Patrick, Kevin's Dad

June 21, 2013

When I rose early the next morning, I went back to the beach to collect my thoughts and figure out what the heck I was doing and where the heck I was going next. I relaxed for a while before I decided I would go ahead and shoot on over to Panama City Beach. It was only about an hour drive, and short of a few miniature rain showers, the drive was nice and smooth.

I chose to take the scenic route, which allowed me to drive along the sea side for several miles. I cruised for a while on the long road, searching up and down for a good place to park my Jeep and hop my butt in that beautiful ocean water, and finally found a spot free of charge and free of creepers.

Beautiful view when I parked (rainbow left corner)- PCB, FL

 

With not-so-ideal sleeping conditions in my car the night before, I found a cozy spot on the beach to rest my head. I took a nice long slumber and when I woke, a young Hispanic gentleman was standing at my feet! He didn’t say a word, and seemed to just be staring at me in awe. What was going on? I didn’t say anything either, which probably made me seem like a super weirdo as well, but I was rather discombobulated and at a loss for words. After further examination of this peculiar fellow, I noticed his back and side of his forehead had large, fresh scrapes on them. “Did you get sucked down in the undertow little bro?” I wanted to ask him, but before I could inquire as to if he was okay or not, he smiled a half-hearted smile at me and walked away. I took a quick plunge in the ocean to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I was completely baffled by that bizarre encounter, but there was nothing to do about it now. Weird.

I looked out in the distance and noticed the sun beginning to set as a large storm cloud moved in. Beach storms are one of my most favorite things to shoot pictures of because of the dark, exaggerated wall clouds and ominous feelings they cast throughout the entire beach. I began to make my way to my car parked nearby to retrieve my camera, but was stopped by an older man with his dog before I could make it there. The man tried to make conversation with me, but I was in a bit of a hurry to take pictures of this optimal photography opportunity and hurried past him. I left the poor man hanging and spent several moments photographing the threatening, stormy scenery.

Storm in the distance- PCB, FL

 

Feeling satisfied with my shots, I walked back in the direction of my car where I was stopped again by the man. He was rather inquisitive about my camera, which was a topic I was more than happy to talk about! I needed to ask someone about finding a public shower in the area anyway. The man turned out to be very friendly, but not in a creepy kind of way. He had grey hair on the sides of his head, but was balding on top, which I only was able to see when he took off his dirty United States Army hat to introduce himself to me. His name was Patrick, and decayed holes in his mouth where teeth once used to be gave me hints of the hard times he had faced and was possibly still facing. His grungy clothes and large knapsack that sat beside his dog, Sadie, led me to believe that he, too, was without a permanent home for the time being. After watching the sunset with Patrick and Sadie and having pleasant conversation, I decided I had better head out on my quest for a shower, which Patrick was unable to assist with. Before I made it to my car, Patrick called out behind me, “Excuse me! If you don’t mind me asking, are you between the ages of 21 and 25?” I wonder where this is going. “Yes sir, I am.” I replied. After a slightly awkward pause, he said, “Well, I know this is strange, but I think you and my son Kevin would just hit it off. He’s a smart young man and you’re a beautiful young lady. He lives nearby Jacksonville. You should contact him once you get to where you’re going.” In a situation like this, I wasn’t exactly sure what to do…so I said, "Sure, why not?" I know you're all thinking I'm a loon, and I probably am, but I mean, it was just a phone number! I told him to give me his contact information, but he didn’t know it so I poked mine in his go-phone and drove off into the dark. Before I was even a mile down the road, my phone rang. Oh boy… Since I was looking up directions to a park in Panama City Beach where I read there were public showers, I let the call go to my voicemail. When I listened to it, this is what it said: “Hi Rylie. This is Patrick, Kevin’s dad. Kevin’s number is *000-000-0000. Tell him I gave you his number and…I swear, y’all would be great. Oh my God... Have a great evening. It was very nice to meet you young lady. You have a wonderful time.” Honestly, I don’t know if I will ever seriously reach out to Kevin, but what genuinely nice man his dad was.

I got to the park shortly after leaving the beach. I hadn’t showered since the day before yesterday, (I know, I’m raunch L), so after being in the sand and saltwater all day, I was so excited to finally be clean! I approached the building where I assumed the showers would be, but when I tugged on the wrought iron doors, they didn’t open. Are you kidding me?! I saw a man through the gate and hollered at him, “Excuse me! Is there a shower I can use in there, please?” When he told me they closed at sunset, I seriously almost cried. I know I sound like the ultimate drama queen right now, but seriously, I was so stoked for that shower… I stood there for a few moments longer looking pitiful and defeated, trying to conjure up a plan B. I don’t know if I can stand sleeping another sweaty night in my car with sand all up in my everywhere!

I decided I would try the pier where showers could usually be found. If there wasn’t one there, I didn’t know what I was going to do! As I drove speedily to the pier, I tried to think ahead, (which I clearly don’t do very well), to figure out a plan C should shower plans not work out at this location either. I wasn’t very successful with developing a third option, but I had made it to the pier and I was on a hunt for that fresh water! I didn’t know where it was coming from, but as soon as I stepped out of my vehicle I heard that sweet, sweet pitter patter of shower water hitting the ground. I approached the brightly lit building where I thought the sound was coming from, but stopped dead in my tracks when I saw a fat padlock on the gated entry. This. Is. Not. Real. Life. As I turned around to go back to my car to sulk in my stinky, sticky and sorrows, I spotted a tall brown pole with water shooting out of a spigot. It was an outdoor public shower! HALLELUJAH! I scurried to my car to gather my soaps, shampoos and towel. I’m sure it’s probably really against the pollution rules, or something like that, to use body and hair washing products in the outdoors, but at this point I really didn’t care. I practically skipped back to the shower with a grin on my face the entire time feeling elated that I was going to be clean again. People that watched me probably thought I was high or something, but they were the last thing on my mind!

