I was greeted by so many wild animals & insects. Reptiles, birds. Music all around me.
I walked along side a creek for 6.2 miles as a few mountain bikers rode past me. Fishermen catching fish, day hikers. Everyone was so kind.
I was so excited when I saw another thru-hiker on the trail!!! His name was Bob & we ate gummy worms together. We shared smiles & he trekked on. Then I met a big group of people that was set up cooking themselves what looked like tacos. They were so inviting. They have been doing trail work… so grateful by how incredible of a job they did fixing up the trail. Thank you, guys. 🙏🏻
Then, I hiked up some switchbacks, met a bunch of mountain bikers along the way… as they rode past me, they yelled “how far you going?!”, & with inner-child excitement I shouted back, “all the way!!”
I got to the campsite, greeted by several thru hikers & we celebrated with food, candy & hiker talk. One of the guys hung up my food from bears so I wouldn’t get my tent broken into in the middle of the night. 😂 He offered me some sage to smudge as well. Blessed. 🙏🏻
…& now I’m watching all of my leg hair grow back, the blisters forming on my feet, tender hands, & I cannot stop smiling. I feel so at home. I feel I am with those who understand me. I feel safer than I ever have in my life… in the middle of the woods… alone… with “strangers”… & I feel a calmness that is beyond this world.
