First ride on the back of a motorcycle! He even had a helmet.

German couple with a 5 month old baby

Dutch art curator on her way to visit her father in a nursing home.

A Danish man who lives in Belgium for the tax advantages picked me up.

An older American man picked me, asked me to help him navigate. Dropped me off at a service station on the A1 near Lille.

A french family with a teenage daughter drove me to Gent.

Wow did I connect with this woman! Her name was Katie and her car barely had room for me- it was packed with moving boxes and her large dog. We talked for hours about midwifery, feminism, religion, Americorps, primitive skill building, and so many other things. In Olympia we met up with her sister and we all went to dinner. She read my tarot.

Another man picked us up on the highway and drove us to Salem. He, too, recommended we see Multnomah Falls.

As I was standing on the highway, another hitchhiker approached me. His name was Oystein. He was a 23 year old Norwegian sporting a ukulele. We were both hitching to Portland so we decided to pair up. A man pulled over a few minutes later and drove us 20 minutes up the road. He was an interesting character, who recommended we see Multnomah Falls if we got the chance.

Karen picked us up in a Prius. She hitchhiked solo across the U.S. three times in the 70's. She was very excited to see young people "like us" hitchhiking and exploring. She was very taken by us, and wished we could meet her adolescent son to expose him to travelers. She invited us to stay the night at her home in the Columbia Gorge, offering to make us dinner and take us to… (read on in Trip)

A kind Russian man picked me up. He was quiet most of the way. When he dropped me off in Eugene he gave me a "Jesus Saves" pamphlet.

A trucker picked me up and he wouldn't stop staring at my chest.

There was a wildfire on the I-5, and I thought I would be stuck in (super sketchy) Redding for the night. Liz picked me up just as the sun was setting! We ended up talking for hours on the backed up highway, and she invited me to stay with her and her partner. We all went to a concert together, they showed me their small organic farm, and I slept on a sweet porch bed outside…. (read on in Trip)

Weird ride

The vibes were weird on this ride! Two of the passengers were drinking heavily, the conversation jumped around from crystal magic to their illegal weed farm, and they dropped me off in a sketchy place. On the up side, the river scenery was beautiful and the driver played Johnny Cash the whole way. I didn't feel unsafe, just uncomfortable.

British honeymooners picked me up. Adorable couple. They were in their thirties, used to hitchhike, now they're into airbnb. They dropped me off in a horrible spot.

A woman named Allison picked me up in a Prius. She was also on a solo trip, driving across the US, trying to figure things out. We stopped at Big Sur along the way, she shared Baklava with me (the first time I had tried it, it was delicious!) and we even spotted a rare albino deer. She drove me all the way to my couchsurfing host’s doorstep in Monterey.

A gay couple touring California vineyards picked me up. Both had done hitchhiking in their youth and had awesome stories to share.

The Griffiths

A chain smoking couple in their fifties with a black lab named Annie. The two used colorful language and bickered with each other about directions the whole way. He had hitchhiked from Denver to NYC when he was fifteen, and she had spent some time in prison. They blasted classics like Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, and John Lennon so loudly I think my hearing may have been affected…. (read on in Trip)

The Casino Manager

He drove me about 20 miles from Laughlin to the I-95, and dropped me off on a stretch of desert near a convenience store, which was the only place for miles. He warned me about Nevada cops (hitchhiking is illegal in the state due to prostitution issues). I asked him if he enjoys his job, and he said ”It’s just something to do.”

James

James picked me after a fourteen minute wait in the Nevada desert. He told me that he’s picked up hitchhikers from that very spot who have been stuck out there for days, which was a disconcerting possibility. He offered to drive me all the way to my grandma's doorstep in Vegas. James was in his seventies, and one of the most adorable old men I’ve ever seen. He bought me some… (read on in Trip)

Ex-Military Maintenance Man

He talked about his world travels, and said that he’d recently lived in Iraq training local police. He shared his perspectives on the war as well as the country itself. He picked me up in Flagstaff after an eleven minute wait, and drove me first to Williams, and then onto Ashfork a couple of minutes later (he said it would be a better spot). He offered to buy me food and water… (read on in Trip)