Nov. 26, 2012 – Memphis, Tenn. to Inid, Miss.

There’s nothing like Southern hospitality.

Last night, I had resigned myself to sleeping in a field off I-55 in Oakland, Mississippi. Until Billy Joe Waldrup found me.

“Where you headin’ for the night, son?” he inquired.

I admitted that I was going to set my tent up across the road.

“Well get in the car,” he said. “We’ve got a bed for ya.”

Ecstatic, I clambered in the passenger door. He popped himself open a Coors Light and handed me a second – drinking and driving is legal in this state – before speeding down the back roads to his home.

Billy Joe was delighted I was from Canada –his family had spent 11 years living outside Fairbanks, Alaska, so he had plenty of stories about out.

An hour later, I was tucking into a tasty meal of stew and cornbread. When I finished, Billy Joe led me over to the next cabin to meet his son, Trey. The next few hours were a haze of liquor-swigging, singing, gun shooting, and late-night off-roading.

It was more redneck than I could have imagined. When Trey told me to stick around for another night, I didn’t hesitate to agree.

As I woke up this morning, I considered yesterday’s events.

After parting ways with Matt in Memphis, I jumped on a city bus due south out of town, planning to cruise down historic Highway 61. But after two hours of walking, I called a mulligan, abandoned my plan, and found a ride over to i-55.

I spent two more hours getting soaked to the bone on the on-ramp, and was seriously considering a motel until Richard Holub picked me up. Within seconds, he was lighting up his pipe and regaling me with wild stories from his days in the Special Forces.

But I goofed hard when he asked where I wanted out. I foolishly bypassed a busy on-ramp in Batesville and had to settle for a deserted spot a few miles south.

I must have looked worried about my prospects – before I jumped out, Richard said “look kid, there’s a reason why you’re ending up in this spot.”

Bolstered by his words, I hopped up and got moving. I soon caught another ride down to Oakland. After another hour-long wait, I ran into Billy Joe, who saved the day.