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let me tell you about the forest
I wake up in the morning to birdcalls and the many stages of the sunrise. Have you noticed that there are more stages to the sunrises and sunsets when you’re in the forest versus when you’re in the city? The sun takes a long time to come up and go down, dusk and dawn become layers of light and sound and the in between time is its own world. I can smell laundry detergent on the weekend hikers. I can smell the way their house smells when they walk by, the smell of commercialized comfort. What you’re home is supposed to smell like. I’m not sure what I think about all of this yet. Most of the time I’m too exhausted to think or analyze. Life has been simplified to four basic concepts: food, water, shelter, sex. Food. I have to carry all of my food at least a week at a time on my back. I’m not really excited about food anymore. Water. I have to find water sources in my guidebook and get enough to get me to the next place I’m walking. Too much water and I’ll be pissing every five minutes. Too little and I’m sick. I love collecting my water from the land and natural sources. Shelter. I’m not super good at setting up my tent yet and this week we’ve had four days of rain, my tent flooded and everything I own was wet. Sex. Its out here but I’m still rusty on normal interractions and find myself still the target of whore stigma. Not much changes. Being around normal boys, I’m making a half-assed attempt to be a normal girl and wondering all the time if I have things right by doing sex work or if I’ve just found a way to justify my social anxiety through a business/marketing campaign. I’m very aware that out here, in these interractions, I don’t have as much control as I’m used to having.
I saw wild ponies the other day. I saw a bear. I saw the face of a man who had just lost his brother that morning. I saw the full moon rise over the mountains in North Carolina. I smelled the evergreeens in the Smokies and I saw all the fallen trees due to air pollution. And I’ve walked over mountains everyday for almost a month. But what does any of that actually mean? None of it is quantifiable. I’ve been asked if I can feel myself changing out here. The answer is not so simple. I’ve lost weight, I’ve watched my calf muscles grow and my thighs firm. I can feel myself getting stronger mentally as everyday I force myself to keep moving forward. But all this seems like petty melodrama when I write it out. The other day I was laying underneath a tree next to a pond while the sun set, I had just finished smoking a joint with some dudes, I watched the reflections of the water dance in shadows on the leaves of the tree. I listened to the birds, crickets and frogs and I realized that even though the day had not panned out exactly as it was planned that I was right where I was supposed to be. Thats really the cool part about the forest, about nature in general, these little moments of perfection that you find yourself unbelievably lucky enough to witness.
15 comments to let me tell you about the forest |
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Take care, pilgrim
It gives you the chance to see what ancient peoples saw in life and what the every day person today misses.
Happy trails.
Wow, your lucky to get out like that. I bet you walked nude most of the time along the trail.
We really appreciate you taking time to update us and the photos are stunning. The view is great – in all directions!
Have you been able to do any skinny dipping? Naked sunshine time? And, as Nicky asks, hope you get to do some naked walking.
However you are, walk well.
So it seems you weren’t in fact faking your journey for selfish monetary gain. I stand corrected, and apologize for my earlier outlandish claims. Beware the bears. Worse still, the dreaded brown recluse spider. Nasty nasty critters.
Treasure this time! Even when you’re cold, wet, and in pain, cherish every minute of being out there. Nothing else in the world compares to it.
Also, you’re making me hell’a jealous! I live 20 minutes from where the trail passes trhough Waynesboro, and I still don’t get to hike as much as I want. (T_T)
Woo-hoo! Fantastic! Glad you’re loving the trail. The tiny bit I’ve hiked (top half of the Smokies) was a great experience. Loved the little mice and birds first thing in the morning.
Building your daily rhythm by putting one foot in front of the other feels far better than our typical errands, chores, work, eat, sleep cycle.
Your journey takes me back. I spent many summers hiking the Blue Ridge. Hope you enjoy your passage through the Shenandoah National Park…so much to love there. I had a favorite “private” spot along the Rose River near Old Rag Mountain.
Off in the distance, framed by your beautiful thighs, I think I can see Dolly Parton. (There are so many mounds, mountains, mons, it’s easy to get confused.)
Dolly is waving, BTW.
That last photo is just wonderful. Two very different natural landscapes combined.
Picture 3 caption:
“Rare sighting of a wild beaver with luxuriant pelt basking in the sun on the Appalachian Trail!”
Good to hear from you again. Loved the pictures and thank you for describing both the high and low points of your journey. Question how
much of the trail interesects with populated areas ? Are you able to
be nude as much as you want or do you have to worry about public stand-
ards, etc… ?
yeah what shaman said. wow, seqouia. beautiful post.
I love not being around for awhile, and then coming back to check on one of my fav bloggers and find that you’re off on an amazing forest adventure! I wish you the best as you cross worlds!
That was wonderful to read.