Train hopping
I'd like to introduce myself I have been hopping cargo trains around the country of the United States for the last 8 years and would like to leave a journal of some sort it all started in Asheville North Carolina on a dark Rainy night I met up with some people who have been hopping trains when I was in my late teens I was homeless and wanted to learn how to ride the rails it took a few months to find the appropriate people to learn from that would be willing to teach me and I was not going to blow this opportunity to learn how to ride we started hiking through the streets to this secluded Woods I was very nervous I could hear my heart pounding in my head we camped out in those woods until the Steel Dragon appeared we then hiked into the train yard some miracle there was an open box car what I found out was that is rare to find them open... the nervousness was nowhere near close to being over with as the train sat there until around 5 in the morning as the sun was creeping over the hills of the Appalachian mountains hand with a large jolt we were off I had no idea where we were going I had no idea how long I was going to be on this train but I was committed to riding the Steel Dragon through the Appalachian Mountains. Little did I know that this was going to be it beginning of a long-term addiction to train hopping and traveling. As the train kept on throughout the day I still have no idea where I was going because I did not have a GPS or a map I just knew I was going somewhere I didn't care exactly where I was going I didn't have any expectations the train kept going for 2 days I didn't realize that I was supposed to bring water for days at a time so I ran out of water after day one and a half bad move so thirsty and waiting until we got to our destination of which I did not know when I was going to get there I borrow swig or two of water off the guys that were teaching me how to "ride the rails"... soon it became dark and I could start seeing City Lights I did not have any idea what city I was going into but being as I was out of water and everyone was out of food and water at this point we had to debark the train and sneak our way out of this train yard I had no idea where we were but I've seen was told that we were in Knoxville Tennessee and we meandered over to a 24 hour gas station to pick up water and food than off into the darkness for some sleep
More traveling story's to come as my next adventure is train hopping to Mexico border
Thanks for reading
Hobo stxs