Micky
Member
So i guess it's about time I introduced myself. My name is Michael. I go by Micky. I'm 28 years old. California boy, born and raised. Love surfing, skating, fishing, camping, play guitar and ukulele a bit. I've been on the road less than a month now and its been amazing. I won't bore you with all the details of what led me here. I don't like to talk about it much. I'll just say that a series of events and circumstances left me feeling very lost and confused, with no reason to stay, and every reason to go. I'm sure some of you can relate. My final destination is Billings, MT to be reunited with my son, Jackson.
I left my hometown in Southern California on the 19th of May, with no solid plan, just to head north up the coast as far as I could by any means necessary, then east to Montana. Got a ride from a friend to Union Station in LA and got on the next train headed north to Santa Barbara. Got off the train and started walking towards the beach. Stopped at a bar on the way and got some fries and filled my water bottle. When I got to the beach I just wandered around for a bit and enjoyed the sights. Started heading towards the 101 on ramp to try to hitch a ride. Walked for a few miles and stopped at a market to buy an apple. Went behind the stores and grabbed some cardboard from the dumpster as I ate my apple. Continued for a few more miles to the onramp, made my sign, "101 North Please" and stuck my thumb out. No such luck. Just odd stares from yuppies on their way home from work, curious grins from a few girls, and a friendly nod from a hipster dude on a fixed gear bike. I gave up and folded up my sign as the sun went down and the cops showed up. Ate dry ramen and beer for dinner and crashed in the bushes.
I woke at dawn and gathered my gear, and began walking back to the bus station. Fuck this town. As I walked I looked down to see "Be Free", written on the sidewalk. I take it as a sign that I must be on the right path. I boarded a bus to Salinas at 8:30 AM and called a childhood friend, Chase, who lives there. He agreed to let me crash, shower, and do my laundry. Missed my stop in Salinas and ended up in San Jose. Fuck. As I waited at the San Jose station, I sat on the bench next to an older Indian gentleman. He asked if i was boarding and where i was headed. I told him I had missed my stop and was headed back to Salinas. He was going the same way. We carried a good conversation. Talked about life, work, fatherhood. He really made an impression on me. I asked him his name and we shook hands as we both said "Michael". He told me that he had been working for a traveling circus and that i should check it out. He gave me the info for the circus and told me to ask for Robert. We rode the bus together back to Salinas. Said goodbye and good luck, then watched him walk across the tracks and disappear into the neighborhood.
I went into a small cafe next to the the station and ordered some tacos. Called Chase and he sent me his address. Walked down Main Street towards his apartment. Passed a church outreach and some guys in a van shouted "JESUS LOVES YOU BROTHER!" as I passed. Walked past the stadium on Main Street and saw the flyers from the circus. They had just been here the previous week. Made it to Chases apartment and his girlfriend Aimee was there to greet me. We talked for a bit and waited for Chase to get home. It was good to see him and catch up. He agreed to give me a ride to the circus in Novato the next day to ask about a job. We left the next morning and drove up the 101, through Santa Cruz and San Francisco. Over the Golden Gate bridge. It was beautiful. I've always wanted to see San Francisco. Exited the 101 at St. Vincents in Novato, and saw the big purple circus tent. This must be the place. He dropped me off at the gates and wished me luck. I walked up with my pack and asked for Robert, as Michael had said. Introduced myself, shook the mans hand and got the job.
I traveled with the circus for three weeks, from Novato, to Suisun City, to Lompoc, to Paso Robles. It was great. Made some money and some great friends along the way. But it was time for me to go. To continue my journey. I said my goodbyes to everyone. They were sad to see me go, but they wished me luck and said the door would always be open, and that I'd always have a job and a family there. It meant a lot to me. They dropped me off at the bus station in downtown Paso Robles. I asked the lady at the station how far north I could get tonight. She said there was a bus leaving for Salinas at 7:20 PM. I sat down on the bench and looked over to see "Family First" written on the wall next to me. Another message, a sign that I must be in the right place. I sat there admiring the beauty of a tree as the sun set. I decided to call Chase to to see if he was home. He happened to be on his way home and his brother Corey was with him. Cool, a reunion! He agreed to pick me up from the bus station later that night.
As I sat there with my phone in my hand, an elderly woman walked up to me, looking a bit lost. She looked at me and said "You were meant to be here" . I was a little puzzled, so i smiled and said "You know, it's funny you should say that, because I was just thinking the same thing". She explained that she had an appointment with someone but the door was locked and her phone was dead. She asked if she could borrow my phone to call them. I said "yes ma'am, of course" and dialed the number for her. When she was done we talked for a bit and I told her some of my story. She encouraged me to stay focused and said that when I get to Montana I should stay, and that my son needed me. Nice lady. My bus pulled up and we said goodbye.
