The Moth Radio Hour: Thrill Seekers, Wanderlust, and an Italian Stalliion

Summary

The Moth Radio Hour: Thrill Seekers, Wanderlust, and an Italian Stallion

Release Date: May 29, 2018
Host: Sarah Austin Janess

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Introduction

In this captivating episode of The Moth Radio Hour, host Sarah Austin Janess guides listeners through a tapestry of exhilarating and heartfelt stories centered around the themes of thrill-seeking, wanderlust, and unexpected romantic encounters. Spanning diverse experiences—from childhood adventures and first loves to near-miss accidents and lifelong travels—each storyteller delves deep into moments that defined their lives.

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1. Mack Dryden: A Rocky First in the Smoky Mountains
Timestamp: 02:30 – 07:47

Mack Dryden opens his narrative with a nostalgic reflection on his childhood in the Mississippi Gulf Coast, a region characterized by its flat, marshy landscapes. The true adventure begins when, at the age of twelve, Mack and his ten-year-old brother embark on a family vacation to the Smoky Mountains—a stark contrast to their usual surroundings.

Notable Quote:
“At that moment, we were dumbstruck. We couldn’t believe it.”

Mack recounts the awe-inspiring experience of climbing a mountain for the first time, a feat that left him feeling as if he were “on Jupiter” (02:55). However, the adventure takes a dramatic turn when Mack's curiosity leads him to roll a large rock down the mountain. The ensuing chaos, including his father's frantic calls to "get out of the way," culminates in a heart-stopping near-miss accident.

Key Insights:

• The juxtaposition of Mack’s upbringing in a flat region versus the mountainous terrain highlights the allure of the unknown.
• Mack's impulsive actions serve as a pivotal lesson in responsibility and the unforeseen consequences of youthful curiosity.

Conclusion:
Mack reflects on the enduring impact of that day, emphasizing the unforgettable lesson his father imparted about "rock technology," underscoring the blend of humor and gravity in his storytelling.

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2. Janice Bartley: Love Underneath the Stallion
Timestamp: 08:47 – 21:22

Janice Bartley shares an intimate and poignant story about her first real relationship, centered around an encounter with an enigmatic figure she refers to as the “Italian Stallion” during her time at Camp Oakhurst in New Jersey.

Notable Quote:
“I want people to know that even though I have a disability, I can move. I can still move.”

Janice navigates the complexities of budding romance while living with a disability, highlighting the courage it took to pursue love and intimacy. With the assistance of her friend Alex, Janice vividly describes the evolution of her relationship, from the initial attraction to the emotional turmoil leading up to their New Year's Eve encounter.

Key Insights:

• Janice’s story underscores the universal desire for connection and the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities in expressing and experiencing love.
• The narrative explores themes of vulnerability, acceptance, and self-worth.

Conclusion:
Janice concludes by celebrating the profound personal growth that resulted from her relationship, despite its unconventional dynamics, and affirms her identity beyond her disability.

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3. Brian Gavigan: High Anxiety in the Helicopter
Timestamp: 25:28 – 36:40

Brian Gavigan, a self-described adrenaline junkie from Denver, Colorado, recounts a harrowing helicopter flight that quickly spirals into a life-threatening situation. His love for speed and thrill-seeking culminates in what almost becomes his final adventure.

Notable Quote:
“I signed up for this. I paid money to die.”

Brian details the exhilarating start of his helicopter experience, flying through picturesque landscapes reminiscent of an African savannah. However, the mood shifts dramatically when the pilot initiates an emergency drill—a forced power cut leading to an emergency landing scenario.

Key Insights:

• The juxtaposition of Brian’s thrill-seeking nature with the sudden onset of fear provides a gripping narrative tension.
• The story delves into human responses to imminent danger, highlighting both vulnerability and resilience.

Climactic Moment:
As the helicopter descends uncontrollably, Brian’s internal monologue reveals his terror and realization that this could be his last moment. His decisive action to brace for impact underscores a fleeting yet profound assertion of control in chaos.

Conclusion:
Miraculously surviving the crash with only minor injuries, Brian reflects on the incident with a mix of relief and the enduring desire to pursue adrenaline-fueled activities, albeit with newfound caution.

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4. Alexis Chin: Naked Courage at Camp
Timestamp: 38:01 – 45:17

Alexis Chin, a high school student from New York City, shares a transformative experience from her summer at an all-girls farm and wilderness camp called Indianbrook. The narrative explores themes of body image, peer pressure, and personal growth.

Notable Quote:
“To me, I was a dancing queen. I was a wild woman of the woods.”

Alexis describes the camp’s unique tradition during Counselor Night, where senior campers engage in a streaking ritual, breaking the rule of not discussing physical appearance by embracing vulnerability and solidarity through nudity. Initially terrified, Alexis confronts her insecurities and ultimately participates, finding empowerment in the shared experience.

