Therese Marie

The Best Thing About A Bed Is The PILLOWS.

Holy crap. Comfort a plenty! I cannot explain the elation that came from getting a shower, laundry, and pillows on a huge bed. As Jake and I were trying to talk in our separate beds, his legs kept involuntarily moving around under the covers. You could almost hear them saying “OH MY GOSH we’re FREE from the mummy sleeping bag!!” You don’t have that kind of freedom to spread out when you’re tucked in a tube in a tent.

I clung to those pillows all night. They were just crappy hotel pillows, but I’ve been sleeping on my fleece. Seriously wish I could take them with me.

Why was last night so aptly timed?

There was a thunder storm. Boom shaka laka yeah dude the sky was filled with veins of lightning and the buildings shook like thunder. Did we know this storm was coming? Absolutely not. I dunno if it’s too soon to say, but I think Jake and I can predict the future.

What Trey Mountain Does To A Woman.

First of all, it’s not called “Troy Mountain” and shouting “THIS IS SPARTA” from the top of it really doesn’t make much sense.

This mountain was absolutely BEAUTIFUL. We hit the top and could see the mountains around while enclosed in a little rhododendron enclave.

Jake has this immaculate talent for picking the perfect song for each moment. He’s been clipping his high-class-super-awesome headphones to the back of his pack while we hike. And every time? Perfect tune-age. ‘Tis a quality that is extremely admired in such woodsy times. I didn’t realize how much I would miss or want music.

All this up and down, though? It’s a knee killer. I’ll probably be in the market for a knee brace. Other thru-hikers see me going and say, “Woah! No trekking poles? I admire people like you, girl!” What I want to say is, “Those were never on my dar, kid. I didn’t know they existed ’til I got here.” But I don’t, because that would take my mysterious bad ass magic away.

In and Outta Town

With a beautifully short stint at The Budget Inn (I told you, crappy hotel, yet somehow so great?), we make moves back to the Trail. It is, after all, our true home. It feels nice to have these comforts of “normal life,” and I treasure it for the small time that I got it.

Jake just came into the office to get more coffee and said, “Oh wow. What’s that? Is that…a computer?”

“Yeah! See? Here’s where you hit these buttons, and they magically pop up on the screen. And then you can put something on this magical thing called the Eyentern-Net.”

He looked sarcastically dazzled. “Wow.”

Forward, ho, Hikers!

xoTM