The bus was empty except for me and the driver. So I rode up front with him and struck up a conversation. Super cool guy. We talked all the way to Salinas, about life, fatherhood, women, work, and fly fishing, He told me he had been to Montana and fished the Yellowstone. When he dropped me off in Salinas I left him my number and told him if he ever found himself back in Montana to drop me a line and we'd fish together. We shook hands and he wished me luck. Now here I am back in Salinas, getting ready to continue north tomorrow. I hope to meet some of you along the way.
I left my hometown in Southern California on the 19th of May, with no solid plan, just to head north up the coast as far as I could by any means necessary, then east to Montana. Got a ride from a friend to Union Station in LA and got on the next train headed north to Santa Barbara. Got off the train and started walking towards the beach. Stopped at a bar on the way and got some fries and filled my water bottle. When I got to the beach I just wandered around for a bit and enjoyed the sights. Started heading towards the 101 on ramp to try to hitch a ride. Walked for a few miles and stopped at a market to buy an apple. Went behind the stores and grabbed some cardboard from the dumpster as I ate my apple. Continued for a few more miles to the onramp, made my sign, "101 North Please" and stuck my thumb out. No such luck. Just odd stares from yuppies on their way home from work, curious grins from a few girls, and a friendly nod from a hipster dude on a fixed gear bike. I gave up and folded up my sign as the sun went down and the cops showed up. Ate dry ramen and beer for dinner and crashed in the bushes.
I woke at dawn and gathered my gear, and began walking back to the bus station. Fuck this town. As I walked I looked down to see "Be Free", written on the sidewalk. I take it as a sign that I must be on the right path. I boarded a bus to Salinas at 8:30 AM and called a childhood friend, Chase, who lives there. He agreed to let me crash, shower, and do my laundry. Missed my stop in Salinas and ended up in San Jose. Fuck. As I waited at the San Jose station, I sat on the bench next to an older Indian gentleman. He asked if i was boarding and where i was headed. I told him I had missed my stop and was headed back to Salinas. He was going the same way. We carried a good conversation. Talked about life, work, fatherhood. He really made an impression on me. I asked him his name and we shook hands as we both said "Michael". He told me that he had been working for a traveling circus and that i should check it out. He gave me the info for the circus and told me to ask for Robert. We rode the bus together back to Salinas. Said goodbye and good luck, then watched him walk across the tracks and disappear into the neighborhood.
I went into a small cafe next to the the station and ordered some tacos. Called Chase and he sent me his address. Walked down Main Street towards his apartment. Passed a church outreach and some guys in a van shouted "JESUS LOVES YOU BROTHER!" as I passed. Walked past the stadium on Main Street and saw the flyers from the circus. They had just been here the previous week. Made it to Chases apartment and his girlfriend Aimee was there to greet me. We talked for a bit and waited for Chase to get home. It was good to see him and catch up. He agreed to give me a ride to the circus in Novato the next day to ask about a job. We left the next morning and drove up the 101, through Santa Cruz and San Francisco. Over the Golden Gate bridge. It was beautiful. I've always wanted to see San Francisco. Exited the 101 at St. Vincents in Novato, and saw the big purple circus tent. This must be the place. He dropped me off at the gates and wished me luck. I walked up with my pack and asked for Robert, as Michael had said. Introduced myself, shook the mans hand and got the job.
I traveled with the circus for three weeks, from Novato, to Suisun City, to Lompoc, to Paso Robles. It was great. Made some money and some great friends along the way. But it was time for me to go. To continue my journey. I said my goodbyes to everyone. They were sad to see me go, but they wished me luck and said the door would always be open, and that I'd always have a job and a family there. It meant a lot to me. They dropped me off at the bus station in downtown Paso Robles. I asked the lady at the station how far north I could get tonight. She said there was a bus leaving for Salinas at 7:20 PM. I sat down on the bench and looked over to see "Family First" written on the wall next to me. Another message, a sign that I must be in the right place. I sat there admiring the beauty of a tree as the sun set. I decided to call Chase to to see if he was home. He happened to be on his way home and his brother Corey was with him. Cool, a reunion! He agreed to pick me up from the bus station later that night.
As I sat there with my phone in my hand, an elderly woman walked up to me, looking a bit lost. She looked at me and said "You were meant to be here" . I was a little puzzled, so i smiled and said "You know, it's funny you should say that, because I was just thinking the same thing". She explained that she had an appointment with someone but the door was locked and her phone was dead. She asked if she could borrow my phone to call them. I said "yes ma'am, of course" and dialed the number for her. When she was done we talked for a bit and I told her some of my story. She encouraged me to stay focused and said that when I get to Montana I should stay, and that my son needed me. Nice lady. My bus pulled up and we said goodbye.
The bus was empty except for me and the driver. So I rode up front with him and struck up a conversation. Super cool guy. We talked all the way to Salinas, about life, fatherhood, women, work, and fly fishing, He told me he had been to Montana and fished the Yellowstone. When he dropped me off in Salinas I left him my number and told him if he ever found himself back in Montana to drop me a line and we'd fish together. We shook hands and he wished me luck. Now here I am back in Salinas, getting ready to continue north tomorrow. I hope to meet some of you along the way.
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