow, all I can really say about that, no meat in the dishes and it was amazing.. From there we went to.. well, I can't remember, I know we spent a lot of time at a dive bar called Haley's, it was great, some other places were The Noble, and Alchemy, all around crazy night. I remember being at Hailey's and hearing a song that was on a CD I got from Her before she left for California, sent her a snap but she didn't respond.. Actually making the title of this post from the song. Made friends with Nick, he worked as a bartender at The Haberdasher, and Randy, whom also worked there. There was an artist too, Scooby, well, I don't remember if that was his name, but his actual name was Angelo, you can find him on Instagram under @okparlay. Speaking of which, you can follow Chelsea as well, she's becoming a bit of an Instagram personality, @sealouize4. After a long night of good times, we ended up back at their place where I slept on the most comfortable couch, in the world, oh man it was nice.. Sadly morning came very early and it was time to go.
Upon waking on the 20th and getting ready to leave, fighting complete exhaustion and nausea, we ventured forth. It was this point I began to grasp how screwed I would have been if I'd tried to walk through this tunnel and across the bridge to Daphne.. Wow, so fortunate for Chelsea and Jackie.. Anyway, they dropped me off on Highway 98 and I promptly found some woods and passed out a while, exhaustion was just too great. I wasn't bothered, but it was freezing, way too cold for an impromptu nap, so I eventually got back up and hit the road again. A man with his family bought me a coffee at a gas station, which came in handy considering how cold it was, from there I went through a little hiking trail and found a way to the other side of the busy highway. It was here I began to realize I was in gator country now, signs being posted everywhere saying not to feed or approach them, exciting haha. I ended up walking several miles on the 90 before finding a little trailed leading into the woods on the north side of the road. It was here I made camp, as it was already beginning to get hard to see from the approaching night, though it was only maybe 4:30pm. I would say this was the best and worst sleep I've had in a while... I was far enough that light from the road didn't reach me, but I was in the middle of the Highway 90 and Interstate 10, so the sound of traffic going all night was noticeable.
December 21st found me walking on the 90, towards Malbis, hoping to get somewhere I could maybe shower, charge up my phone and laptop, maybe catch up on the blog.. after walking a few miles, I was picked up by a small family consisting of a man, woman, and their daughter, though I was too exhausted, I can't even remember their names. They informed me how screwed my situation would be if I tried to continue through Alabama the way I was going, that it might be best to just take a bus through to Florida. After some coaxing, they convinced me to catch a bus and head through to Fort Walton Beach, Florida, a decision I am so grateful for, upon seeing the weather we went through on the bus and the vast nothingness but trees and swamp areas.. It would have been tough going through all that. Upon reaching Fort Walton, Florida, I headed towards Okaloosa Island, which connected to Destin, etc, thinking maybe sleeping on the beach would be more enjoyable than trying to find somewhere inland with trees that wasn't sketchy as hell. I crossed a bridge to get there called Brooks Bridge, incidentally, when one of my Aunt's friends drove past, a fact we would later laugh about. I ended up heading towards Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier, but decided to stay on the beach and snapped a shot, eerily close to the point my Mother and Aunt happened to snap a shot of them with the pier in the background years ago, though I hadn't known this until later. I kept walking along the beach, swapping my boots for flip flops and enjoying the sand and water. I came across a covered area and met a traveler named Star, a rather interesting older woman doing yoga. We talked for a while as I let my phone charge and she told me of her views on the world and whatnot, it was an interesting talk. She later informed me of a few good spots to crash out this way, so I headed to the beach to find one for myself. It was a surreal night, setting up camp to the sound of the waves crashing.. I tried falling asleep many times that night, but would be awoken, just to go to the edge of the water, stare at the endless ocean, the waves crashing, the blue glowing algae bursting into color when the waves hit.. There was one point I seen a reddish orange glowing group in the water, but couldn't tell what it was. Sleep eventually won out and I slept a few hours.
The 22nd found me upset at the fact that at some point, I lost another part of my camera, Florida claimed it's first spoil.. In fact, it also almost claimed one of my contacts, which flew off my fingertip as I went to put it in, and fell in the sand.. I spent a good 10 minutes moving slowly and examining everything just to find it.. Worth the work, would be really hard to deal with being half blind till who knows when. As I walked along the road, the 98, I was picked up by a friendly Christian man named Sean, and spend majority of the day being driven around by him, showing me places in Destin, Okaloosa and Fort Walton, including getting lunch at a place called McGuire's Irish Pub. The burger was amazing and the soup was delicious, I was so full but didn't know when food was happening next, so I ate everything haha. He ended up helping me make some contacts while I was out this way, including talking with the local Christian radio station host at WPSM. The day ended with him helping me find a place to stay for the night, which would end up being a campsite I got a pretty decent deal on in the Wright/Fort Walton area, I'll be there till Sunday the 25th.
Today, the 23rd, has mostly only seen me waking up, showering, charging up all my devices and external batteries, and heading in town to Starbucks to update this blog, can't believe how much I had to catch up on. I'm exhausted, I'm really missing Her, though I don't want to, and I'm really missing everyone else back home as well.. I want to let go, like she did, so easily, but I can't seem to, and that's frustrating to me, but I'm glad I wasn't back home this holiday, it would be hard to see Her. Plus, if I was there, she probably wouldn't have gone up north to visit everyone for karaoke night last night, because she took someone I wouldn't care to see. Anyway, not here nor there, doesn't matter. I'll finish this up, start walking back and get there likely after dark.. I hope there aren't any bears around, apparently they're notorious for being in this area, as well as Coral Snakes and Alligators, awesome.
Hopefully I didn't forget any details, it's been a long few days.
Later Days.
A special thanks to Molly, she's one of my best friends and has helped when things have gotten hard, I'm really fortunate to have a friend like her. Just trying to keep my head together and it's getting tricky at times haha.. She's been a good voice of reason.
“Stickshifts and safetybelts
Bucket seats have all got to go
When we’re driving in the car
It makes my baby seem so far
I need you here with me
Not way over in a bucket seat
I need you to be here with me
Not way over in a bucket seat”