Hobo Confessions #2: Thou shalt not walk out of the Tampa airport

seekerjuice (55)in #story • 8 years ago (edited)

January 24th+25th -

(College bar, meet zack, and the girl in the white dress.)

Land in Tampa, and try to walk out of the airport - not so easy. Try to rock climb under the bridge - big black black birds, raccoon - no outlet, just another river. Uber ride, learn about Gasparilla (pirate attack). Dude sucks at routes.

Meet Julio! Dude is legit. So is his son, Julio (Lulo) (Papita) (little father).
His other son plays guitar. His daughter is pretty with short hair. Julio has 2 cancers. He loves airplanes, and history. [La Familia es todo.] He used to do woodworking, and programming. He drives me to camping, and we get lost. Good times. I miss them already. Set up tent, and sleep... after reading 4 hours.

That Breaking Bad reference. Oh, Juice.

I remember the airplane ride being easy peasy. I did get frisked because of the pizza amulet, but they were quickly sedated by my pizza powers.

Exiting the airport became sketchy when I found myself trying to climb across rocks underneath freeway underpasses to get into the main part of Tampa. It didn't work.
These first few days I was staring around at palm trees, counting my blessings to be out of Cleveland, and eating trail mix. I sat outside and smoked cigarettes for much of the 24 hours I spent there. Julio was a very kind man from some Central American country I can't remember, who offered his couch to me. Great recording, Juice.

Julio, you saved me from the walk from hell

Some of that time was spent shamelessly hitting on a particularly petite Hispanic girl in a little white dress at a bar right next to the college, and bullshitting with a guy who's name was Zack, apparently.

(Creepin')

But it was time to sleep, I had a long day coming up. I was planning on walking 30 miles with my 30 pound pack to my campsite. Luckily Julio, despite his double helping of cancer, was feeling generous and drove me.

I don't think I would have made it. But I had, and now I was in the campsite. Broken glass from college parties, 2 fire pits, and 2 picnic tables. Oh, and a port-a-potty. Thank goodness. I don't think I would have held it or been able to dig a hole by the 29th.

(I could still hear highway noise)