I get to know a little about one stranger each week for all of 2024

One tricky thing about camping is that when you pull into a campground after a long day of driving, you never know who your neighbors are going to be. Usually they’re good — people that you might wave hello to while out on a walk or have a casual conversation with. Occasionally (rarely) they’re not so great and you have to put up with things you’d rather not or avoid them.

But then sometimes you hit the neighbor jackpot and meet someone you’re truly glad to know.

I absolutely hit that neighbor jackpot when we pulled into our campsite at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in southern Arizona and met Miss Rider.

Where do I even start with this lady? She’s a long distance motorcyclist who’s ridden all over the world. She’s taken trips all over Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Central America, and Africa. She’s now traveling solo in her small camper, and I feel extremely fortunate that our little lines of travel intersected.

I sat with her for a few hours one afternoon as she was taking care of another campground neighbor’s dog, Lulu. Wow, this lady has some stories. All the miles she’s covered, all the adventures she’s had alone and with others.

Miss Rider is open and welcoming, but she’s also prepared to take care of herself in a dangerous situation. She was a teacher and a cancer survivor. She travels with a small urn with some of the ashes of one of her grandchildren, who died of SIDS. This lady has seen so much and still walks around with an open heart and an open mind.

Recently I was reminded of a line from the movie Joe vs. The Volcano: “My father says that almost the whole world is asleep. Everybody you know, everybody you see, everybody you talk to. He says that only a few people are awake, and they live in a state of constant, total amazement.”

I think Miss Rider is one of those few people.

You can see some of her adventures on her website missrider.com and follow her on Instagram at @missrider26.