ease your feet off in the sea, take your shoes off...
and curl your toes
i will frame this moment in time
troubles come, troubles go.
Kudos, Belle and Sebastian for a song about letting go of your cares, worries, and preoccupations and just letting things be, which is exactly how i felt yesterday. What did I do in my past life to deserve such incredible human beings as friends? You know who you are.
So. Where to begin? I woke up at 6AM and packed the car choc full of trail mix, waters, extra footwear, and Bob Dylan CDs, then picked up Jeremiah. We were the first ones at Waffle House, meanwhile Gray was just waking up... ahem, but we amused ourselves by observing the Grill Master make waffles and put them on unwashed plates... eck.
Trekking through Jones Gap exceeded my every expectation. There were bivouacs along the trail where you could pull off and rest, and we stopped frequently to just repose and absorb all of the beauty surrounding us. Gray, Nikki, Jeremiah, and Danny agreed- camping is next on the list of places to go. But, getting there was a less eloquent task.
I blame myself for stupidly using MapQuest for directions because they were completely inaccurate. Street names were given in numbers. So, SC 9 was actually a local name not listed on the print out. Danny helped me co-navigate, along with a random phone call to my friend Marine, and a desperate "Dad, I"m lost" call home, but I finally cashed in my pride and pulled over downtown. We went to Mast General Store on Main Street and the guy in footwear gave me accurate directions because he was a resident of Marietta, the little po-dunk mountain town you pass through before Jones Gap.
I felt like I let everybody down by getting us lost until Nikki pointed out the trip would have been less of an adventure without a few "wild cards". Finally, on the road again, we drove forty five minutes or so straight down the highway. Then, the clouds cleared and we saw.. MOUNTAINs in the distance! From there, winding roads and ponies, cleveland signs and appalachia were all omens of the good fortune that was to come. Gray woke up and took pictures of ponies.
We paid the park gratuity, loaded our gear into bookbags, and set off for zee.. public restrooms( then, later zee hills). I felt very childish the entire day, and enjoyed every minute. Gray brings out my inner child and Nikki really keeps me level headed- the two of them give me this emotional equilibrium state that I adimt, will be greatly missed when we go our separate ways next year. Jeremiah revealed a lot about his life in Missouri, which was interesting. He really does have a unique personality once he starts talking. Danny broke out of his shell, and I really felt drawn to listening to him speak about his troubles with Jen. I think it's his way of purging himself of his pain, mentally.
I would have liked to grabbed coffee at Barnes and Noble on the way home, but Gray's parents wanted him to watch Ray. So, we all regrouped at the Waffle House where Gray parked his car, then said goodbye, a perfect ending to a perfect day. I feel so connected with everybody who went on the trip. We all seemed so cohesive. I definitely desire to be even closer. Coffee raincheck, anybody?
i will frame this moment in time
troubles come, troubles go.
Kudos, Belle and Sebastian for a song about letting go of your cares, worries, and preoccupations and just letting things be, which is exactly how i felt yesterday. What did I do in my past life to deserve such incredible human beings as friends? You know who you are.
So. Where to begin? I woke up at 6AM and packed the car choc full of trail mix, waters, extra footwear, and Bob Dylan CDs, then picked up Jeremiah. We were the first ones at Waffle House, meanwhile Gray was just waking up... ahem, but we amused ourselves by observing the Grill Master make waffles and put them on unwashed plates... eck.
Trekking through Jones Gap exceeded my every expectation. There were bivouacs along the trail where you could pull off and rest, and we stopped frequently to just repose and absorb all of the beauty surrounding us. Gray, Nikki, Jeremiah, and Danny agreed- camping is next on the list of places to go. But, getting there was a less eloquent task.
I blame myself for stupidly using MapQuest for directions because they were completely inaccurate. Street names were given in numbers. So, SC 9 was actually a local name not listed on the print out. Danny helped me co-navigate, along with a random phone call to my friend Marine, and a desperate "Dad, I"m lost" call home, but I finally cashed in my pride and pulled over downtown. We went to Mast General Store on Main Street and the guy in footwear gave me accurate directions because he was a resident of Marietta, the little po-dunk mountain town you pass through before Jones Gap.
I felt like I let everybody down by getting us lost until Nikki pointed out the trip would have been less of an adventure without a few "wild cards". Finally, on the road again, we drove forty five minutes or so straight down the highway. Then, the clouds cleared and we saw.. MOUNTAINs in the distance! From there, winding roads and ponies, cleveland signs and appalachia were all omens of the good fortune that was to come. Gray woke up and took pictures of ponies.
We paid the park gratuity, loaded our gear into bookbags, and set off for zee.. public restrooms( then, later zee hills). I felt very childish the entire day, and enjoyed every minute. Gray brings out my inner child and Nikki really keeps me level headed- the two of them give me this emotional equilibrium state that I adimt, will be greatly missed when we go our separate ways next year. Jeremiah revealed a lot about his life in Missouri, which was interesting. He really does have a unique personality once he starts talking. Danny broke out of his shell, and I really felt drawn to listening to him speak about his troubles with Jen. I think it's his way of purging himself of his pain, mentally.
I would have liked to grabbed coffee at Barnes and Noble on the way home, but Gray's parents wanted him to watch Ray. So, we all regrouped at the Waffle House where Gray parked his car, then said goodbye, a perfect ending to a perfect day. I feel so connected with everybody who went on the trip. We all seemed so cohesive. I definitely desire to be even closer. Coffee raincheck, anybody?