Hitchhiking from Seattle to Nova Scotia

On December 6, 2024, almost 50 years to the month, I left my cozy home, 4 fluffy cats, 4 beloved sons, and all the comforts I was used to behind, and took my little dog, Simi and packed up my little car and set out from Seattle to Nova Scotia, in my father's footsteps.

The trip in a nutshell? I was either in the middle of a calamity, focused singularly on my survival, or passing long periods of time in monotony. Every calamity was weather-related, such as when I hit ice and flew off the freeway into a snowbank ... three times in three weeks. My survival was tantamount, and involved food, sleeping quarters, bathroom facilities, gas stops, and money, and so much intense anxiety. Otherwise I was either on the phone or thinking, or maybe listening to music. This was my 7am to 7pm routine.

There was the time I ran out of gas in the Ontario mountains, 40 miles in either direction from a gas station. Google Maps claimed there was a gas station where there was not, ergo my dilemma. I set out the flares my son insisted I buy, and called Canadian Tire, whose motto is "... we won't leave you stranded" or something. But since it was Boxing Day, and I really was in the remotest part of the mountains, the two service providers in the area were not answering their phones, and the lady on the phone said she was sorry but she didn't think she could help me. She sounded more upset than I was, and I was pretty upset. "What am I supposed to do, just wait for someone to pull over??" I demanded. "Um, I mean, I guess so," she stammered, and just then, someone pulled over. I told the lady on the phone, but asked her to stay on the line for another minute, and she agreed.

It was hard to see, but someone tall and swaggering exited the big black truck hauling a black trailer. About halfway to my car, they waved, and I saw it was a woman! I told the lady on the phone, and we ended the call. Well, this woman happened to have not only two huge reserve tanks of gas in her truck, but also 3 large cats and 2 kids, ages 7 and 9 and both just bursting with vibrancy and ebulliency. Her name was Amanda, and we ended up caravanning for two days, sharing rooms at night (yes, Simi behaved herself). We split up in Winnipeg, both feeling a sense of calm and care and emotional bolstering from the other. Both glad to be the hell out of Ontario.

And so much more! This is only 2 days out of 25 days on the road!