My time in Rhode Island had come to an end, and it was time to start my journey to Florida to escape the cold. I loaded up the car, and my dog Maggie and I set off. We drove most of the day, then stopped at my brother Ben’s place for a night in West Virginia.
That evening I went out with Ben and our friend Brittany to go ax throwing. The two of them had gone a few days before for Ben’s birthday and I had wanted to try it. I felt so powerful throwing the ax as it stuck into the wall. I even got a bullseye! We played three games to see who got the highest points, and each of us won one time. Afterwards we went out for dinner at a barbecue place before going back to Ben’s house, where Brittany and I played Just Dance.
The next morning Maggie and I hit the road again. We drove until I had to stop for gas in North Carolina, where I looked up nearby hiking trails. There was one called Lake Wilson Park that was a big loop around a lake. We walked the trail to stretch our legs before hitting the road again.
After driving in the dark for a while I figured it was time to find a spot to sleep. For Christmas, Brittany had gotten me an air mattress that was made for the back seat of a car. We found a grocery store parking and pulled off in the corner next to some woods. I blew up the air mattress and Maggie and I settled in for the night. The mattress was surprisingly comfortable and I love sleeping in small spaces, so I got a great night's sleep.
The next morning I went into a nearby hotel and got some breakfast and coffee. Then we were on the road again. We stopped in Georgia to stretch our legs and explored around a bit since I had never been. Then we finally made it to Florida!
The first day Maggie and I spent time on the beach and exploring nearby parks. My friends Nate and Tara, who I had met in Rhode Island, just happened to be visiting Florida the same time I was. They told me about a place called the Movement Sanctuary in St. Petersburg that would be putting on an ecstatic dance. Of course I had to go check it out. When I first walked in, I was amazed. Trees were scattered everywhere with different climbing poles and nets, there were beautiful wooden art sculptures, and bright, colorful paintings on every visible surface. I found Nate and Tara, who were climbing up onto the nets in the trees above. I joined them by climbing up a ladder and then had to pull myself up onto a wooden platform. That led to another net platform that I pulled myself up onto as well. The three of us hung out in the trees for a while.
Eventually we went back down and settled in a little, cute corner circular chair where Nate got a henna tattoo on his hand. They then called an opening circle around the fire. We all went around and shared our names and one word of how we were feeling. I shared the word flowie. They then passed around cacao. I’ve only had cacao in nut or drink form, but they had the actual fruit. It was big and the outside shell was hard, but they cut it open where the inside had slimy, white fruit that coated little nuts. We were each passed a piece. When I ate it, I bit into the slimy part and the nut was in the middle. Slimy with a crunch, it was surprisingly good.
The dance started in a big warehouse. Inside, the walls were covered with different paintings. There were some climbing bars off to the side, with random unicycles, hula hoops and all sorts of toys placed up against the walls. A DJ was situated in the front of the room, and colorful lights swirled all around. I started dancing along with everyone else. When I got tired, I went back outside to stand around the fire. A drum circle with fire spinning had started and I stood with Tara and Nate watching, entranced. Then I had the idea of climbing up into the nets in the trees. The three of us did so, and the view was absolutely incredible, we could perfectly see the fire and every single person who performed. After I was rested up, I went back inside to dance, and when the music eventually stopped, we did a sound healing. We all laid on the floor while a man in the front of the room used singing bowls; it was so peaceful. I wrapped up the night chatting with new friends before heading to my car to sleep.
The next evening I went to a little place called Treasure Island. I had been told about a drum circle that took place on the beach there every Sunday. I could hear the drums even before I arrived. There was a large circle of people, some playing drums, some relaxing and watching, while others danced with bells around their waist. I stood off to the side enjoying all the excitement while I chatted with a new friend I had made.
The next day I explored around Treasure Island a bit, but dogs weren’t allowed on the beach, so I planned to go to Ocala that day. There was a rainbow gathering I wanted to go to in the National forest near there. As I was walking, I spotted a guy named Will and his dog Texas. I had met them in passing the previous day. I went over to say hello and was introduced to their friend Jefferson. They were also travelers and had plans to go to the same area I was going, and they asked if they could get a ride if they gave me gas money. I wasn’t sure they could fit in my tiny car, especially with all their gear and guitars, but I told them we could give it a try. It was a very tight squeeze, but we managed to tetris everything into the car, dogs and all, and we headed off to Ocala.
It was late when we arrived so we pulled into a Walmart parking lot where I could sleep in my car and my fellow travelers slept in a nearby wooded area. In the wooded area I spotted a bike covered with vines. I had been driving around with a bike rack on my car since I’d left my parent’s house in early January just hoping I would find a free bike, and low and behold, there it was! I untangled the vines and prickers, ripping the bike out of the forest. To my delight, the bike was in great shape. The tires needed air, but that was it. I loaded it onto my car, and just like that I had a bike.
The next morning I woke up to rain. There isn’t much to do on the road when it rains. I met back up with Will and Jefferson, and we figured we would find a park with a pavilion and make a meal to wait out the rain. Jefferson went to the store and got food, and we used my kitchen supplies. He cooked us up an amazing meal of salmon, eggs, and brussels sprouts, all on a single burner propane grill. It was delicious. I definitely eat better on the road then I ever did when I had an actual kitchen.
The rain eventually let up, but it was still wet and cold. The guys told me they often make money by playing their instruments in front of stores; I learned it’s called busking. I thought it sounded like fun and wanted to give it a try. They got their guitars and I got my harmonica, which had been gifted to me in Rhode Island. I don’t actually know how to play it. We sat outside a little grocery store and Will started playing his guitar and singing, encouraging me to join in. I was nervous at first since I obviously didn’t know what I was doing. The noises my harmonica made sounded nothing like a song, but Will told me I sounded great, and I was having so much fun I just kept playing, really getting into it. We ended up making around $200, which we all split.
We met up the next morning again and Jefferson made us cheesy grits and shrimp for breakfast. It was my first time ever having grits. They were delicious, Jefferson’s a great cook, it’s amazing what he can do with a single burner propane grill. After breakfast it was time for us to go our separate ways. I needed to reorganize my car, and then I was headed to The Gathering. I’m so grateful to have met those two. They were incredibly kind to me and taught me many lessons about living on the road that I knew would be helpful in the future.
That evening as I was in a Walmart parking lot trying to organize my car, a man came up to me and started chatting. His name was Randy and he seemed nice enough. He asked me if I wanted to take a shower at his place. On one hand, he was a man who I didn’t know, and on the other hand, I really wanted to shower and wasn’t sure when I would get another opportunity. I said yes, and followed him to his house. To keep myself safe, I had my pepper spray and a knife with me. I also texted a friend a pic of his license plate and shared my location with her. She texted me about every five minutes in a panic to make sure I was still alive. Luckily he did end up being a nice man. He let me shower, fed me dinner, and let me leave with no issues. He did offer to let me sleep on his couch, but I felt more comfortable in my car in the Walmart parking lot.
My first experience with Florida was everything I wanted and more. The warm weather was amazing along with the great people I met. It seems like the road always has a way of taking care of me.
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