Rather than going on the trip to North Carolina that weekend, Mike, Kelsey, Chelsea, Logel and I decided to stay in town and embark on Florida-inspired adventures. We started off the weekend with a few rounds of foosball and XBox at Mike's apartment. I have since learned that I am terrible at both of these games. I can only play defense in foosball and even that is rather weak. I got really into the XBox zombie game we were playing but I also got injured and died a lot. It was still a blast (though kind of graphic).
The next morning, we met up at Logel's to go off roading in the Ocala National Forest. Apparently there are a bunch of jeep trails and Logel has a jeep. We drove around in the forest for a while before trying to cross a big puddle and getting stuck. Logel kept trying to get his jeep out but his tires were spinning, digging a deeper and deeper hole. Mike and I were both on the right side, where the wheels were digging in, and e both started to notice water coming through the door. Soon, we were up to our ankles in muddy swamp water. I tried to grab my belongings (a purse and backpack) but only managed to grab the purse. I also could only find one of my shoes, so I left them for dead and we all climbed out of Mike's window. I was barefoot, wet, dirty, and carrying an expensive leather purse. I was a walking contradiction. We all ate some lunch and then ventured toward cell service and civilization, my bare feet artfully stepping through pine needles and grass.
We happened upon a nearby farm and tried to get help. An older woman answered and let us into her home, offering water and a phone. We had already called AAA but the problem was that we were off the road. The woman called the owners of he farm in hopes that we could access our car more easily but no such luck. We finally started walking up the road, debating whether or not to hitchhike to Gainesville and hoping AAA would be able to help us.
Soon thereafter, a redneck in a huge SUV pulled up with his girlfriend, asking if we were waiting on AAA and stating he was there to save us. We hopped in the backseat and it didn't occur to me until later that he had actually been sent by AAA. We led him about two miles into the forest and he set up chains on Logel's jeep. Luckily for us, the jeep started up despite being submerged in water. We were able to get it out and headed toward Gainesville, bailing out all of the water and sitting in it for the ride home.
Events Occurred: August 30-31, 2013
If I had known what I know now, I never would have stepped foot in the Ocala National Forest during the Rainbow Gathering. However, if you ask anyone in OAR about the Rainbow Gathering, all they will tell you is that you should go, it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I agree: I have done it once in this lifetime and will NEVER go again. It might have been different if I had decided to go during the day rather than at night. It might have been different if I had probed my fellow club members more rather than trusting their judgments. Instead, I met up with Bevin and Brice and the three of us headed off into the forest without any idea what we were getting ourselves into.
The one thing people told me was to bring something to trade. What does that mean? I still don't really know. I just swept through post-Valentine's Day candy sales and picked up a backpack full of candy. We pulled up to the police checkpoint, allowing them to look into car and check us for drugs (we had none, obviously). Then, as our car was slowly crawling through the first round of campsites, a guy jumped on to the back of our car and asked for a ride up the road. Unsure of what to do or how to say no, Bevin just kept driving. This was when everything went downhill. The police at the next stop pulled us over and searched us. They accused us of having a pipe, which was on the ground outside of our car. I think I was the most panicked, watching the end of my future law career flashing before my eyes. I was certain they were going to arrest us, even though we didn't have any drugs. We were all separated and searched, our car searched as well. To make matters worse, random Rainbow Gatherers kept walking past our car, harassing the cops and telling them that they were violating our constitutional rights. However, because we were cooperative, just a group of dumb college kids that didn't have any drugs or any idea what the Rainbow Gathering consisted of, they let us go. Thus commenced our anthropological study of Rainbow Gatherers.
Leaving our car and heading into the forest was almost too much commitment for me. We were all skittish after our police encounter and venturing into the dark towards fire was not making me feel any less uneasy. We went pretty far into the forest until we came upon the largest fire, where there were a bunch of shirtless men and women dancing around a drum circle. Suffice to say, my shirt stayed on and I did not dance at all. Instead, I sat between Brice and Bevin, too timid to even watch all that was going on around me. We stayed for less than an hour and the others tried to interact some with the Rainbow Gatherers but I kept quiet (which is completely out of character). I think I was too shaken by my near arrest and I was scared by the entire situation. I have since heard that it is better to go during the day because they have large trading circles and less drug addicts. Still, I will never go to the Rainbow Gathering. Ever. Even on a dare.
The next morning, we met up at Logel's to go off roading in the Ocala National Forest. Apparently there are a bunch of jeep trails and Logel has a jeep. We drove around in the forest for a while before trying to cross a big puddle and getting stuck. Logel kept trying to get his jeep out but his tires were spinning, digging a deeper and deeper hole. Mike and I were both on the right side, where the wheels were digging in, and e both started to notice water coming through the door. Soon, we were up to our ankles in muddy swamp water. I tried to grab my belongings (a purse and backpack) but only managed to grab the purse. I also could only find one of my shoes, so I left them for dead and we all climbed out of Mike's window. I was barefoot, wet, dirty, and carrying an expensive leather purse. I was a walking contradiction. We all ate some lunch and then ventured toward cell service and civilization, my bare feet artfully stepping through pine needles and grass.
