Homecoming
I wanted to share a recent, unexpected experience that was truly a gift of being a truck driver: a homecoming.
While I love seeing new places, this story is about going back. I recently took a load that, surprisingly, brought me back to Ridgecrest, California, the small desert town where I grew up. My parents no longer live there, and I don’t have active friends or family in the area. I hadn’t been back since my 20-year high school reunion.
In July, I saw a load on the board going from Virginia to Ridgecrest. I was in Florida at the time. That meant over 500 deadhead miles just to reach the pickup. I decided to bid anyway, and I was awarded the load. After a frantic start, including a challenging dock situation in Virginia, we were loaded and on our way.
My husband had never seen the town, and I was excited to share it with him. We arrived in the dark, early morning hours for our delivery to the military base and had to wait for an escort. As the sun rose, I woke up and got ready. If you’ve never experienced a desert sunrise or sunset, they can be spectacular.
Ridgecrest is a small town. When I was there, the population was around 30,000 people. I’ve been told many times, by people from much smaller towns, that 30,000 isn’t small. Maybe on the numbers that’s true, but not here. Ridgecrest is the kind of place where everyone knows everyone, or at least someone who does. Our escort showed up, and my husband mentioned I grew up there. The escort revealed he used to work with my dad. Of course, he did. After the delivery on base, we were back out and driving through town.
On this homecoming, so much was the same as when I lived there: the old McDonald’s, the Denny’s, and the bowling alley where my parents used to bowl in a league. What we once called “all the way across town” passed by in a flash.
Though the trip through town was brief, my husband patiently listened as I pointed out landmarks and shared quick stories. The memories of learning to shoot and riding 4-wheelers in the hills came flooding back.
I love many aspects of this job. But getting awarded that load, and having the chance to share my hometown, was truly a wonderful surprise. Some of the best gifts of life on the road are the ones you never see coming.
If you enjoyed this story, please check out more of my Journey’s of a Professional Truck Driver series and the rest of our stories from the road.
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If you enjoyed this article, please check out our other stories from the road and our Trucking 411 articles — Keep the Shiny Side Up!