Key Insights:

• The story highlights the tension between societal standards of beauty and individual self-acceptance.
• Alexis’s journey from fear to exhilaration illustrates the liberating potential of stepping out of one’s comfort zone.

Conclusion:
Despite the lingering insecurities associated with adolescence and body image, Alexis proudly identifies the night as a defining moment of courage and camaraderie, embodying her internal transformation.

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5. Lucy: A Lifetime of Wanderlust
Timestamp: 46:27 – 53:02

Lucy, a senior citizen and grandmother from Melbourne, Australia, narrates her profound love for travel and exploration across the United States. Her story is a testament to lifelong wanderlust and the pursuit of adventure regardless of age.

Notable Quote:
“This country is made for road tripping. This country is made for wandering.”

Inspired by her father’s bold move post-World War II, Lucy adopts a nomadic lifestyle, driving vast distances in a conversion van equipped for long-term travel. She shares anecdotes about relocating cars for people without needing to drive them herself, navigating unfamiliar terrains, and overcoming the initial challenges of solo travel.

Key Insights:

• Lucy’s narrative emphasizes the enduring human desire to explore and the fulfillment it brings.
• Her experiences reflect themes of independence, resilience, and the joy of discovering new places.

Conclusion:
As Lucy prepares for her ninth trip to the U.S., her story encapsulates a life driven by passion for the open road, illustrating that wanderlust knows no age boundaries and continues to inspire others to seek their own adventures.

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Closing Remarks

Sarah Austin Janess wraps up the episode by celebrating the diverse narratives that showcase the myriad ways individuals seek excitement, connection, and fulfillment in their lives. From Mack’s childhood adventures and Janice’s blossoming romance to Brian’s near-death experience, Alexis’s boldness, and Lucy’s relentless journey, each story underscores the universal quest for meaning and exhilaration.

Listeners are left inspired by the storytellers' courage to embrace the unknown, pursue their passions, and find beauty in the unpredictable tapestry of life experiences.

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Additional Resources

For more stories and to view photos related to the storytellers' experiences, visit themoth.org. Explore live events, submit your own story, or delve into the extensive collection of The Moth's true stories shared worldwide.

Transcript

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[Sarah Austin Janess]

From PRX this is the Moth Radio Hour. I'm Sarah Austin Janess this is an episode all about thrill seekers and outdoor adventures. It's about wanderlust and a search for something different. What happens when you get a little stir crazy? Well, as my mom used to say, you put a little lipstick on and get out there. We have five stories for you today. Our first is Mac Dryden. Mac comes to us from our open Mic Slam series in Louisville where we partner with public radio station wfp. The night Mac told this story, the theme was Firsts. So live at the Moth in Kentucky, here's Mack Dryden.

[Apple Representative]

I grew up on the Mississippi Gulf coast, which is really marshy and like mud puddle flat. And we used to play on this big 20 foot pile of dirt on a construction site and until about the fifth grade that was the highest point of land I had ever seen in my life. So when I was 12 and my brother was 10 and our parents took us on vacation to the Smoky Mountains. This was like a life changing experience. We just were stunned. When we drove into the mountains, two little swamp rats in the backseat looking up and you could look into the sky a half a mile and there were rocks and trees and stuff up there. It was just. We were dumbstruck. We couldn't believe it. So we started begging my dad, please, please pull over. Let us climb up a mountain, please. Finally, he pulled over at a rest stop at the foot of a mountain. He said, be careful. We scrambled over there. There were kids, a bunch of kids, families there, and they were not climbing the mountain that was right there. I couldn't believe it. But anyway, so we got up about 60ft and my mom called out and we looked down and she had this brownie camera and we did a manly pose and she took a picture. And so we can now prove to our swamp rat buddies back home that we'd been on a mountain. And so we went up far enough for my dad to say, okay, that's far enough, boys. He yelled down. We turned around. It was just incredible. I mean, it had taken a while to get up. It was steep, it wasn't dangerous, but we had to hold onto trees and put our little PF flyers on rocks and bushes and actually climb the thing. So we were up there and we turned around and it was just magnificent. It was amazing. I mean, it was like being on Jupiter. We thought we were halfway to the Milky Way. It was so amazing. And I looked over and I saw a rock. And I picked it up and I put it in my pocket to commemorate this event. I had my souvenir rock. And then I saw this other rock that was kind of roundish and about the size of a small washtub. And I wondered if it might jiggle. So I put my back against a tree and I pushed with my legs and sure enough, the thing gave a little bit. And I said to my brother, let's see if this rock will go all the way to the bottom of the hill. I know, but you have to understand that where we grew up, to move something that big and that heavy anywhere took a lot of effort. Tools, machinery, big guys, you know. I was a skinny 12 year old. What did I know? We had no concept of the physics involved in mountains. So my brother said, I don't think so. And even he was never as impulsive as I. He was. He turned out to be a prosecuting attorney, as a matter of fact. But anyway, he said no. I said, come on, it'll be fun. Help me put okay, I'll do it myself. I strained and I rocked. And sure enough, that thing started down the hill. And it became very apparent very quickly that this thing was not only going to make it to the bottom of the hill, this rock might make it to Gatlinburg. You. So I screamed, daddy. And my dad looked up. My poor dad, he looked up and he sees his 200 pound battering ram screaming down the mountain toward the rest area. Cars, families, kids. He's screaming, get out of the way. Get out of the way. Get out of the way. And he watched helplessly as this missile comes flying through at 60, 70 miles an hour. Missed the back of our car about 10ft, bounced across the parking lot on the other side and into some woods after hitting nothing. It was. It was a minor miracle. It really was. I mean, this is the first mountain I have ever touched. So I didn't know. And I looked down and I saw my mom. And she had her head in her hand. She was sobbing into her hands. And my dad was holding onto the car because his legs would collapse out from under him. And I looked at my brother and he was looking at me with an expression that was real easy to read. Dead man walking. I knew what was waiting for me at the bottom of the hill. So I took my time and gave my mom time enough to remind my dad that he had wanted children and to give my dad time enough to count to 10,000. And he made very sure that there was one lesson in rock technology that I never, ever, ever, ever forgot. Thank you.

