I made it to Atlanta! And while Atlanta itself doesn't interest me that much, it does put me within two hours of tomorrow's target, Auburn Alabama. And that makes me quite happy.
I was happy to learn this morning that TA Travel Center's willingness to give free showers to hitchhikers does indeed appear to be company-wide, as I was again given a free ticket the moment I asked for it. Such a nice way to start off a morning.
My first ride came from a CPA exec with a love of driving. I'd decided to try hitching towards Savannah and then back across to Atlanta instead of trying to go west and up, and he was able to get me all the way up to the first truck stop past the Georgia border. He wasn't really headed that way, or that far, but had simply seen me and decided to help, and as he had the time took me as far as needed to get me to a good location. He said that if he didn't have commitments on Tuesday, he'd drive me all the way to Idaho just so he could see it. In addition to working with businesses, he owns a pecan orchard that his wife inherited from her parents, on an estate that's been in the family since the 1800's. Most of the trees are over 80 years old, and have a harvest season that may last several months, as the ones at the bottom ripen faster than the ones on top.
My second ride came from two lawn care / property managers on their way to work, who were quite happy that I was just looking for a short hop, as it meant that they could help. Two of the nicer people I've met, actually.
Third ride and first trucker of the day, an Albanian-born computer science major who graduated with 3 kids right as the tech economy was tanking. As he'd been trained as a chauffer in communist Albania (an intensive 9-month course of study that required drivers to know everything about their car, including how to fix, not replace, broken parts), he decided to make use his CDL again. He bought a truck, and now he runs his own business.
I made the mistake of getting out too early, thinking a truck stop would be my best bet. Unfortunately for me, the place I chose didn't really have sace for a truck to stop, so it was up onto the freeway and walking for me. Worked out well, though, because I met a great guy with an interest in moving to San Francisco. A bit of an older guy, he'd gone through a divorce and was ready to move on with life and try again in a fresh spot. The city has always held a certain fascination for him, and now may be the best time to explore it.
My final ride came just outside of Savannah, from a Thai man driving back to Atlanta. He works on the funding side of a non-profit that helps disadvantaged immigrants, focusing specifically on the school-aged youth. A very friendly guy, he even arranged for me to stay in an apartment maintained by the company as a school, though when we arrived we learned that since the program as gone on hiatus, some small 6 legged critters have made themselves at home. Not too much of problem, though. I figure I'll run into much, much worse in the future.
Trip Stats:
Distance Traveled: 397 miles
Total Time: 13 hrs
Google Estimated: 6:33 hrs
# of Rides: 5
Total Cost: $9.00
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