I’ll tell this story again because of the date. It’s also kind of an interesting story of determination. Back on this day, Jan. 29, in 1995 it was a) The Super Bowl and b) a young 22 year old on a bus in search of a dream. I was on my way to an interview the next day, Monday, with a now defunct pop radio station in Brewer.

I bought a bus ticket from Halifax, NS to Bangor. I think it cost me like $75. The bus service only went from Halifax to Bangor once or maybe twice a week, so I had to buy a one-way ticket. The best part was getting back, but that part of the story comes later.

I’m on the Acadian/SMT bus system heading to Bangor for what seems like forever as it stopped in every nook and cranny of the Maritimes. From St. Stephen to Bangor the ride picked up in speed as there was no one getting on or off. I end up at the Econo Lodge because that's where the bus driver slept. Myself and a guy I met on the bus decided to split the Hotel bill and stay there overnight. We watched the Super Bowl or what was left of it when we got in. We had a few of beers and went to bed.

The next day, the phone rings at 5 am as the guy who stayed with me got a wake up call from the front desk. As I recall he was heading onto the Midwest. Anyway, it’s January and it’s cold so I go and get a coffee and doughnut from the lobby and head back to the room as my interview isn’t until 1-2 pm. While waiting, I had a shower, watched TV, etc. Hotel kick-out time was at 11 am so by then I was out at the front lobby with a small suitcase but I didn’t know really where I was in relation to the radio station and neither did anyone else. I bought a map and then proceed to call a cab.

The cab comes; I tell him I want to go to 12 Acme Rd in Brewer. Believe it or not he didn’t even know where that road was. I showed him the map and then proceeded to drive me to the station.

I had my interview which consisted of a couple mixing board segues and a sit down with the Operations Manager Sky Taylor at her desk.

The interview seemed to go well but during I kept on looking at this photo behind Sky. Remember those pictures that looked like wavy designs but if you looked at them in a certain way it would be a picture? Well I never did figure out what the picture was of but in the end I did get a job.

Now the question was how to get back home to Halifax? I only had about $60 dollars. I went to the Bangor bus station and the bus returning to Halifax had already left. It’s about 5 pm. I ended up taking basically a 14 seater van from Bangor to Calais for $20 which left around 6 pm. I was the only one on the ride aside from the driver. We took Rt 1A to Ellsworth, then Rt 1 passing by Machias to Calais.

I walked across the border from Calais to St. Stephen and now only had $40. I called an old broadcasting school buddy Mark Hovey in Saint John and asked if he could drive me from St. Stephen, NB to Saint John, NB. He said yes. While waiting for Mark I bought a coffee and maybe a bagel or doughnut at Tim Hortons. After an hour or so, Mark arrives and drives me to Saint John. It was about 11 pm in Saint John by this time. I knew there was a ferry that went from Saint John, NB to Digby, NS at midnight. A walk-on ticket was about $20, I thought sweet, I’m on! Now this leaves me with about $20. I had two options at this point; I could either sleep/hang out at the Digby bus terminal from 2:30 am ‘til the morning or hitchhike. I kind of did both.

I met someone who was going to Kentville on the ferry. He drove me to Kentville from Digby and left me stay at his business until the bus came through Kentville. This was nice for two reasons; number one it was warm and quiet and number it gave me a few dollars for food in Kentville.

I bought a breakfast combo at a place called Harvey’s when they opened, then walked to the bus station. Gave them my $11 for the ticket to Halifax and ended up at home in the early afternoon on January 31, 1995.

I still have the map at home. It was quite an adventure at 22 but by no means would I do that today. Our crazy youth.

The #1 song on that day, January 29, 1995

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