[Sarah Austin Janess]

That was Mack Dryden. Mack has been a stand up comedian and a motivational speaker for more than 30 years. So he's constantly traveling somewhere. To see a photo of Mac and his family on vacation in 1961 at the time of this inadvertent physics experiment, go to themoth.org Janice Bartley is our next storyteller. She developed her story with the Moth community program in a workshop along with an organization called Self Advocacy, which is for people living with physical challenges. Janice was actually one of the very first people that I ever worked with when I started with the Moth. And I'm in love with her laugh. It is delightful. I can't wait for you to hear it. Janice told this story at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in New York's Alphabet City. And a note. This story might sound a little different since Janice is telling it with the help of her friend Alex, but I think you'll get the hang of it. Here's Janice Bartley live at the Moth.

[Janice Bartley]

Hey.

[Apple Representative]

I live in the Bronx, New York.

[Janice Bartley]

Hey. Hi. Have you got anything to make any.

[Apple Representative]

This is my friend Alex, and she's gonna help me tell my story to you tonight.

[Janice Bartley]

Hi. Hi, baby. Hi, buddy. Hey, Jason. Hey, goose. Hi, Jake.

[Apple Representative]

I want people to see me as a bright, intelligent and of course, a sexy woman.

[Janice Bartley]

My girl. My girl. My birthday.

[Apple Representative]

My story is about my first real relationship.

[Janice Bartley]

Mm. No, it was a New York.

[Apple Representative]

It was in the summer in New Jersey at a camp called Camp Oakhurst. I used to go there to swim and do activities.

[Janice Bartley]

We're gay.

[Apple Representative]

One day I was hanging out with my friends in the dining hall. I noticed an older guy with black hair and a great smile.

[Janice Bartley]

He was Italian Stallion.

[Apple Representative]

He was an Italian Stallion.

[Janice Bartley]

I love him. He will get.

[Apple Representative]

I was looking at him, he was looking at me.

[Janice Bartley]

He was checking me out.

[Apple Representative]

He was checking me out.

[Janice Bartley]

We can see.

[Apple Representative]

During the next two weeks, we talked a lot and we got to know each other.

[Janice Bartley]

And we had a good game.

[Apple Representative]

We laughed and we had a good time.

[Janice Bartley]

We had our first kiss.

[Apple Representative]

On our last night, we had our first kiss.

[Janice Bartley]

And let me tell you, it was good.

[Apple Representative]

Let me tell you, it was good.

[Mack Dryden]

Hey.

[Janice Bartley]

He made me bigger. Because I was really young and you had a boyfriend.

[Apple Representative]

It made me feel good because I was 26 years old and I never had a boyfriend.

[Janice Bartley]

Made me sad because I might not see him again.

[Apple Representative]

It also made me sad because I might not see him again. After I got home, I kept thinking about him.

[Janice Bartley]

Are we here?

[Apple Representative]

A week later, the phone rang.

[Janice Bartley]

It was him.

[Apple Representative]

It was him. I was excited, happy, happy. I was dancing. After that, we started dating.

[Janice Bartley]

We make a movie again.

[Apple Representative]

We went out to movies, out to eat. He'd come and pick me up in his car. And we park and we'd park.

[Janice Bartley]

We got a big cake.

[Apple Representative]

After a while, we got pretty serious. It was really good.

[Janice Bartley]

Finally, we could get sex.

[Apple Representative]

Finally, we started talking about sex.

[Janice Bartley]

Uncle I would never happen.

[Apple Representative]

I thought it would never happen. Bye.