That was literally the best shower of my life. If you’ve ever wondered what it's like to feel like a brand new woman, try not showering for a few days, getting sand-i-fied at the beach, sweating throughout the night in your car, searching aimlessly for a shower with no luck, then eventually stumbling upon one and FINALLY being able to wash away all that chaos that preceded your heavenly find. (Yes, guys, this will make you feel like a brand new woman as well.)

Feeling rejuvenated after my shower, I snatched my laptop from my car and walked out onto the sand to do a little late night blog writing. I wrote for a while before closing up my bright computer to really enjoy the evening. Sitting at the beach at night is one of the most relaxing and peaceful things you can possibly do in this busy world we live in. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, relaxing as the cool ocean breeze blew against my skin.

After about an hour or so of relaxation, I returned to my car and began my pursuit for a Walmart parking lot. I drove about twenty minutes before arriving at the welcoming lot. I went through my standard parking lot nightly routine of plastering my sun shades in the windshield, sucking the ends of my two towels in the tops of each of my windows to block out as much of the light as possible, laying out my sleeping pad, and finally, I laying down to snooze.

After about an hour or so of relaxation, I returned to my car and began my pursuit for a Walmart parking lot. I drove about twenty minutes before I arrived at the welcoming lot,  set up camp for the night, and snoozed hard.

Henry the Heron

June 20, 2013

 

This morning Chris and I each traipsed out of bed and got ready for our lunch date with Bridey, Chris and the boys’ friend, who also happens to be my potential roommate for when I move to Jacksonville! Bridey is about to move to Jax as well and had previously mentioned to Chris she was looking for a roommate to join her and her friend, Rachel, in finding a beach house to live in.

I can’t help but to take a moment to relish in the fact that God always provides. Initially when I decided to move to Jax, I was completely unfamiliar with the area and knew not a single soul in the city. Somewhere along my journey, I stumbled upon a graduate from the University of North Florida who knew the school, knew the town, and knew contacts for me to befriend, as well as a potential roommate for me to get a perfect little beach house with. Out of all the hundreds of thousands of people I could have stayed with in Pensacola or anywhere else along my trip, God set me up with Chris and his roomies and thus paved an easy transition period for me once I got to my final destination.

Even though this lunch was a meeting for Bridey and I to feel each other out, Chris and I decided we should invite the whole crew to join us. We proceeded to wake everyone from their late morning slumber and off we went.

Since all of us were heading in separate directions after lunch, we each drove separately in a caravan of cars (and motorcycles) and finally arrived at the restaurant, Sidelines, where we were only a few minutes late for our scheduled meeting. Chris forewarned Bridey we would be a little later than planned, so she hadn’t quite made it there yet, and since she wasn’t going to eat, we all ordered our food while I waited excitedly to meet her.

When she arrived, I think we both instantly knew getting a house together would be a good fit! Bridey is super laid back and a total beach girl, not unlike myself. She showed me a few pictures of potential houses that Rachel had been scoping out and I couldn’t help but to be pumped about the future.

Chris had to run off to work, so after finishing my delicious wings, we all rolled into the parking lot where we took one final group photo. I’m going to miss these boys! They were so welcoming and made me feel like part of the family. I feel blessed to have met each and every one of them, and can’t wait to visit them and for them to visit me as well.

Chris, me, AJ, Andie, & Abner- Pensacola, FL

 

After saying goodbye to everyone except Abner, he and I headed off for one closing photography opportunity here in Pensacola. I don’t remember the exact name of the beach, but it was stunning. I don’t think I have ever seen water so crystal clear! I eagerly snapped photos as Abner chatted with one of his lifeguard friends who was on duty. The sugary softness of the white sand combined with the clear blue-green water had me mesmerized. As I looked out ahead of me, I caught myself with a satisfied and peaceful smile spread across my face. What a way to end this week.

After one last goodbye to Abner, I embarked on my next mini trip to Destin. The drive wasn’t too far and I just sat back and relaxed, enjoying the scenery. I rolled up to Destin around 4:00 pm and set up camp on the beach. This beach, too, was incredible. I took advantage of the almost vacant beach and walked around with my camera taking pictures of the area and simply delighting in my surroundings. On my walk back to my little beach chair, a man with four giant fishing rods sticking out of the ground stopped me and inquired about my camera. After talking with him for a little bit, he told me he was fishing for sharks! Sheesh, out of all the places I could have picked to plop my butt in the sand, I sat directly by the shark catcher! I decided right then and there I would NOT be getting in that water. He asked if I was from around Destin, so I told him no and proceeded to share a few, but not too many, details about my story. Almost as quickly as I mentioned I was in the midst of traveling, he offered to let me stay at his two bedroom condo right on the beach! I told him I already had a potential place to stay (which was true), but that if it didn’t go through I would let him know. I had previously reached out to someone in the area on Couch Surfers, but I still hadn’t heard back from them after calling and texting. I figured it was good to have a backup plan if I felt it was necessary, but most importantly, if I felt it was safe. Shark Catcher seemed like a nice man, but I am not naïve enough to have jumped on the opportunity. I thanked him for the offer and scooted back over to my chair where I scarffed down some easy cheese and crackers for dinner.

While sitting in my beach chair, I decided to call my mom. We talked for a long time, and during our conversation, another man came over to meet up with Shark Catcher. Immediately I noticed the two of them pointing in my direction and smirking. RED FLAG.

Shark Catcher & sketchy friend- Destin, FL

 

 

At sunset I hopped up and walked around to take more pictures. I had been facing the ocean the entire time I had been at the beach, and when I turned around I saw several large groups of people. Whoa, when did this happen?! Everyone was dressed in white tops and khaki bottoms and fit in perfectly with the scenery. I stumbled upon a heron and learned from the beach children that his name was Henry. Henry was just chilling near the surf and proposed the perfect shot for me to take of him with the sunset in the background. I was able to get pretty close to him and got some awesome photographs.

