I've been reading
http://www.traijournals.com/ and I am feeling an embarrassing amount of envy for the folks going out to do a thruhike this year. Not that I really want to be gone from home that long, but the idea of it gnaws at me. Even though I very clearly remember the times when I was sick or lonely or in pain, all the rest of it overwhelms those times. Setting out on day one. Meeting like-minded strangers at the shelters. Sitting and gazing at vistas. Having no other plan than getting up and hiking in the morning. Craving, and then getting, cold cokes. Feeling the strength and endurance of my body increase as I hike past the first 100, then 200, then 300 miles. Exploring new small towns on foot. Meeting people who live all along the mountain chain. Learning how to shop for backpacking food from a dollar store. Stopping to catch my breath and noticing, in the silence, the flame azalea way back in the woods. Getting out of the tent for a privy visit in the night, and feeling the dark all around me like a cozy blanket. Waking up briefly to roll over, and glimpsing a gorgeous night sky. Feeling the absolute relief of taking off my boots at the end of a long and rocky day.
I miss all that. Tremendously.
Maybe someday I'll do it again.
In other news, it appears that half my weekend has been wasted by sleep. I'm planning to go to work tomorrow. I hope. I hate using up annual leave on sick days. You may have guessed that I prefer to save them up for long hiking trips. :)
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| Where I wish I could be, again |
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