[Janice Bartley]

Bye. Oh. One day I went.

[Apple Representative]

But one day he asked me to spend the night for New Year's Eve.

[Janice Bartley]

Oh, my God. Because I was living with my pain.

[Apple Representative]

I thought, oh, my God. Because I was still living with my parents.

[Janice Bartley]

He wear my arrangement.

[Apple Representative]

And he was older than me.

[Janice Bartley]

I was an age king. My mom.

[Apple Representative]

So I wrote a letter to my mom.

[Janice Bartley]

He was having a party.

[Apple Representative]

I told my mom he was having a party and people were staying over and that I would be sleeping on the couch.

[Janice Bartley]

I knew I would be sleeping, but.

[Apple Representative]

I knew I wouldn't be sleeping. On the couch.

[Janice Bartley]

Okay, my mom, okay, you can go.

[Apple Representative]

My mom said, okay, you can go.

[Janice Bartley]

My sister and my humming.

[Apple Representative]

My sister and my home attendant drove me to his house.

[Janice Bartley]

I will hide. Happy, anxious.

[Apple Representative]

On the way to his house, I was excited, happy and anxious.

[Janice Bartley]

My heart was going boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.

[Apple Representative]

My heart was going boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.

[Janice Bartley]

It was going to be my first.

[Apple Representative]

Everything, because I knew it was going to be my first everything.

[Janice Bartley]

How are my mirror?

[Apple Representative]

And I was worried that I could please him, he could please me, and that he could please me.

[Janice Bartley]

When we arrive to help he have a baby.

[Apple Representative]

When we arrived to his house, his house was beautiful. Everything was big and everything was in place. His dining room was set up so amazing.

[Janice Bartley]

A ring. He had a burger, orange. How about you?

[Apple Representative]

A bottle of wine.

[Janice Bartley]

He prepared seafood for me.

[Apple Representative]

And he prepared seafood for me.

[Janice Bartley]

Amen.

[Apple Representative]

And being the man that he is, he invited my sister and my home attendant to have dinner with us.

[Janice Bartley]

Everything.

[Apple Representative]

And everything was magnifico. After dinner, we moved to the living room and had conversation.

[Janice Bartley]

It was nice.

[Apple Representative]

It was nice.

[Janice Bartley]

My heart was giving boom, boom, boom, boom.

[Apple Representative]

But my heart was still boom, boom.

[Janice Bartley]

Boom, boom, boom, boom. And can you hear me and give me your mind.

[Apple Representative]

I looked at him and he looked at me. And I could read his mind. And after a while, my home attendant and my sister were out of there.

So.

[Janice Bartley]

I was. I was going in the drink.

[Apple Representative]

I won't go into details. I gave you this, but I will tell you this. It was the best New Year's I ever had. I want people to know that even though I have a disability, I can move. I can still move. And I also realized that. And I also realized someone could see me for the real woman that I am and not just my disability.

[Janice Bartley]

Thank you. Thank you.

[Sarah Austin Janess]

That was Janice Bartley. Janice is a public speaker for the Self Advocacy association of New York State. And it's been over two decades since the events of this story happened. Janice told me that the Italian stallion painted paved the way for her relationship with her fiance, who she calls her boo baby. And she also says she identifies as a cougar, since he's significantly younger. To see a photo of Janice and her boo baby, go to themoth.org after our break, a BMX rider takes his first flying lesson and gets much more than he paid for. When the Moth Radio Hour continues.

[Brian Gavigan]

The Moth Radio Hour is produced by Atlantic Public Media in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and presented by prx.

[Sarah Austin Janess]

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[Sarah Austin Janess]

This is the Moth Radio Hour from PRX. I'm Sarah Austengines and we're featuring adventure stories in this hour the wild rides that some people seek. Our next storyteller is Brian Gavigan. Brian lives in Denver, Colorado and he told this story in a Moth main stage in Boulder a few years ago. The theme of the night was High Anxiety and it's a great story for the theme. You'll see why. Here's Brian live at the Moth in Colorado.

[Alexis Chin]