Henry, just chillin- Destin, FL

 

Sunset- Destin, FL

 

On my way back to my chair, Shark Catcher and friend stopped me again to chat. I didn’t mind the conversation, but when they offered me a couple beers or a glass of some “special drink” they had made up, I knew there was noooo chance I was going to stay with him for the evening. SEE YA! A storm was rolling in, so I took that as my opportunity to jet. Shark Catcher insisted on giving me his number, so I took it, told him I had found somewhere to stay and bowed out gracefully. Walmart parking lot, here I come!

4:00 am, 5:00 am, 6:00 am, 7:00 am

June 19, 2013

 

I’ve been having so much fun that I’ve put off doing some housekeeping items, so today I’m getting things done. My laundry pile had been accumulating and my days here were numbered so item number one on the list was to run a load of laundry. I gathered up my dirties and threw them in the wash. While waiting for them to complete the wash, I pulled out a card for my dad for Father’s Day and wrote a note inside of it. I know I’m a few days late, but initially my dad was supposed to come visit me during my trip. Unfortunately, last minute obligations put that plan to an abrupt halt. That, combined with the unpredictable craziness of my adventures, caused me to slack on my daughterly duties and send it before now.

Not before too long, I heard the washing machine beep, so I transferred them into the dryer and then left on a hunt to find a place where I could get my oil changed. I got lost on several of the smaller roads, but eventually saw a guy waving a sign that read, “$21.99 OIL CHANGE.” Guess that was my clue! I ordered up the special and melted into a waiting chair. Right as I realized how exhausted I was from staying up until 6:00 A.M., Chris sent me a text saying, “I’m so dead at work. Ughhh.” Tell me about it, boy! I felt worse for him since I was just bumming around town while he was working hard. I spotted a Keurig in the corner and placed next to it were Styrofoam cups and creamer. It’s like the coffee gods heard my cry for help! I jumped up to make a cup, but didn’t see any coffee. “Maybe you have to pay for it.” I thought in my head. Free coffee is better than coffee you have to pay for, but at this point I was desperate. “Excuse me, could I buy a cup of coffee from you please?” I asked the lady behind the counter. “Sorry dear, usually it’s free, but we’re fresh out.” She responded, and crushed my dreams of feeling rejuvenated. Coffee gods, you suck.

With a steal of a price for an oil change this place was pretty busy. It took over an hour to get me in and out of the shop. At about that time, Chris texted me again asking where I was told me he was on his way home from work. I told him I would see him soon and headed back to the house as well. I realized I didn’t know the address to the place since the only other two times I drove there I was following one of the guys. This should be interesting. I remembered a conversation from earlier where they boys called themselves the “AV house,” a play on the name of the street where they live. Ding, ding, ding! Score for me for remembering that! During that conversation the boys told me of the exclusivity of the group they created and told me if, and only if, I proved I could hang would I be able to be a potential candidate for the crew. This group was created in a joking and light-hearted manner, but even still, I wanted to be in that darn crew! They showed me the AV hand sign, where you join your right pointer finger to the tip of your left middle finger vertically to create the allusion of the letter “A” and the letter “V” being connected. I told them I would practice just IN CASE I was deemed cool enough to be in the crew. ;)

I made it back to the house before Chris and realized my clothes were done drying. Once I got them out I sat down to catch up a little on my blog. I wrote for about thirty minutes before I heard the back door open. That must be Chris. I continued to write for a while until I noticed that whoever had gotten home earlier hadn’t yet come out of the back room. Hmm, oh well. A few moments later Ryan walked in the front door. After that the boys continued to pop in one by one until everyone except Chris was accounted for. We all spoke about our days and relaxed on the couches in the living room. Chris came out of his room in the back a bit later and said he had been taking a nap. I should probably have done the same because today is Wednesday, “The most famous day of the week!” according to Jake S. and we were going out! AJ and I decided to grab a pizza from Hungry Howie’s where they sold large pizzas for only five dollars. I ordered a pepperoni pizza with Cajun-seasoned crust. Mmmm, tasty. We picked up our food a few moments later and when we arrived home AJ made us each an ice cold capirinha. He and I sat at the kitchen table with Abner and Chris while Ryan and his girlfriend attacked another P90X workout.

During our dinner conversation, one of the boys said to the other, “Well, Eddie would go.” What the heck does that mean? They then proceeded to explain to me the story of Eddie Aikau. Eddie was a fearless Hawaiian surf legend who conquered waves bigger than anyone before. He worked as a lifeguard at Waimea Bay and saved hundreds of people that were trapped by the gigantic winter surf. Eddie set off on a journey in a 60-foot canoe to prove that Polynesians, using only the stars could navigate to and from Hawaii. The night they left, the canoe filled with water and capsized. Eddie immediately volunteered to take his surf board back and reach help at Lana’i, but the captain denied his offer and the crew spent the night clinging on to pieces of the boat. After 24 hours of helpless waiting, Eddie volunteered again to go for help. The crew was hesitant to let him leave, but with all hope withering away they finally agreed. After all, if anyone could do it, it was Eddie. They sent him off with only his 12-foot surf board and a bag of oranges. Not even three hours after Eddie paddled out to sea, a rescue group came and saved the remaining crew. The crew told the rescuers of their friend who went for help, but the search was unsuccessful. Eddie was never seen again. Now, the Quicksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau surf competition is held very seldom and only when the waves reach over thirty feet high in his honor. What an incredible legend.

After finishing dinner, we all got ready to head to Seville’s, a bar downtown where it was nickel beer night! Oh boy, this could be trouble. The typical Wednesday night routine consisted of going to Seville’s where nickel beers kicked off the night at 8:00 P.M. Nickel beers turned into quarter beers a couple hours later, and after that, into dollar beers. After Seville’s, everyone usually goes to Fish Shack, another downtown bar where it happens to be ladies night, and you know what that means! Time to get crazaaay with the two dollar you-call-its! A Couch Surfer from Chile was coming to Pensacola tonight to stay with the boys as well and she was going to meet us out at Seville’s. I couldn’t wait to meet her.

