2c h aP t e r 9
I
slept that night at home plate on the baseball diamond of an ele-
mentary school. The next day was Sunday, so I figured I wouldn’t
be bothered. I felt so unencumbered as I awoke in the morning to
the sun shining down overhead, warming me after the chilly night.
I just lay there for a while soaking up the warm rays, reveling in my
newfound freedom. I had finally managed to release myself for a
time (albeit with a little help from unexpected circumstances) from
the weight of a job, house, car, bills, and cumbersome possessions. I
could now focus on my cluttered mind and soul for a while and then
tackle societal responsibilities when I had a better idea of what I re-
ally wanted to be doing with my life.
I felt a great lightness as I stuffed my sleeping bag and clothes into
my pack, pulled on my Levis and tennis shoes, and hefted my pack
onto my back. The chilly morning air inspired me to get moving as
the warming sun promised a clear day free of rain. This was how life
should be lived! The future was unknown and wide open, a blank
canvas ready to be streaked with color—raw material waiting to be
molded into a unique work of art. Although I no doubt had a certain
apprehension at the unknown ahead of me, there was also a great
deal of opportunity and potential, and I was willing to take the posi-
tive and negative hand in hand and see what might come out of it.
My first destination was Ananda Village outside of Nevada City in
the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. I figured it would take about two
days to hitchhike there. I felt that my journey had really begun as I
stepped out onto the freeway with my thumb held high.
My first ride, just outside of Ashland on Interstate-, was sur-
prisingly from a trucker. Generally truck drivers no longer pick up