I've always been an adrenaline junkie. I love driving fast in my car, I love zipping through the woods on my snowboard, my skis, and I really love back flipping my BMX bike. What I haven't really experienced was flight. It was something that I'd always been interested in, but hadn't had a lot of experience with. And specifically helicopter flight. I always thought that was the most awesome craft to pilot, being quick and light and nimble. And when I saw an ad in the Westward paper announcing an introductory offer for 30 minutes of sightseeing and 30 minutes of instructional time, I felt like it was speaking directly to me. So I called them up immediately and set my appointment. And for the next few days, I was extremely excited for that day. So when the day came, I got to the office early. I'm never early for anything, but I was early on this day. And I'm walking into the office and I look over and I see a motorcycle in the shadows. Is really, really cool looking motorcycle. And I remember thinking, these are my people. So I go in, I sign my name, I go out with the pilot. We look at the helicopter, we get inside. Butterflies are going, I am so pumped. It's time. I'm going to fly this thing. I got my own set of controls. He has his own set of controls. We get our little lap belts on, get our headsets on. And then the pilot points over at this fire extinguisher and he says, I need you to promise me something. And I'm gonna promise you something too. If you are on fire, I promise I will put you out, okay? So I say back to him, if you are on fire, I promise I'll put you out. He gives me a high five. We start it up. The main rotor blade starts spinning and we just lift off the ground. He just takes us right up. And it's got a glass floor. I'm looking at it and it's like jumping my bike, but never coming down. We just continue to go up and up and I am so stoked. We're flying around and you wouldn't believe, just out past the dirt roads. It is like an African savannah, a safari. You just see things that you would never see or realize are just out there past the city. We get up and I see this herd of deer and it's so beautiful. They're like running because they hear the helicopter and they're in a big pack and they're looking over their shoulders and we're flying above them. And I'm just like, how cool is this. Nobody would ever get to see this. And so then he zips into this little. This empty riverbed and then just starts gunning it through this riverbed, like, 15, 20ft above the ground. And I'm loving it. There's trees on either side of us, and we're just zipping, winding through it. And I'm just like, this is so cool. I say to him, dude, you need to get an awesome stereo system in this thing, man. You can just rock out. And he looks over at me, you know, like, yeah, yeah, this is good, right? And I'm just envisioning this. I'm having this whole fantasy in my head. I'm like, I'm gonna get one of these someday. I'm gonna have my own helicopter. I'm gonna tint the windows. I'm gonna paint it like a dragonfly. I'm gonna put a sweet stereo system in this thing. People are gonna be looking up in the air like, hey, there's Brian. Look at him. So I'm just in this fantasy world, just so stoked. We're just hauling ass around. I love it. And then he comes up out of there and he says, all right, playtime's over. Business time. Time for you to learn a little bit. Anybody that's going to be a real pilot needs to know this. It's an emergency drill. It's an auto rotation. Basically, I'm going to cut the power. It's like putting your car into neutral going downhill. Main rotor blade is going to keep spinning, but there's going to be a big drop in altitude at the beginning. You like Elitch's rides and, you know, roller coasters, that kind of stuff. You got a soft stomach or you pretty tough? I'm like, I'm good with that. I'm cool. He's okay. Okay, cool. Because if you have a problem, just let me know. I'll land and you can hurl. Okay, cool. Bases are covered. Let's do this. So sure enough, he kills the power. We get that like, 30 foot drop just instantly in altitude. I feel the upward draft of the air, and we just kind of come into, like this soft, slow drift. And I'm getting to feel what he's saying you can do if you have an emergency landing situation. Then I started looking at him. He's fidgeting with stuff. He's turning things. He's got a stressed look on his face. I'm just like, everything all right? He looks at me with wild eyes like, this is a real thing, man. I can't Believe it. I look out, I look down. It's like a model railroad set. These tiny little trees. And my first thought is, we're gonna die. We are going to die. I signed up for this. I paid money to die. Like, you've gotta be kidding me. And I'm just watching and we're slowly starting to fall towards