Seville’s was such an awesome place! Once our ID’s were checked, we were admitted into the building which actually holds five separate bars! The specific bar we went to inside was where the drink specials were happening. We ended up missing nickel beers, but we were able to enjoy plenty of the twenty-five cent greatness. Two dueling pianos sat center stage and the pianists were going at it! They played a wide range of songs, including those picked by the audience. The atmosphere at Seville's was so much fun. The lights were low, the music was loud, and it was obvious when surveying the packed room that everyone there was completely enjoying themselves. While Chris went to meet the new Couch Surfer, Jake W. and AJ took me on a tour of the entire building. The brick-laid walkways actually used to be alleys. A roof was now placed overhead to join the buildings together. The once historic buildings, now turned bars, used to be a number of different businesses, including a printing press and a brothel.

We headed back to the bar after walking around a bit and found that Chris had rejoined the group and brought back Andie. Andie turned out to be freaking awesome and fit right in with the crew. We all had a blast conversing with each other, telling stories and making jokes, all the while sipping on our cheap beers. The conversation paused momentarily. AJ looked at me, then back at Chris, then Chris looked at me, and I looked back at the both of them wondering what on earth was going through their brains. When the boys finally spoke, they told me the time had come for me to be inducted into the AV Crew! Having practiced the hand sign the day before, the boys and I chunked up the AV and continued to have a great time. Being the first and only girl to be in the AV is a pretty awesome feeling. ;)

 

AJ, me, Chris, Luis chunking up the AV- Pensacola, FL

Couch Surfer from Chile, Andie- Pensacola, FL

 

We headed to Fish Shack which was just down the road at about eleven o’clock. After ordering up a round of drinks, we moved our party of ten out back where a live band was rocking out. We stayed at Fish Shack for a couple of hours, but the ratio of weird creepy guys to normal people was unbalanced. We decided to head back to the house where Andie had a surprise waiting for the boys! When we got back, she unveiled the gift; a bottle of Pisco, which is a type of liquor she brought over all the way from Chile! Everyone stayed up hanging out and drinking Piscola (Pisco mixed with Coca-Cola) until 4:30 in the morning. “We’ll just have to stay up until 7:00 A.M. today!” Chris joked. In my head, I was thinking, “Yeah right, crazy!” There was no way I would be able to make it considering we were up until 4:00 A.M. Sunday night, 5:00 A.M. Monday night, and 6:00 A.M. Tuesday night. I could have passed out right then and there from exhaustion, but instead of going to bed like everyone else, Chris and I wound up hanging out and talking more. Next thing we knew, that sun came shining in the window again even brighter than the night before. It was SEVEN. IN. THE. MORNING. I just laughed to myself and shook my head. I don’t know how, but we did it again! We both took that as our hint that it was probably a good idea to call it a night.

These past four days have been so draining, but they’ve also been the funniest, craziest, and genuinely the biggest blast I’ve had in a long, long time. I was leaving for Destin tomorrow, so now, I needed my rest.

Brazillian Caipirinha's

June 18, 2013

 

I woke up when the boys got ready for work and wasn’t able to go back to sleep, which was fine since I needed to get the day going anyway. I now had the password to the wifi so I took some time to catch up on my blog. Around noon, I reached out to Jake S. to see if he was still game to take out the jet ski. He told me he already had everything set and whenever I was ready, I could head on over. Sweet! This was going to be an adventurous day. I drove to Jake’s house and It. Was. Beautiful. The two-story house was located directly on the water and had a stunning view from the floor to ceiling glass window on the second floor. Jake had prepared turkey sandwiches and a cooler full of drinks. He even tracked down some baggies to keep our electronics safe from the water. Clearly he had done this before. After meeting Jake’s sweet mom we sauntered down the long dock toward the jet ski that sat next to a big, fancy boat in the water.

I grabbed a seat on the back and waited for Jake to hop on. He cranked that sucker up and off we went. He hollered over the motor to tell me the plan was to cut straight across the water and hopefully catch a calmer area closer to the shoreline. I hadn’t been on a jet ski in a very long time and completely forgot how freaking bumpy the ride can be! The waves were relentless during the journey across the water. My face was constantly pelted with water and every time I thought I’d have a moment to catch a breath free of ocean spray, I was hit again with a huge gush. It took about ten minutes to get across before finally reaching calmer water. Whew, I wasn’t expecting that when I hopped on the back, but at least we were sailing smooth now. Jake sped past an uninhabited island, topping out the jet ski at 70 miles per hour. I opened my mouth slightly and it immediately filled up with air like a balloon and flubbered in the wind. I laughed to myself as we continued to jet along until Jake slowed to point out ships that had been wrecked on the island due to Hurricane Ivan. We passed an area where Jake told me everyone’s belongings ended up after Ivan and said that hundreds of looters came to find valuable items.

Jake asked if I wanted to drive for a little while, so I took the opportunity. The last time I drove a jet ski, I think I was probably ten years old and only did it with the help of my uncle sitting behind me. This should be interesting. I carefully squeezed the throttle and cruised along at 30 mph. A huge wave hit the front of the jet ski and we were drenched with water! "You're supposed to own the wave, not get owned by the wave...You just got owned!" Jake poked at me. Okay Mr. Tough Guy, let me just show you what I got. I sped up the jet ski until I hit 60 mph, repeating in my head, "Own the wave, own the wave, own the wave..." I was so scared I was going to flip the jet ski, which would have been terrible considering my camera was on board. When the choppiness of the waves increased, I switched back with Jake to let him drive.

