The weather on the east coast of Nova Scotia was incredibly beautiful. As I made my way along Highway 105, the sun kissed my skin and I felt thankful to be backpacking in good weather conditions. There was an apple tree along the side of the road, so I stopped and had a little bite. It tasted bitterly refreshing.
After a quick phone call with my dad, and gulping down some water, I noticed a group of backpackers a little further behind me. I contemplated taking a break and having a chat with them, once they caught up to me, but then decided against it. I was determined to make it to Moncton before sunset and didn’t want to hinder my momentum. In hindsight, it would have been nice to take a break and meet new people, instead of focusing on the destination.
After an hour or so of walking in direct sunshine, a couple pulled over along the highway and offered me a ride. They were headed to Truro and figured that wherever I was going, they were going that way, too. I accepted their offer and was thankful to be out of the heat and to have a break from carrying my backpack.
Thomas and Katie were their names and they were excellent company. As we traveled through Cape Breton Island, we shared conversation about theories, musical tastes, ghost stories, Nova Scotia, and our political views. I’m honestly not much of a talker (I prefer observing and listening) but I tried my best to communicate and keep up with the flow of conversation. It felt really good to share stories with each other and learn more about the area.
We drove through Whycocomagh, Antigonish, New Glasgow, and I quickly realized how horrible I am at pronouncing town names. After approximately 3 hours of driving together, we arrived at our destination in the “Hub of Nova Scotia” known as Truro. I expressed my gratitude, said goodbye, and strapped myself into my backpack again as we parted ways on Highway 104.
Not even 10 minutes later, a gentleman pulled over and offered me a ride to Moncton. I couldn’t believe the luck I was having! Accepting his offer meant I would successfully reach my goal destination and still have plenty of time to set up camp for the night. So again, I accepted the ride and tossed my backpack into the car. The car was pretty shabby and didn’t have a backseat. The emergency lights were also flashing, so a part of me feared we may explode, BUT the conversation was great and the drive was enjoyable. We made it through Nova Scotia and into New Brunswick without breaking down or having our guts flying everywhere.
Whoa Dana 