This is the story of Dave Jones and his Italian girlfriend. The adventurers probably didn’t know that they would end up as two of the luckiest hitchhikers ever. The couple was hiking the John Muir Trail in California when they suddenly ran out of food.

Hunger Games Turned Into a Cop Ride

It wasn’t until Dave and his girlfriend ran out of food in the California mountains when they decided to hike down and re-supply. They were near Independence and needed a ride to the larger town of Bishop, which is over 40 miles away.

Hitchhikers are allowed to hitch according to the state of California, as long as they’re not standing in a roadway. The couple wasn’t familiar with the local laws on hitchhiking, but this seemed like their only option to get supplies, so they gave it a try.

The Luckiest Hitchhikers Ever

When a police cruiser pulled over, Dave and his girlfriend thought they were in real trouble. However, when Addam Otten of the highway patrol in Bishop stepped out of his vehicle, they quickly realized their luck. Turns out, the officer offered them a ride but that wasn’t the only kind thing he did for the hitchhikers.

Not only did officer Addam Otten agree to give them a 40-mile ride, but he also offered the hungry couple to stop at his dad’s BBQ place for lunch. Turns out this is exactly what they needed as they’d eaten nothing but dried vegan hiking food and chia-breakfast for a week. Practically, they were starving up until when they were greeted with a pulled pork sandwich and a mound of potato salad.

After the BBQ feast, the kind police officer drove the hitchhikers safely to Bishop as he promised.

“He was a true gent and explained that his job was to Protect and Serve: “When I’m not protecting, I’m serving.”

From being madly in love at 15 and then parting ways only to be reunited in holy matrimony 22 years later – this couple’s love story is straight out of The Notebook. Helen Marshall and Graeme Richardson, now in their early 40s, met each other when they were teenagers in high school. It was not long before they fell head over heels in love and became childhood sweethearts.

The Cupid Strikes

The story started like any high school love story – long romantic walks, school discos, sneaking off and stealing kisses, the perfect teenage dream. After dating each other for just nine months, Graeme got down on one knee and proposed. But as fate would have it, their young age got their parents worried, and the engagement was called off.

Walking Their Separate Ways…

In 1994, Graeme decided to go to college and the pair drifted apart. Just like in the movie The Notebook, they never received the love letters they had sent to each other. Eventually, they moved on, found other life partners, and raised kids too. Incidentally, their children went to the same school. So, they saw each other frequently, but from afar.

Reunited After 22 Long Years

After 22 years, their stars aligned together again. They had already separated from their respective partners and so reached out to each other. The childhood sweethearts rekindled their love. He then proposed to her with the ring that he bought when they were 15, only this time they were vacationing in Croatia. The two later tied the knot and now lives on a farm, leading a blissful and content life.

The couple had Helen’s childhood best friend to thank for their love story. If it wasn’t for her dare, Helen would have never asked Graeme out and the world would have never learned about their epic love story.

Their story reinstates the belief in soulmates, destiny, and the whole idea of happily ever after.