Eventually we made it to Fort Pickens where we were able to dodge the $8.00 entrance fee since we pulled up on the water. The fort was huge and it was intriguing to read details posted throughout the area. Jake and I walked around the main fort for about an hour before taking off to scope out another portion of it a little ways away. We passed another giant area, but it was completely gated in. “I wish this place was open, it would make for some killer photographs.” I said nonchalantly. After reaching the end of it, we discovered a hole in the fence just big enough for us to squeeze through. “Do you want to check it out?” Jake asked me. Duh I did! We ignored the “Do Not Enter” signs and snuck through the hole into the fort. Now THIS is what I’m talking about! All of the doorways were rusted and most areas of the fort were decaying. While trying to dive deeper into the region, we were faked out several times by the rooms that appeared to lead further inside, but only ended up being small, enclosed quarters. I followed Jake around the fort, snapping hundreds of pictures, and failing to pay close attention to where I walked. I looked straight ahead of me as I took a big step and felt a sting on my right shin. I looked down and noticed I had about a 3 inch slice on my leg from a sharp, rusty piece of metal on the ground. Good thing I had just gotten my tetanus shot a couple months before I left on this trip. The cut didn’t hurt too bad and it wasn’t really bleeding, so I continued walking. When Jake turned around to look at me a moment later, he screamed, “Oh my gosh, you’re bleeding!!” When I looked at the cut for a second time, I saw that my leg was gushing blood. Good thing neither of us have a weak stomach because that sucker was oozing. Instead of heading back to the jet ski, I chose to keep on exploring even with a cut up leg and hoped the blood would eventually stop flowing. We poked around the forbidden fort for a little while longer before making our way back to the hole in the fence.

We walked a short distance toward a beach access point and passed a bathroom along the way. I took this opportunity to use fresh water and soap to clean out the rusty cut before heading into the ocean. The bathroom ended up not having any soap, but I took several moments to flush the wound and get all of the gunk out. Hopefully that would suffice as a good cleaning for the time being!

Jake and I went for a quick swim in the water and once again, he asked how long I would be staying. I told him I still didn’t know, and that I may end up heading out in the morning instead of staying for the Wednesday night madness. He came up with the idea to have a hermit crab race to decide my fate, so I agreed to the fun competition. Jake searched the shoreline for only a short time before finding hermit crab number one. He gave me that crab while he perused the area for another. When he found the next one, he made up a course for the hermit crabs to compete through, all inclusive with a finish line made of sea shells. This guy was a professional hermit crab racer, obviously. Before beginning the race, we had to name our little friends. I named mine Lil Dude, and Jake named his Herman. At the sound of the pistol, they were off…well, at least Lil Dude was. Herman was a little late to the start and by the time he got moving, Lil Dude had already crossed the finish line and claimed his prize of returning to the water and I remained the holder of my Wednesday night decision. YOU DON’T MESS WITH THE BEST!

After our intense match, Jake told me he would take me to his favorite beach, so we returned to the jet ski and away we went. The island was about a fifteen minute drive from where we were, but cutting across the rough water was so worth it once we arrived. The private island was absolutely gorgeous. We ditched the jet ski and grabbed my camera and the sandwiches before taking off on a walk to check things out. We trekked around the entire island, which Jake estimated to be about a miles distance. We ran into several different species of wild life along the way, including a decent sized sand crab. I was able to get within a foot of his face with my camera before he scuttled sideways and dove down into his little hole. We made a full circle of the island before we climbed atop the giant sand dune to take in the view and enjoy our sandwiches.

Crab on the island- Pensacola, FL

View from on top of the sand dune on private island- Pensacola, FL

 

A long, choppy ride back to Jake’s place followed the sandwiches and honestly, I’m a little surprised we didn’t see that meal for a second time with as bumpy as the water was. Jake’s mom and dad were waiting at for us once we finally returned and before heading out, I asked for a band aid for my battle scar from earlier.

When I got back to the house, Chris and Abner were watching TV, but put it on pause to hear all about my day. After sharing my experience, I popped in the shower and when emerged, everyone else had returned home as well. We all voted to have a chill night tonight since the two nights before had been late ones and tomorrow was Wednesday, which meant it would be time to go hard. Chris volunteered to play bartender and make us a specialty drink that he learned when he lived in Brazil for six months. He made a quick trip to the store to get the contents for the Caipirinha’s, which included fresh limes, sugar, vodka and ice.

Everyone sipped gingerly on their Caipirinha’s while Chris gave a tutorial to Luis, AJ, and me on how to make the most of our Couch Surfer accounts. After our much needed lesson we all sat and talked as I struggled to keep my eyes open. Luis was the first to choose to go to bed, and when I thought everyone else would follow, Chris spoke up and said he was going to have another drink. Say wha? Don't you know it's late, boy? He asked if anyone else cared to join him, so I figured I’d have another, too. I was tired, but who knows when I would be presented with another opportunity like this? AJ decided to have one as well, so we all three headed to the kitchen to watch bartender Chris. The ingredients to this drink are simple, but they make a scrumptious combination; you can’t even taste the three shots of vodka in it!

The three of us stayed up until 4:30 in the morning before AJ called it quits for the night. These boys joke with me all the time, so when Chris asked if I wanted to have another drink, I couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not! I told him if it was only me, I wasn’t going to have one, but that if he wanted to have go for one more I wouldn’t leave him hanging.

Chris and I went to his room with our third Caipirinha each and sat on his bed and talked. We enjoyed each other’s company and conversed easily about anything and everything under the sun until we looked up and realized the sun was actually shooting through the blinds in his room! I wonder what time it is? Any guesses?

6. IN. THE. MORNING. We done went and did it again.

Manly Moe's Mondays

June 17, 2013

 

All of the boys headed off to work this morning so it was just me and Sadie, the black Labrador, hanging out when I woke up. Yesterday the boys told me Fort Pickens was a cool sight to see and a great place to snap some interesting pictures. I planned to go there after getting ready and making a phone call to my future school to straighten out some details for my transfer. Since I hadn’t yet acquired the wifi password to the crews house, I went to McDonald's, (shocker), so that I was able to pull up the school’s website as I spoke with them on the phone. I was there for THREE HOURS due to lengthy telephone holds and confusion on the school’s part. By the time I finished ironing things out, I texted Chris to let him know I was about to head to the fort. He responded back telling me that he and his friends were planning to play beach volleyball at a restaurant called Flounders when he got off work. He told me I should wait until tomorrow to check out Fort Pickens since it was at least a 2 hour excursion and invited me to tag along for the game. Though I was anxious to get some unique photos from this location, I took Chris’s advice and opted to visit the fort tomorrow.