the earth. And I cannot believe this is happening. I'm just like, this is a bad joke, right? Like, when's the camera's gonna come out and he's gonna smile and say, just kidding, but he doesn't. He's just doing like S turns and figure eights. And I'm just thinking, I never expected that this would be my last day. And I start having these crazy thoughts. Like I put in some pictures to get developed. Who's going to ever see those? Who's going to get my car? Like, it's parked down there. And, you know, I'm just like, I can't believe that this is the day we're gonna die. There's just no other way around it. You don't walk away from a helicopter crash. And so he starts looking like he may be able to land this thing. We're coming down towards the ground. And now my mind starts to shift from we're gonna die to we're gonna get really worked. We're going to hit the ground and it's going to suck. I'm going to be laying there with a broken back. Like, this is just like, I wear more pads when I'm riding my bike. I've got a helmet and knee pads. I've got a little lap belt and this little headset. We're in like a glass box. I'm just like, we're definitely going to get worked. So admit it to yourself, the next hour is going to really suck, you know. And so here we go. We're coming in for a landing. We're coming in about a 1012 degree angle. He's doing good. He's got us going about 50 miles an hour straight towards the ground. And he just yells to me. He's like, we're gonna hit. And I just did the only thing I thought seemed right. I just shut my eyes, I took a deep breath, I put my arms out in front of my face, and sure enough, we hit the ground. And we just four by four across the prairie, just like, you know, bouncing across the gopher holes. And then the left skid digs into the ground and it makes us stop instantly. And we just jerk forward. Then the main rotor blade is just going super fast. It hits the ground, and it just cartwheels the whole helicopter, and it smashes and breaks it right off behind our heads. And we come to a stop, looking at the sky, and there's just smoke, and I can smell jet fuel. And the flight manuals are all scattered around inside the cockpit. And I just shoulder the door and jump out, and my feet touch the ground, and I just can't believe it. I'm just like, yes. And I look up, and I'm just like, oh, my God. We were just up that high, and now we're here. And I have just, like, a tiny cut on my pinky. And I'm just astounded that this has just happened. And then I look at the pilot, and he comes around the corner from his side, and he's just like, I am so sorry, dude. I am so sorry. And I'm just like, thank you. You did it. You landed it. And he's like, I'm so sorry, Brian. And I'm like, thank you. And it goes on and on like this, and I'm just. I'm beside myself. I cannot believe it. I'm like, I'm fine. And then he just. He turns into a stress case. His hands are. His head's in his hands. He's just like, oh, my God. I am so dead. FAA is gonna have to make a full investigation. There's a $9,000 deductible. Oh, we just rebuilt the thing. Oh, God. We gotta go find help. Let's go. So off we go. We just go walking across the prairie, and I'm just, like, up high in the sky, just like, oh, this is crazy. Wait till I tell my friends about this one. And he's stressed the whole walk. And then we see a truck come rumbling down the dirt road. We're like, hey, we wave down this truck. We hop over the fence. We flag these guys down. They've got a. A CB in their truck. They call the paramedics, the cops. Literally, within minutes, it's like every single emergency vehicle within a tri. Tri state region is coming over the hill. Ambulances, fire trucks, cops, four wheelers. Everybody wants to see what's going on. A helicopter crash. And people lived. What? So it's crazy, you know, the. The paramedics inside insist that I'm in shock and I'm injured. I had to have gotten hurt. I'm just not feeling it yet. Even though I've walked miles to get here. I'm like, I'm fine. You know, I crash on a regular basis on my bike. I'm. I'm good. I know when I'm hurt. But they insist on taking me to the hospital and checking me out and giving me an IV of saline. And so I'm laying there and I get interviewed by the news and my phone is blowing up and it's just an insane day and I can't believe it. I'm like, it's a dream. And I just go home and I'm just like, what? And I'm laying in bed that night and I just. I'm laying on my back, my head's on my pillow, and I shut my eyes and I still feel like I'm falling. I still feel like I'm slowly drifting to the earth. And I'm like, you know, I think I'm gonna still live boldly. I'm gonna still go fast in my car. I'm gonna still jump my bike and do crazy stuff. But I don't think I need to learn how to fly a helicopter. Thank you.

