There are more people out to do good
than those who aim to do evil.
I must admit, last year around this time, I was freaking out. I looked forward to the adventure of seeing new places, but I was nervous as to who we would meet along the way. Would we run into people who would try to take advantage of us? Would we make new friends? Would we wake up to a missing vehicle? Would we run into problems because of the color of our skin? Oh the horror!! The mind is the devil's playground and he had a good ol' time nurturing my fears.
Joseph and I talked through my reservations and concluded the only way we would know the truth is to keep moving forward. The best way to get rid of a fear is to confront it and that is just what we did. August 1st will mark our 1 year anniversary of our nomadic travels and we can honestly say we have met so many wonderful people.
Our Good Samaritans
While in Georgia, the guest home we were staying in needed to be vacated due to a pest problem. On our way to get a hotel room, one of the farm workers took it upon herself to take us in as family. She said there was no reason for us to drive 45 mins away for a hotel room when she had plenty of space at her home. She lived with her mother and they were both blessed to have children in the home. We stayed for a couple of days where we were welcomed to showers, the laundry room and to the table for breakfast and dinner. This woman asked nothing in return. Her only price was the company we provided.
Even though our work exchange outside of Austin, Texas was prearranged, our hosts went above and beyond. J's 8th birthday came around and the family was just as excited as we were. They provided a pinata as well as fireworks to celebrate. We had decorations, a special dinner and of course, a cake. When they opened their home to us, they also opened their hearts. When we left, they had sent us away with over $100 worth of premium meats and charcuterie.
The owner of the cabin we rented in Leakey, Texas, added an extra 4 days without charge because "we seemed like a nice family."
Here in our apartment complex (Arizona), an older gentleman has adopted us as well. He checks up on us, shares his produce and meats from time to time, and he keeps us up to date with the latest local events. We also had our neighbors give us furniture they didn't want to haul to their next home; saying, "every little bit helps."
