wanderlustin: Damascus VA

Hello world! I write to you from the friendliest hiker town in the country, Damascus VA. This week has been quite exciting. Rather I should say the past four days have been super exciting. We hiked two miles out of Hampton and stayed by the famous and magical Laurel Falls(picture below). The next day because it was so hot we hiked eight miles. The campsite we stayed at was the first time we were totally alone because we found a secluded and amazing campsite by Watuga lake. The next day we planned on doing fourteen but only did ten miles again because of the heat. It ended up working well because we stayed at spectacular campsite number three, this time with some of our friends. The following day, yesterday, we hiked our first twenty mile day! We started at seven thirty and ended at nine at night. The reason it took so long is because we took a few hours off in the middle of the day to get out of the heat. As a result of us hiking so late into the day we also got to night hike for the first time. We only did a few miles in the dark and it was only towards the end that we got nervous. Half a mile from out campsite we heard a large noise in the woods, assuming of course it was a bear we proceeded to sing as loud as we could to sound as human as possible. I slept so well last night it was delicious. This morning when I woke up the sunrise was beautiful and my body refreshed. The ten miles into town was gentle which is exactly what I needed after our first long day. On our hike into we also had a big moment, we crossed the Virgina, Tenesee border! We stopped and had first lunch there. Upon arriving in town we had second lunch of salad and veggie burgers. With out bellies satisfied we were able to think beyond ourselves and figure out where to stay and do laundry and such. The afternoon was well spent showering, sitting and eating. We even heard live music tonight as we ate out burritos at a local restaurant.

As of tomorrow I will have been on the trail for one month. This month has gone by so quickly it feels like just yesterday I was feeling the gravity of leaving my moms rental car. It has lead me so any unexpected places, like a rest stop mcdonalds where I became a regular. There have been times when I've cried, and moments when I have been overwhelmed by how simply fortunate I am to be experiencing so much good and beauty. Through every moment, even the tough ones I would not trade where I am for anything.

The trail is exactly the right place for me right now. It has given me time to rember all of the amazing times I had with Ben. It has helped turned this time that could have been so dark into a time for celebrating and love. Love of the outdoors, love for other people, love for the best friend I could have ever asked for. I know that the next month will bring so many things I can't even imagine. Right now I am at peace with the world and can't wait for the adventures ahead.