I went to the beach to pass time between now and when Chris would be available to hang out. With vast options of beach access points to chose from, I searched for one in particular called “White Cross.” Chris mentioned this point in particular would suit me best based on its semi-secluded location and the age range of people who go there. When I spotted the large white cross sitting atop a huge sand dune, I whipped into one of the very few parking spots. I turned my car into a changing room and squirmed into my swimsuit. I then proceeded to gather up my beach essentials: a low-sitting tie-dye chair, towel, and of course, my camera. As I walked down the pathway towards the water my breath was taken away. The fine grains of white sugary sand dispersed under my feet with each step and I embraced the cool breeze on my face as I gazed out at the crystal clear water. I plopped down my belongings and darted off into the beautiful saltwater sea. I ducked my head into the ocean and when I came back up for air I spun myself in a full circle. I breathed a deep breath and released it slowly, allowing myself to completely cherish this enchanting moment.

White Cross- Pensacola, FL

 

I took photos of this paradise before Chris contacted me and said it was time to head to Flounders. When I arrived, I saw Chris sitting with another young man who I came to find out was named Jake. They informed me we were waiting for another one of their friends, Ginny, who was bringing the ball. While we waited, Jake asked me how long I was planning to say in Pensacola. I told the two of them I was planning to leave Tuesday morning, which was tomorrow. Immediately they dove into stories of going out on Wednesday nights and told me that it would be in my best interest to stick around for that if I wanted to have a good time. I told them I would consider it, after all, I really didn’t have anywhere planned to stay next.

Ginny arrived and after a brief introduction, we jumped on the court for a little 2 v 2 action. I warned everyone that I hadn’t played volleyball in several years and told them I would undoubtedly do a terrible job, but if they were willing to put up with my suckiness, I was down to get down. Chris decided to take one for the team and voted to be on my side. After starting the game off awfully and obtaining a score of 8-0 (Our side had 0, just in case you didn’t pick up on that), Chris and I had a pep talk and decided we were about to make a brutal come back! A brief gust of luck swept over us and somehow we got the opportunity to serve the ball. Oh boy…Here goes nothing! I stepped outside of the back corner of the court and crossed my fingers I could hit it over. I tossed the ball high in the air and spiked it hard with my right hand. It went soaring and splat on sand on the opposite side of the net. Whether we gained a point because Ginny and Jake were in shock that I actually made the ball over or because I’m a beast at volleyball is a mystery to us all, but I’m willing to side with the latter of the two. ;) After only one more serve over the net, we lost control of the ball and once again, it was the other side’s turn to hit. Chris and I ended up getting skunked with a final score of 21-9, but even still, I had a blast getting a mini work out from chasing the ball and cracking up with Chris. Jake and I took a dip in the ocean to cool off while Chris and Ginny went to snag a pitcher of ice cold water for us all to hydrate with.

After taking a brief break, Colleen, a friend of the group, arrived and she was eager to hop in the game. During our intermission, a group of 4 boys began to play volleyball on the court adjacent to ours. Chris asked them if they wanted to join in on a game or two and they agreed. This was my chance to escape and let Chris, Jake, Ginny, and Colleen take on the boys without me and actually have a shot at winning. I made a quick trip to my car to grab my camera and began to snap some action shots of the game and of the surrounding beach area.

As I was taking pictures, a guy smoking a cigarette approached me and conjured up a conversation. His name was Alex and he was from California. Alex from Cali had a rough, grungy look to him, with shaggy, dirty blonde hair, tattooed skin, and an intense five o’clock shadow. When he found out I was travelling as well, he asked for my number so that we could potentially hang out while we were both in Florida or if I ever found myself on the West Coast. Even though Alex from Cali seemed very friendly, my internal sketch detector was alarming me that it was probably not a good idea to hang out with this guy alone, so I poked a fake number in his phone and said goodbye.

A couple games and numerous photographs later, everyone was finished playing for the day, and yes, my people conquered the court and won! Ginny ended up having to leave for her flag football game, so the remaining four of us headed to the water to hang out. While we all chatted, Chris mentioned one of his friends, Bridey, was moving to the same area as I was and needed a roommate.

I forgot to mention that Chris previously attended the same school I’m going to! How ironic is that?! He knows all the great places to go out to, ideal locations to live, and tons of people who he’s going to hook me up with.

So, back to what I was saying. Bridey is looking for a roommate and wants to live in a beach house, just like me. Since I previously had absolutely no contacts or plans for when I moved, I was completely stoked to hear this great news.

We all hung out and talked in the water for an hour or so before heading back to the house to shower up. Today was Monday and that means everyone goes to the build-your-own burrito joint, Moe’s, for the $5.99 special. Once everyone was ready to go, all six of us, plus another friend named Jake W. (a different Jake than earlier), piled into two cars and headed off to “Manly Moe’s Mondays,” as the boys call it. The special included a burrito filled with contents of your choice, chips, and a drink. What a deal! We made short work of our delicious burritos since we were in a time crunch to make it to see This is the End at the movie theater.

Ryan had to be up early in the morning, so he chose to go home instead of joining us at he movies which meant Jake W. had to pile in the car with us for the ride there. We rode six deep in a car that sat five, with four people packed as tight as sardines in the back. At least if we got in an accident none of us would fly out! Plus, this provided bonding time for all of us, right? Luckily, the theater wasn’t far away and none of us were deformed too badly once we emerged from the vehicle. Kailee, Jake W’s girlfriend, and Jake S. from earlier also joined us to watch movie. This is the End was hilarious, and if you enjoy silly comedies then I recommend seeing it! When the clock hit 11, the film was over and as we were walking out, Luis realized Fast 6 was just about to begin. A quick glance between the boys and I was all that needed to happen in order for us to agree to sneak in to that movie next. The whole crew, minus Kailee, popped in the theater and prepared ourselves for movie number 2 of the night. Fast 6 didn’t live up to our expectations, but it was still an enjoyable time. During the walk to the car, Jake S. asked what was on my agenda for tomorrow and I responded by telling him the only plans I had were to scope out Fort Pickens. He offered to take me out on his jet ski and said we could ride up to Fort Pickens together that way. Since the rest of the boys had to work again in the morning, I jumped on the opportunity to do something exciting and hoped to be able to get some neat photos.