[Sarah Austin Janess]

Brian Gavigan calls himself a rad dad in Denver. He plays, he paints, he travels, and he performs live action BMX stunt shows. He said the FAA did investigate this crash. And when I went back to the Centennial Airport a year after it happened, I was able to hold in my hands the engine component that failed to see. A photo of his crash from the Rocky mountain newspaper in 1998, along with photos of what Brian calls his BMXcapades. Go to themoth.org and for moth aficionados, Brian's voice and his last name may sound familiar. He's many time moth storyteller Ed Gavigan's younger brother. After our break, two short stories. One about taking a leap at a wilderness summer camp and the other about choosing quite literally, the road not taken. When the Moth Radio Hour continues.

[Brian Gavigan]

The Moth Radio Hour is produced by Atlantic Public Media in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and presented by the Public Radio Exchange prx.org.

[Sarah Austin Janess]

You'Re listening to the Moth Radio Hour from PRX. Sarah I'm Sarah Austin Janess, and our next storyteller is Alexis Chin with a story about summer camp. She's told many stories with us as part of our high school program. She's a high school student who's lived in New York City for her whole life. The story you're about to hear was told at a moth night with the theme Growing Pains. So here's Alexis Chin live at the Moth.

[Lucy]

All right. I'm really short. Okay. When I was younger, the word beautiful was just an extension of the word Pretty. I remember when I was seven, my birthday wish was to have blonde hair, blue eyes, and to change my name to Christina. And I don't know why that would have made me feel good about myself, but I just. I guess I wanted to change who I was because appearance was something I was never very comfortable with. One day in 2014. It was the summer right before my freshman year of high school. Big year for me and my mom. She signs me up for this farm and wilderness camp. It's called Indianbrook. And the only thing I knew about it was that it was fun because that's what my mom promised me it would be. So, you know, that's how moms are. But it's this all girls camp. So it's, you know, like pro women, and it's like, super cool, and I'm really excited. So I'm in the van going to camp, and I'm sitting in the back with a bunch of other girls. And I really want to start, like, making friends and finding my place. So I do what I've always done to make friends. I start complimenting everybody. And I turn to the girl next to me, I'm like, you know, your shirt. Oh, my God, like, your shirt is really cute. And she's like, thanks, but no body talk. And I'm like, oh, right, what's that? And she tells me that it's this policy at camp where when you compliment people, you don't talk about their appearance, what they look like, just anything in that aspect. You only compliment them on their abilities and the cool stuff they can do. And that's something that's always really stuck with me. It's something I've always really loved. And it's always just kind of faded away from me in the society that I live in. I kind of become detached from it in whatever this is. But one night, like maybe in the middle of camp, I hear all my friends talking about staff night. And I, again, don't know what that is. And my friend tells me that it's like this tradition for senior lodge on staff night. Basically, all of our counselors go up to the lodge and they have, like this PTA type meeting about camp and, like, what's working, what's not. And they make all of these, like, executive decisions and changes, and they leave all of us at camp alone in our cabins. Yeah. So basically they go up to the lodge, we're alone, and the village, like, people from nearby, they just, like, they walk around and they make sure we're good. You know, nobody's Dead. No cabins are on fire, nothing like that. No contraband. But my friends are telling me about the tradition that Senior Lodge does, basically where we don't stay in our cabins. Now we're not going to follow that rule. We're instead going to leave our cabin and run around camp and just be crazy. And I'm like, yeah, I can do that. That sounds fun. And I hear the rest of my bunk mates start talking more about it. They're like, yeah, are we going to do that thing this year? Yeah, because we didn't do that last year. We should totally do that. And I'm like, hey. I turn to my friend, what are we doing? She says, we're going streaking. Now, mind you, I'm a 14 year old girl. I'm already awkward enough as it is with clothes on now I don't know what to think. And I go through my entire day at camp just. I'm freaking out about this because I like, what, what can I do? I don't know how to feel. I'm just, I'm scared. I'm just terrified. And it's all I can think about when I'm eating. Like dining hall, barns and gardens, like workshop. It's the only thing that's on my mind. I'm like, holy crap, man. Like, I'm gonna be naked later. And when it finally comes time to do the thing, all my friends are just like counting down, like on somebody's watch, like the hour of when we're gonna go out. And I'm just kind of, I'm still terrified, freaking out. And when it gets to maybe around like 8ish, all of my bunk mates jump out of their beds, rip off their clothes off, start screaming. They're like, yeah, freezing nipple man. It's just like, it's, it's crazy. It is total chaos. And I'm standing there in my bra and underwear. I'm just like, oh my God, this is. Oh, this is, this is nuts. And I want to be a part of this. I want to do this thing. And I know that it's a very unconventional thing that I'm probably never going to get the chance to do again. So at the end of the day, I'm just like, you know what, guys? Fuck it. And I rip off my clothes too. I'm out here, you know. It's crazy. It's crazy, crazy. I'm naked with my shoes on. Like, who does that? It's wild. And we all run outside into the woods and we're making our way around camp we're running in circles like crazy people screaming at the top of our lungs. We're waking everybody up. It's wild. And we finally were, like, making our way up to the lodge. And, like, it's dark and it had just rained and it's wet, and I'm freaking out about all these things. Like, what if I get a tick? What if I get, like, mosquito bites? What if I fall down? But the only thing, the one thing I'm not worrying about at all is what I look like. And we finally make our way up to the lodge. I don't know who started it. Somebody starts singing Dancing Queen. We all join in. Our counselors are cracking up at us through the windows because we're crazy. We're wild, man. We're wild women. To the woods. To tonight. And we're just. We're jumping around. We're going crazy. We're singing together. And we. At the end of it all, we just kind of, like, regroup. We go back to our cabins, we go to sleep, and that's kind of the end of it. And I mean, that's not to say that I am 100% body confident after this, like, spiritual experience, because, you know, like, bodies are just, like, weird, and, like, puberty is what. And teens are just like, whoa. You know, like, it's just a lot of. It's just a lot of confusion in that department. It's very strange. A lot of weird changes going on. But on that night, to me, I was a dancing queen. I was a wild woman of the woods. I was a hardcore lady type. And beautiful was just a bunch of crazy, screaming, naked girls running around with mud on their legs, being brave together. Thank you.

[Sarah Austin Janess]

That was Alexis Chin in one of our high school grand slams. Along with storytelling, Alexis dabbles in music, acting, and photography, and she's attending SUNY New Paltz in the fall. Storytellers find their way to the moth in all different ways. Lucy, our next storyteller, was driving down the street in St. Paul, Minnesota, and she saw a sign for the moth story slam. And she thought, why not? So she parked her car, walked in, threw a name in the hat, and it led to an adventure. And that's exactly what this story's about. The theme this night was wanderlust. And as you'll find out, that's the spirit that drives her. And a note. Lucy is a senior citizen and a grandmother. She says since she lives on her own, security is number one. So she asks that we not use her last name. Here's Lucy Live with the moth in St. Paul.

