Noelle here:
We made a rookie mistake and forgot to turn off our GPS for a ride over to urgent care, so it showed all of you that we took a trip to the hospital and we started getting messages about it. No need for alarm though!
It’s actually my second stop in a week! First for my shoulder (which is feeling much better after finishing a steroid pack today!) and today for a urinary tract infection.
This trail is trying to kick my butt. But I keep kicking back.
After the visit, we walked over to Walgreens for meds and since we’re about fifteen or twenty miles off trail, people here assume we are homeless. It’s the craziest thing. I didn’t think I’d ever be mistaken for homeless during my life, but here we are.
One actual homeless guy sat and chatted with us while we waited for my prescriptions to be filled. He offered us a couple bucks if we needed it and told us about a place we could sleep safely. He was super kind and after we told him we were hiking, he seemed to not believe us and reminded us of the safe sleeping spot. And then when I was inside Walgreens, a lady pulled up to Steve and offered him the rest of her dinner. Her car was beat up and her dinner was a hamburger, but she was willing to share it. The poorest people wanted to help us. While we were amused (if that’s the right word) to appear & smell homeless, I also felt humbled once again by the kindness of strangers. It’s not a surprise that those without are often the ones with the biggest hearts.
The pharmacist announced too loudly for my pride that my insurance card doesn’t work (it doesn’t, since we didn’t get Cobra info in time so now we’ll have a short lapse). But then even she was also quite positive I was homeless (I guess technically we are, as we carry our tent along with us 🤣). Anyway, I guess you can get discounts on your meds if you don’t have insurance, so that was a huge win!
All this to say, I’m good. Steve’s good. We’re waiting on an Uber back to a motel in the land of hikers, where we’ll fit right in again!
OK. I was waiting to get caught up on the blog to say this, but I think now is the time. Girl, you need clean underwear. Clean underwear is NOT a luxury item. Do I need to repeat this? Have you learned your lesson?
Of all the things I’ve read in your blog where you talk about wearing the same underwear day after day inside out and whatnot is the one thing that haunts me. And I say this from experience. I traveled across West Africa on public transportation, by myself. Long ago and far away, I was much more reckless then. But, you know, I didn’t bring much, maybe 2 pairs of clothes and a jacket, but I know for a fact that I brought 3-4 pair of underwear because I remember being exhausted at night and washing a pair or two of underwear. It sounds like a challenge but it’s real easy – little bit of water and a bar of soap (in Africa they sell bars of washing soap, but I think any old soap will do). Even in cold weather they are so thin, they dry in an hour or two. Now I did have the experience of living without running water or electricity and washing my clothes by hand for two years prior working for Peace Corps in Ghana.
You can do it. It is so worth it. Be strong and Be smart.
😂😂😂 I actually have two pairs, so one pair is usually hanging off my pack drying during the day. Or hanging on a trekking pole drying in the evening. I’m also really careful to only wash with water we’ve filtered. I think it’s more about the dehydration.
Homeless or not – you guys are awesome. Continued prayers for your adventures <3
N – thanks for the update! That ER visit thing had me wondering if I needed to come find you somewhere… Or rescue you…Or something….Your stories of the kindness of strangers are both heartwarming and humbling as they challenge our daily assumptions about the people we meet!
So glad to hear you’re okay. UTI’s can be a problem. Thank goodness you got the meds you needed. It’s heart warming to hear how the “least” of our brothers can be so kind. ❤️
God bless and take care.
Liz from Fresno Retro