Jake S. left and once we got home, Abner turned in for the night. Jake W., Luis, Chris and I stayed up hanging out in the living room for a while before a grumpy Ryan emerged from his bedroom. “Do you think you guys could take this outside or something, please?” He asked sleepily. Yikes! We felt bad that we woke him up so we scurried out back where interesting conversations continued and more great stories were told.

When the sky began to turn from dark to light, we realized that it was 5 in the morning! Chris jumped up abruptly and without saying much he hurried off to bed. Since the rest of the boys also had to work early in the morning, the three of us followed shortly after.

I couldn’t believe we stayed up until 5 after being up until 4 the night before, but I suppose time flies when you’re having fun.

"Got any alcohol?"

June 16, 2013

 

Today is Father’s Day! When Graham and I returned home, the rest of the family was dressed up and heading off to church. I wished D a Happy Father’s Day and thanked Mrs. Richard and the boys for their generosity. After seeing them off, I packed up my belongings and prepared to leave while Graham got ready for work.

Final sunset in Louisiana- Covington, LA (photo cred to Graham!)

 

Louisiana has been good to me. Absolutely everyone I encountered throughout my stay, boys and girls, young and old, have been incredible individuals. Everyone was extremely friendly and welcoming and the people I had the pleasure of meeting usually had an outgoing and unique personality, which I loved. Mrs. Richard and her family made me feel completely at home and I truly don’t think I could have had a more enjoyable time. Graham and I said our goodbyes, which was actually a little bit sad after spending so much time together the past few days. We made plans to see each other again since he’ll be attending school at Charleston which happens to be fairly close to where I’ll be living.

I drove for a few hours before I arrived in Alabama at Orange Beach. Initially I planned to make a pit stop in Gulf Shores, but somewhere along the way I missed it and ended up at Orange Beach instead, which was more than okay with me! I was exhausted and all I wanted to do was sit my little bum on the beach and take a sandy nap. I made a phone call to my dad before I went out in the water to wish him a Happy Father’s Day and see how his day had been going. This was the first Father’s Day I spent away from my dad and I didn’t like it one bit! I am the ultimate daddy’s girl, and I missed being able to join my family for breakfast before church, the big Lebanese kibbe dinner, and gift giving over dessert, but being able to hear his voice made the day a little bit easier.

I took a relaxing nap on the beach for a couple hours, and when I woke, I snatched up my camera and headed down the shoreline for a photo stroll. I took some pictures of the tide coming in and of children frolicking in the water before heading back to the car to find my phone. I needed to check the status of the location I was supposed to be staying at for the evening. Chris, a guy from Pensacola, had accepted my request to Couch Surf at his place for the night. I notified Chris that I would be heading that way shortly and needed his address. While waiting for a reply, I whipped out a spoon and went to town on a can of Bush’s Baked Beans for dinner.

Finally, I received a text back from Chris saying, “Well, we’re at the beach now and no offense, but I wanna meet up with u first because u don’t have any references on your Couch Surfers profile. Hah sorry!” This made me laugh, but I completely understood where he was coming from and agreed to meet at Surf Burger, a local beach bar where he and his friend were hanging out. When I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed a young, gangly black man walking close by and I heard him shout, “Hey there baby!” as he approached my car. In my head I was thinking, “I literally JUST pulled up, how does this always happen to me?” I cracked my passenger side window just a tad and heard what he had to say. Our conversation went a little like this:

Gangly Stranger: Hey, you got any money?
Me: Sorry, I don’t carry any cash.
Gangly Stranger: What bout some change?
Me: Nope, I just had to use it to pay the toll.
Gangly Stranger: Oh… What’s yo name? You’s a pretty baby.
Me: Well thank you, my name’s Rainy. (No way was I going to tell homeboy my real name!) What’s yours?
Gangly Stranger: I’m Demarcus.
Me: Nice to meet you.
Demarcus: Nice to meet you too. (Long pause…) You got any alcohol?
Me: *laughing* No, sorry, no alcohol.
Demarcus: Oh… You got a boyfriend?
Me: *still laughing* Nope, no boyfriend.
Demarcus: Oh. (Long pause…) Well uh, you uh… Yea, well. You, you have a good night.
Me: Okay, you too!
Demarcus: (Still standing awkwardly at my window.) Okay. Well, good night.
Me: ...good night Demarcus.
After that stimulating conversation, I walked toward Surf Burger and dialed Chris on the phone. As soon as I opened the door, I saw the back of a boy wearing an American flag bandanna to hold back his long brown locks. He was scrambling to pick up his phone, but before he could answer, I walked up behind him and said hello. Chris and Abner, one of Chris’ roommates, introduced themselves, and we immediately found ourselves engulfed in conversation full of excitement over my arrival. Chris told me that Ben, the Couch Surfer who had just left a few hours before I showed up, was also from Texas! What a coincidence!

Chris had such a high, positive energy and I knew already that this was going to be an awesome time. He was the ultimate surfer dude, with long, curly brown hair, tanned skin, and an awesome bro twang to his talk. Abner also had long curly hair and once he told me that he and 3 of the other 4 roommates were lifeguards, the pieces of the puzzle started to fit together. I was surprised to find out that Chris had 4 roommates, but Iwas excited to head back to the house and meet them. When we were walking out of Surf Burger, Chris shared with me that he thought I wasn’t going to be who I said I was when I arrived and told me how he was sketching that I would be a guy or bring crazy people with me! I hadn’t yet realized the importance of references on Couch Surfers, but it was beginning to make more sense to me after talking with an experienced surfer. Chris and Abner both rode their crotch rockets to the beach bar so I hopped in my Jeep and tried to keep up.

