i heard a femme voice in the woods near my campsite. On the phone giving directions to where we were while a dog wandered and romped not far away.

Along a creek i’d found a spot where i planned to be for at least two nights. The forest surrounded with well-spaced, tall, skinny, old conifers. They mingled with a kind of foresty scrub brush all around, none growing higher than my own hips. (A botany book is sorely needed in my reference section.) The effect of forest like this is radiant, calm, continuous sound and light. The branches of these trees don’t begin before my head, and are never dense. It is a bright forest; warm, melodic. Smells amazing, too.

The dog came closer, ahead of its human, more tentative. “Hello,” i said to the tall, inquisitive quadruped. “He’s friendly,” offered she just off her phone. Soon Finn came to snuffle at the foot of my bed while his person admired my setup.

“Are you camping nearby?” i asked presently, trying to take the focus off myself.

“Ah no, but I did get jealous when I saw you here. It’s one of our favorite spots.” The hiker then explained that her car battery had died while she and Finn were out. It was clear she’d had no intention of asking me for help, but i have a little digital jump pack that i was thrilled to offer. She practically skipped away with it. We were both excited at the possibility of calling her partner—to whom she’d been giving directions—off from the rescue.

When she came back she was driving her car and had a beer for me. i cheered. “Do you live around here?” she asked.

“Oh yeah i mean i live right here,” i pointed at my car, and kind of chuckled. “i’ve been on the road for a bit now.”

“So does that mean you’re hanging out nearby for a while? Do you have a destination? Maybe just heading back East? Or…” she trailed off, having offered enough possibilities.

i thought about it. “You know, yeah i’ll be around here a bit, and i’ll head back East. i don’t have a destination though. This seems like it for now, just living on the road.”

She called me her hero and admitted that she’d had a shitty day. i was effusively glad to have helped, claro. My new friend CJ then gave me her number and offered any assistance or advice she could, whenever. “Or I’ll just randomly text you like, ‘Where you at?’”

“And i’ll send a picture of whatever i’m seeing!” i rejoined.

The beer was a local IPA and delicious.