My best friend and I decided to go to Woodstock '94 but we were only 17 (a month away from 18) and both didn't have cars. I got the bright idea that we should hitch hike there (from Lancaster, PA). So we got a poster board and wrote "Woodstock or Bust", trekked over to the highway and hoped for the best. It didn't take long until a guy named Doug picked us up in his little blue car and dropped us off in Valley Forge.

Our next ride was a guy named Pat who took us a few miles down 76 to right outside NJ. From there we met fellow hitch hikers Bill and Cowboy who were also on their way to Woodstock.

Cowboy had been hitch hiking for 14 days from California. He had tons of stories which was awesome.

We met up with a group of guys in a truck who were also going to Woodstock so we all piled in the back and started back down the interstate. Apparently you are not supposed to have people in the back of a pickup truck while you are flying down the highway. This was knowledge that I did not possess at 17. So we got pulled over and the cop told us to stay of the highway. But we were determined to get there so we all piled back in and ignored the cop.

It was about 4 am by the time we got near the site. Unfortunately we had to park the truck a few miles away so we walked the rest of the way.

We had no tent, $13 and no clothes with us. It wasn't a well thought out plan at all. But we met up with some people who got us in.

The first day was crazy. Due to lack of funds...we had lack of liquids. At some point after Crosby, Stills & Nash played I fainted. Some people apparently carried me to the Red Cross tent where they found out that I was dehydrated and hooked me up to an IV. (thanks whoever you guys were!!!)

When I woke up the sun had set. I headed over to the stage to see Nine Inch Nails and met this guy.

His name was Dave and he was working there as a roadie.

There was a woman bothering him so he said to me, "Could you pretend that you know me so this chick will leave me alone"?

I said, "If I know you then can I bum a smoke"?

We joked around for awhile and I told him that I had come to see Aerosmith play.

Dave offered to take me backstage so I went with him.

We sat there under a tree and told each other our life stories.

It was time for Aerosmith to start and I was having so much fun with him I decided that I would rather stay with him.

As we stood under that tree the rain started to fall and he kissed me.

I didn't go back to my friend that night. I ran off to Dave's tent with him.

That was the beginning...

After the festival ended, Dave and I stayed there to clean up the grounds with his crew. It was about 2 weeks after that when I started to feel sick to my stomach. I decided to buy a pregnancy test just to make sure I wasn't pregnant.

I was.

Mika was born May 11th, 1994 almost exactly 9 months after Dave and I met.

Dave and I aren't still together. He died 6 months after Mika was born. Although the story sounds like it doesn't have a happy ending...it really does.

Mika and I have traveled around the country and she knows where she was conceived. We are the best of friends...who argue A LOT because in the end we're Mom and Kid.

She just turned 14 and she is AWESOME.

Dave would have been proud of how she turned out.

I know I am.

This Fall I am going to take her up to Saugerties so she can see where we met. Since Dave died I haven't been back...although I've wanted to. Sometimes I think that I might catch a glimpse of him walking across that field. Deep down I know I won't but lucky for me I see him everyday in Mika's eyes :)