When I walked in the house, I was welcomed by Ryan, another roommate, and his girlfriend, doing intense P90X squats; today was leg day folks! I was then introduced to the other two roommates, AJ and Luis (who both also had long hair). All of the guys were super chill and absolutely hilarious. After chatting for a few moments, Chris, AJ, Luis, and I decided to go to a bar downtown called Hop Jacks for half price drafts. I wish I could remember the name of the first beer I tried, but there were easily over 100 options and all of them had funky names. All I know is that my beer tasted like a blueberry explosion and it was absolutely delicious and I sipped on it as the boys told me an endless amount of entertaining stories. One would swear the stories from these boys were made up due to the infinite outlandish and hilarious details, but each of them would vouch for the other and I was thoroughly entertained the entire night. They kept pushing for me to share some of my stories, but after hearing tales of bartending in Brazil, hiking mountains with bears, and surf swells in Hawaii, I couldn’t think of a single instance that would even come close to comparing with the things they have done!

We started on our journey home after a few more beers and along the way the boys recognized we were passing an area called “The Bluffs.” When they asked if I wanted to check it out, I jumped on the opportunity. It was close to 1 in the morning, but as long as they were down to explore, I didn’t care. We walked down a long wooden pathway before hopping the railing and finding a large, broken down tree trunk to pop a squat on. The 4 of us sat there for several minutes while digging our toes in the sand and continuing to tell stories.

We wound up slightly lost on the way back to the car since it was practically pitch dark. “We came from that way, no?” I asked the boys as I pointed into the dark abyss. Instead of answering my question, each of them echoed, “We came from that way, no?” followed by a round of chuckles. Okay, I was confused. Apparently when I said that, I sounded like I was Minnesotan. Wonder where that accent came from? Oh well, I didn’t notice it! We finally made it back to the car and picked up where we left of on the way home.

Once we arrived to the house, the other 2 boys were asleep. I was pretty beat as well, but instead of hitting the hay, the boys clicked on an episode of Game of Thrones, one of the houses favorite show. After starting off strong, the boys eventually passed out and retired to their rooms one by one until no one was left but little old me to sleep in the living room.

At 4 A.M. all was quiet and I dozed off into a much needed deep sleep.

Slide, Slide, Slippery Slide

June 15, 2013

 

It was nice to sleep in a little bit this morning, and when Graham and I returned to the house, Mrs. Richard prepared a tasty little egg and ham biscuit for us for breakfast. She was like super woman! I absolutely loved how caring and giving Mrs. Richard was, always providing bundles of delicious (and healthy) food and vast opportunities of exciting things to do. Graham had work at the health club in a few minutes and since he needed a ride there anyway, Mrs. Richard suggested we head up there as well and relax by the pool. After having a long few days before, this sounded like a more than appealing plan to me.

Mrs. Richard and I grabbed a pair of pool chairs and baked in the hot Louisiana sun for 2 hours while we chatted non-stop the entire time. We talked about everything, including interesting stories of each of the boys, tales of kayaking over 50 miles (which was nothing to Mrs. Richard and D), and good advice on life, amongst numerous other subjects. Enjoying a little bit of girl time with Mrs. Richard helped me feel more at home since I haven’t been able to see my mom who is my absolute best friend. Once our skins were roasted like marshmallows, we changed, showered, and headed on our way home.

Mrs. Richard, D, and Peyton made plans to go to dinner a little later, but Graham was going to go to his friends welcome home surprise party and had already invited me to join. Since Graham and I had been hitting it off and I was having a blast meeting all of his guy friends, I was excited to get together with some of the girls and hopefully have a blast with them as well.

When we walked in the party, Graham was immediately beckoned to join everyone. All the girls, and I mean ALL the girls, flocked to him. Watch out guys, we’ve got a ladies’ man on our hands! (Just kidding...kind of.) I grabbed a drink and floated around until I found myself outside where I saw a giant blow up water slide. Oh yes, this was about to be fun to watch. A crowd of people parked themselves in front of the slide so I walked over to join them while the girls got ready to take a dive down tonight’s main attraction. Everyone at the party knew each other well, but even still they accepted me graciously as the newbie. After introductions to the Watching Crew, girl number one began her trek up the slippery air stairs, but only made it about half way before she came tumbling back down. An uproar of laughter came from the Watching Crew as we continued to watch people struggle to make it to the top. This was terribly amusing, and the night had only just begun. When it was time for a trip back to the kitchen for a drink and some munchies, I ran into Graham who was chatting with his good friend Ben. We migrated to the garage where I met Collin, the only other person who didn’t know anyone at the party prior to tonight. Collin was traveling himself so I sat and talked with him for a few minutes while Graham and Ben went to track down another one of their good friends, Coco. Conversation was easy and enjoyable with Collin, but after a little while it was time for round 3, so I headed back to the kitchen. Instead of returning to Collin, I wandered back outside and found Ben sitting on his truck in the driveway. The party was a little on the wild side for Ben and he needed a break from the madness, so I decided to join him for a little breather so he wasn’t alone. He and I also had interesting and fun conversation and it felt nice to relax for a moment. Graham eventually came to look for us and he joined the chill sesh for a little while. When Ben was ready to go back inside, we moseyed into the garage where a kumbaya guitar circle was taking place. Ben snagged the guitar and strummed away as we all held hands and sang in unison. JUST KIDDING. But Ben really did start playing guitar and he was actually really good! I sat and listened along with several others as we all cut up and continued to have a great time.

Ben getting it on the guitar- Covington, LA

 

When it was time for us to leave the party, Coco joined Graham, Ben and me to head over to Ben’s house down the street where we all planned to crash for the night. We got back to the house and each set up our sleeping zones. After talking for a bit longer, the four of us exhaustingly cozied up in our cocoons and snoozed away the eventful evening.