After the boat boys met us at the main pier and carried all of our luggage for us to the water taxi, we got on board with four other people. When they asked us where we were from, we said Seattle and they mentioned they were from Oregon. When I asked where, I couldn't believe what a small world it was when they said St Helen's.
I said in shock, "My mom grew up there!"
The man asked me what my mom's name was and I said, "Nansen Pihlaja."
He looked at me for a second and then told me that he knew of a Terry Pihlaja. I turned to Stephanie and then back to him.
"Oh my gosh. My mom is Terry. I said Nansen because that's what she goes by but I always forget she is Terry."
I learned that this man was Randy May and went to high school with my mom! I couldn't believe it. I insisted on taking his picture and couldn't wait to tell my mom!
Not only were we in the same country all the way away from St Helen's, but we were on the same little isloated vacation spot on the same little taxi boat. I didn't think it could get any more twlight zone-esque. He remembered all of my family's names quickly and we could only laugh at how weird it was.
I then asked, "Well you must know my uncle Hal, Hal Harwood."
Randy said, "Harold?"
"Haha, yes."
"Oh, I have dinner with him and Edie all the time."
"Oh my gosh, he is my godfather!"
It was great to make friends and of course we kept running into each other everywhere. When I looked back through my photos, I realized I had taken more of him and his family even before we had met, just by coincidence. Little old St Helen's...anywhere I go it seems to come back. I can't imagine how my mom and her siblings feel!
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