GOOD-BYE U.S.A.

To David, Jeanette, Troy and Mikala

June 3rd
It was 6AM in Arcata, Northern California. I was standing at a highway entrance under the sign 101 North. There was a car going my way every ten minutes or so, which gave me enough time to write “Portland” on the other side of the San Francisco carton. Arcata where I was and Portland, where I actually did not want to be, but had to write something more reachable than Alaska, were separated by 650 km . I waited two hours for my ride.

“We are going across the city” said a girl opening the window of her truck.
“Oh, thanks for stopping anyway...” I said a little disappointed. It was not a bad hitchhiking spot.
“We can take you, it is some 80 miles from here”
“Across the city?”
“No, Crescent City! Be quick I do not have a driver's license”
“I am learning my geography as I go. It is my first week on the continent”, I said laughing, threw my backpack in and jumped into the back.
“You do not mind me smoking or loud music, do you?” she said after introducing her and her friend.
We drove for about ten minutes, and got pulled over for speeding.
“Your license, please,” said the cop.
“I do not have it with me”
“ Can I see the registration for the car?”
“I do not have it.”
“Is the car registered?”
“No”
“I am listening.”
“My boyfriend got it for me as a present and didn't get it registered yet. We are on on our way to get my license back from Crescent City at the moment. And she,” she pointed at me “she was hitchhiking”.
“Does anybody here have a valid driver's license?”
No-one did.
He saw my “Portland”sign. “You better keep that!” the policeman said with a smile.

The girls and I walked along the highway. They needed to call mom to come and pick them up from the nearest rest area which unfortunately for me was on the other side of the road. I continued North, wishing them luck.

I needed to get off the highway. The cars were driving at a speed impossible to stop. After a ten minute walk I saw an exit to a scenic Seawood drive. The road had much fewer cars, but I enjoyed the walk. It was sunny, the sea was beautiful, I saw the sea lions relaxing on one rock. A man who had stopped to look at the sea lions with his family in the same spot asked me where I came from. After my usual introduction of coming from Estonia, being on my way to Alaska, travelling around the world, he said: “Well maybe I could help you out.”
“Would that be ok?” I asked looking at his family of four. Would he have room for me and my backpack, I wondered.
He handed me $20 instead.
“I am sorry we can not give you a ride.”
I continued my journey, a bit puzzled. That was not what I was asking.
I found, what I thought to be a good spot for hitchhiking. The cars could see me as they were coming from the distance, their speed was not so high and there was space for them to stop.
A father with a small kid in the back pulled over.
“You smoking?”
“No”
“Oh, ok doesn't hurt to ask. We live right here and can't give you a ride. Sorry.”
“No worries, thanks for stopping.”

What in the beginning seemed to become a very slow day actually brought me a ride that took me all the way from North California across the states of Oregon and Washington, leaving me only 150 km from the Canadian border.

I saw one RV stopping in the distance. (RV - acronym derived from the term Recreational Vehicle which is used in North American English to describe a home on wheels, also known as camping car, motor home etc).

I was almost sure that it was not for me - RVs rarely pick up hitchhikers. Just in case I went closer to see a boy wave for me to come quick.
“Did you guys stop for me?”
“Yes!”
I started running and was soon successfully in the back with the kids.
David and Jeanette with their two bright children – 10 y.o. twins Troy and Mikala - were on their way from Phoenix in Arizona to Seattle in Washington.


Troy, a brave boy-scout, had so many questions about my adventures, I could barely keep up with the answers. Mikala, a lovely girl with bright eyes, at first attentively listening finally said: “My mom is a flight attendant she has also travelled all around the world.”

Jeanette and David were a beautiful couple, patient and loving parents. Mikala and Troy were curious and smart kids. They taught me braiding with strings, I taught them how to make origami frogs and cranes. We played and chatted forgetting everything. From time to time Jeanette reminded us to look out of the window – Oregon was beautiful! David said that I could camp at his friend Dan's yard from where I could continue going North.

Dan's house was standing on a cliff in dreamlike surroundings in Waldport. Kids helped me find a windless spot and we quickly put up my tent. Waiting for Dan's family to come home, Mikala and I painted water-colour images in the motor home.

Creating great memories of looking for star fish after the tide the next morning, playing table-tennis with the kids, going for a small hike with two families, I all of a sudden was a part of the Andrea team traveling to Seattle.

“Will you come with us tomorrow? We are going all the way to Seattle!”Troy would ask this question a couple of times every day. And each time I wanted to say: “Yes, Troy, I want to come with you all the way! I could go wherever you are going, I just like being with you guys! You are such a nice family, I am learning so much from you...” and many other things. But instead I always said: “We'll see tomorrow.”

July 4th was the U.S. Independence Day, The campsite, North from Tillamook, despite being crowded, had a long and beautiful beach. And camp fires were allowed! It was my seventh day, and last night in the States. Mikala painted one more picture using my headlight, I painted one more picture in my memory! Goodbye America! Thank you for being such a kind host!

We left the campsite at dawn, by ten we were out of Oregon, by three the RV was parked in Everett - a town North of Seattle in Washington. Jeanette gave me a bag full of food left over from the trip to which I was very thankful.

The journey has taught me parting being a natural course of things. The road went on, soon filling the empty spot. But just before that, before the next wonderful experience happened, I heard myself sigh: Goodbye friends! If there is a reason we shall meet again! But the thing with kids is that they won't stop growing up waiting for you to come for a visit. I will remember you Troy and Mikala! Thanks for the fortune teller that you created for me :-) David and Jeanette, thank you for adopting me!