[Mack Dryden]

Thank you. I am convinced that my lust for wonder is inherited from my father. It was after the Second World War that my father decided that Europe was not a place for his eight children to grow up. And so he took us all to a land of which very little was known down under, into Australia. I was born in Amsterdam, a city I still love very, very much. It must have taken an unbelievable amount of courage for him to take a wife and eight children under the age of 12 halfway around the world, not knowing what lay at the other end. And I'm convinced that I'm a bit the same way. Actually. I don't want to know what lies at the end of my journey. I just want to journey. I didn't get much opportunity while rearing my family, but when I found myself on my own again and had to find a job, I ended up driving taxis. And when my son, who had been working in Beijing, gave us 15 months notice for his wedding in St. Paul, I had to travel halfway across the world on a 15 hour flight to get to the wedding. And there was no way I was going to travel all that way and not see something of that darn place. Nine months leading up to my departure, I started asking every single passenger in my taxi, when were you last in the States? And if it was within the last three years, I'd say, right, where did you go? What did you do? How did you get around? And all the rest of it. If there was a Yank in my car, I would brain pick them even more. I wanted to know all about it. And at one time I did have a couple of CEOs from big companies that had come across and they were Yanks and they encouraged me to drive. When I was here, I was thinking of going by bus and going by train and they kept saying to me, Lucy, they don't use buses and trains in America like they do here. In America, you drive. And one of my passengers alerted me to a system that used to be very popular here. I note that it's almost gone and that is drive away. The relocation of cars for people who don't want to drive where it has to go. On my first two visits, I relocated about two dozen cars each time, choosing a destination of which I had never heard. I figured if I only went to the places I knew, and I knew very, very little. I didn't even know where the Grand Canyon was. And I certainly had never heard of Yosemite or Bryce or Zion. I had heard of Yellowstone, but I didn't know where that was either. That first day I hopped in in my first car. I started driving in Los Angeles on a Thursday afternoon. Not the best idea. I had planned to get to Bishop because there was a hostel in Bishop and I was on a very, very tight budget. I was going to Hostel Hop. But when I got to Ridgecrest, I could not face another minute of driving on the wrong side of the road. It was a nightmare. So I hopped into the first place I saw, which was a Motel 6 and I booked myself in and I went into the room and I sat on the bed and I cried. What the heck are you doing woman? What are you letting yourself in for? Do you have any sense at all? Where is this leading? When I finished crying or at least wiped my face, I went out and got something to eat and came back and had a good night's sleep. Next morning I hopped in the car and that car had to be delivered to Boise and I hopped in that car next day and I thoroughly enjoyed the road. Today I'm in St. Paul. I have been for the best part of a week. I have now driven some 130,000 miles north of the Mexican border up to the Arctic Ocean. I have driven to Alaska and back three times. I have driven the haul road up to Prudhoe Bay and back. I now have my own car. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it took me a decade to get round the laws in this country that prevent non residents from buying a car in their own name. But I got around it. I now have my own car. It's parked right out there. It's in spot number one in that car park. It's a conversion van. It has a bed, a fridge, some storage and a little camp stove. What more do you need on the road? Tomorrow I will be heading out, maybe even tonight. I don't know because I never know where my destination is that night. But tomorrow I will probably head out again. I've got to be in Missouri in five days time so I can wander wherever I go. And I will probably add another 10,000 miles or so to my destination. But this country is made for road tripping. This country is made for wandering. And I trip just for the love of the road. Thank you.

[Sarah Austin Janess]

Lucy has a mailing address in Melbourne, Australia, but the open road is her home. I wrote to her to tell her this story would be on the air and she said I'm preparing for my ninth trip to the US so I'll be adding to my already 200,000 miles in North America between the Mexican border and the Arctic Ocean. I asked her for a photo related to these grand tours of hers and she said, I used to have a photo of me in a taxi, which was taken when I was Miss April. On the Seniors calendar year. The calendar theme was seniors who have chosen to continue working, but she travels late and she doesn't have it with her. She thinks the photo is in storage somewhere. How freeing is that? So cheers to Lucy and to all the seekers out there and thank you for listening. That's it for this episode of the Moth Radio Hour, and we hope you'll join us next time.

[Brian Gavigan]

Your host this hour was Sarah Austin Janess Sarah also directed the stories in the show along with Meg Bowles, Jennifer Hickson, Michaela Bly and Julian Goldhagen. The rest of the Moss directorial staff includes Kathryn Burns and Sarah Haberman. Production support from Timothy Lou Lee. Moth Stories are True is remembered and affirmed by the Storytellers. Our theme music is by the Drift. Other music in this hour from Rob Stenson, Ratat, Krungben, Abba and the Chandler Travis 3 0. You can find links to all the music we use at our website. The Moth Radio Hour is produced by me, Jay Allison with Vicki Merrick at Atlantic Public Media in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. This hour is produced with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Moth Radio Hour is presented by PM prx. For more about our podcast, for information on pitching us your own story and everything else, go to our website, themoth.org.