Date: 2005-05-01
From: Erwin, TN

To: Miss Janets for one more night
Miles today: 0.0

May 1, 2005: Oh my¢¦I started on April 1 and it is now May1. I just feel like I am now getting rolling and I can¢t wait to get into a groove. I still feel like even though I am completely used to trail life and taking care of maildrops, etc, I am still wanting to spend more time in a routine and not going through so much craziness off of the trail due to weather etc. I definitely see this as an extremely positive outlook. Because I am wanting to spend more time on the trail and less time in the towns, which is great and fantastic. I am somewhat surprised that after over 30 days now and nearly 350 miles, I feel like I want more time in the wilderness. I couldn¢t be happier that this outlook is my feeling. I miss real food less than I thought I would too, and even though I eat like a starving mad animal while in town, I don¢t miss town stuff like showers and all that civilized stuff as much as I thought. I kind of shun it while in town and I kind of feel like it trying to steal away what I have gotten out here. I am completely excited to spend more time on the trail in this next month, and I am ready for a personal experience this month, which will touch me on a whole new level. I started that approach by tenting frequently this week instead of staying at the shelters, and it has been interesting, but I feel like I have a long way to go in terms of seeking my personal experience, I don¢t know what I am looking for, but I know I haven¢t found it yet, and I won¢t quit on this, I am continuing on and seeking more solitude, more wilderness, and more personal connections to the environment surrounding me to examine myself during the following round of this trip, which is now. I woke up today around 7:30 and rolled out sleepy eyed to the couch in the living room to watch a pretty fun john candy movie, called dangerous or delerious or something and I heard miss janet scrambling around in the kitchen and she was still keeping her top secret operation going and she wouldn¢t even let her helper in and so we were all really excited for breakfast. After the movie, she rang the breakfast bell and so I ran down the hall with the other hikers staying here, and fortunately I was basically first in line and so I got to see the goodness first. Finally, Thank BE TO GOD, It was sunny outside and we are expecting a few days of nice weather and so we ate outside. Her cook had prepared a MAGNIFICENT breakfast, which was awesome. Ms. Janet started the meal by saying, how many of you eat granola or oatmeal or grits for breakfast while your hiking or not!? Well, this morning, we have a special lasagna breakfast, so you can eat dinner for breakfast, She had a full course lasagna dinner that was absolutely amazing. Fruit and salad and insane garlic bread and the lasagna was all homemade and outstanding. It was really cool. At breakfast we talked about if we had to lose all of our senses except one, which would it be. Mine was positively my vision. (Maybe cause I just spent a boatload of money on LASIK surgery), but it was interesting. After breakfast, I hoped on the net for a while and then I basically lounged around and chilled out while my clothes dried and my tent dried. I got all of my gear organized, and then I walked to the grocery store, after eating my favorite food in the world, cereal. Let me remind you, that even though I said I don¢t miss food like I thought I would, I still love food and eat like a furious starving bull when I am in town. The guys played horseshoes out back and I did some yoga on the lawn, which really made me feel better, since I haven¢t been able to in the rain and snow. It opened me up and really worked wonders. I walked over to the nearby food joint, sonic, and got their version of a reeces cup blizzard. It was pretty good, and then I layed around in the sun listening to music and talking a little to the others. But mostly, I did nothing all day. I watched a good ben stiller movie that afternoon called zoolander, and then I went to sonic again because they serve my favorite meal of the day, breakfast, all day and so I could get some eggs and bacon and a sausage pancake thing, but I got a bacon, egg and cheese toaster sandwich instead which surprised me because sausage patties are my favorite on a sausage and egg biscuit, but oh well, they didn¢t have biscuits anyways,.. After I ate that, I chilled some more and then we found out miss janets was shuttling us to a Mexican restaurant for dinner, and so I was glad I didn¢t load up at sonic. We hopped in and went to this restaurant and I almost thought about going to subway instead, but I realized that Mexican places give away free chips and salsa, and hey, my allergies were bugging me anyways so the salsa might do me good. I ordered nachos supreme, and they were great. I love guac¢¦It was cool talking about everyones plan for getting into their next town stops and whatnot, and I know definitely that my next stop is at the kincorra hiker hostel near Hampton TN, and then It is the biggest town stop on the whole trip, Damascus, VA for Trail Days which is a huge thru-hiker festaival where past and present thru-hikers get to meet. It lasts for three days and is a huge deal. I will actually probably hike past Damascus on the 7th or 8th but I will hitch back into town to for the festival, where I can once again see friends I haven¢t seen in a while because we are going different paces. After dinner, I needed to release the four huge waters that I ate, and this little kid was in the bathroom for over thirty minutes. Gee, I guess he handle real Mexican¢¦ Everyone poured into the shuttle while I inadvertently paid my bill and they thought it would be funny to leave me there, and so when I walked out, there was no shuttle, but eventually I found it hiding in a bank nearby¢¦I got a kick out of their prank. Now, I am back at the hostel for my last night, and I drinking a beer before I go back eagerly to the woods. I can¢t wait to see what happens next, and I can¢t wait to get into my groove, and work out my last few kinks. But for now, I might go get some ice cream, and watch one last movie¢¦I am doing fantastic, and I am ready to go, ready to move, ready to hit the trail, and ready for sun. Take it easy every!PS-I¢ll be in Hampton TN in about five days, and I will be at the kincora hiker hostel which has a great rep for their outstanding hospitality, and its only four dollars, laundry and shuttle to town included!