Date: 2019-07-02
From: Lewis Mountain Campground

To: Big Meadows Campground 
Miles today: 8.8

This morning we got packed up and Thumper turned on his phone to a million texts. I¢ve enjoyed having him as a buddy, but man he¢s such a youngin. His mom was freaking out because Rick told her Thumper was going slower and hanging with me and his mom thought it was something else and the whole thing was just a mess. I did not want to be involved at all. I was just miserable and needed a friend and that¢s what Thumper was for me. I just needed a friend. And now I felt like the cops were going to come after us because Thumper¢s mom was on high alert and Uncle Rick is now somehow upset about mileage and I¢m just stuck in this sticky situation more uncomfortable than ever. And young boys are the WORST at communicating to their mothers! I saw the stuff he was saying and he was so unclear about where he was and what he was doing. No wonder she was worried. I felt like a babysitter. I took his phone and did the communicating for him because somehow boys think one-word responses are going to cut it for anxious mothers of teens. Hate to break it to you, but ya gotta give mom more than that! I was having flashbacks to high school and parental concern, which I now realize is totally justified.I¢m almost 23 and can recognize a mom¢s concern. When you¢re 19, you think you own the world. I used to think ¢oh this person¢s only 23, what do they know?¢ Well a lot. You learn a lot in between 19 and 23!! I¢m not the same person at all. I may have some of the same personality traits and such, but I¢m much more mature and aware now. You really don¢t know everything at 19. Lol. Mom does. Give mom more than one word texts! When I texted Rick, he was so happy to have actual info about where we were, what we were hiking today, etc. and said that Thumper gives him nothing. THUMPER! Ugh. I was so frustrated with this whole thing. I literally just wanted a buddy and now I have mom and Rick after me and Thumper like we¢re on the run. I¢m just way past that. Been there done that. I don¢t need to be 19 again. I¢m 23 and like my independence out here. My mom worries, but I communicate with her and update her and she has this lovely blog to read and see everything I¢m thinking and feeling. Wink mom! I felt like I was a little kid in this moment and I was just over it. I¢m too old for this shit. I told Thumper to communicate better with his mom and Rick because I didn¢t want to have any more blow-ups like this. Looking back it¢s pretty comical. On the run in the Shenandoahs! Boy oh boy. Today we were going to pass another campground and I told Thumper to be realistic. The chances we¢d stop for a ¢snack¢ at the camp store were 100%, we¢d likely end up staying. I told him to tell his Uncle we were aiming for a certain shelter and give all the specifics, but say that we might stop sooner at the campground. I¢m like mom number 2 lol. This is ridiculous. Also to be clear, I have told Thumper this entire time that he can hike on and do more miles. I have made that clear since we started hiking together. I didn¢t want to slow him down. But I think we slowed each other down since we both seemed to want to do the campgrounds and such. But I really didn¢t want to interfere with his section hike. I really did make that clear. But he said he enjoyed my company and we had fun and he had been bored on the trail before meeting me, so he said he wanted to hike with me til he was done. As we were getting ready to go, a woman waved us over to her cabin. She was so sweet and gave us leftover food from her weekend a the campground. She came every year and they were celebrating her parents, who had been married for 50+ years, which is just so adorable. *melts* this is the adorable sweet part of the Shenandoahs I was talking about. It¢s got such tradition and history. We didn¢t need too much snacks, but she wanted to be helpful and we appreciated it. The whole family was a true gem and made my whole morning.We had a few climbs today and it looked like it might rain. We reached the side trail for the campground in good time and took it to the camp store. They were doing renovations, so there was no Wayside right now. There was a lodge and a campground though! We decided to at least check that out (aka stay). We walked towards it and got a hitch, but they only could fit one person. Thumper was complaining that people were asses and I was saying, ¢no they don¢t have room. They¢re on vacation with kids and suitcases and they can¢t fit us and our packs¢. Plus we¢re smelly hikers in a nice tourist area. I never get hitches so I never expect it to work. He managed to get a hitch right after me and we got to the lodge. It was only a mile anyway, but who wants to walk that extra mile that¢s not AT! We saw Stargazer there! She¢s the best. Thumper and I saw the place and agreed to stay. We booked a room and it was 1000 percent worth it. I¢m coming back here. It¢s so cool here. We put our packs in the room and went down to the bar for food (that¢s where the hikers go, it¢s less classy). We found another hiker named Pickle. He¢s super cool. We all ordered food and Pickle and I got drinks. We allowed Thumper to sip them, but we did not share them at all. Yet the bartender thought we were and scolded us because Thumper looks too young. I literally thought we were gonna get kicked out at first. I¢m very thankful that didn¢t happen. I really wasn¢t trying to split my drink with him. I had gotten some ciders for later anyway. Thumper called his mom, per my request. I could hear her frustration and I was like woman, I feel ya. It was a long chat lol she had some THINGS to say. Don¢t blow off mom. The food was okay, but not great here. The drinks were good, and I got one called the Debbie, which I was very excited about! We headed out and I met a trail angel who runs on the trail in the area and likes to help out. He looked super fit and intense and I didn¢t bother sharing my daily mileage. He was very nice though. My mom called me to discuss July 4 plans, everybody call mom! Yay mom! Lol.The music and outfits were totally 50s jazzy vibe and I was digging it! We went up to the room and it was a cute cabin-feel. I love this place! I lay on my bed and it was so squishy and soft and comfy; man can I just pack out a bed? Like what are the logistics of packing out a bed? How do I make this happen? It was a heavenly cloud of mush and I was so happy. Yes happy. Finally, today, it seemed like I was breaking through my funk. Maybe!We had a view right outside our door. And we went into the main common area and people were doing puzzles and I had that cabin, Maine vacation feel just doing my puzzle. Ahh it was just perfect. We chatted with a woman and petted her dog for a bit, and she asked us about the trail. And Thumper is such a fart he let her believe he was a thru-hiker and I was just shaking my head watching it. I mean I really do get it. The kid is young and insecure and it¢s relatable. You wanna seem as cool as you can at that age. I certainly did that too. I wasn¢t trying to lie, just make myself look as cool as possible to hide my insecurities. Now I¢m completely honest for the most part with myself and my decisions and with people, but if I think they¢re going to judge, I don¢t want to hear it and I won¢t fully go there and be myself. Thumper said the other day that he thought he was allergic to chicken. I¢m sorry but I just can¢t with this kid. Rick was cracking up too. Thumper eats chicken all the time at home, but had one upset tummy and the shits and now he¢s allergic to chicken. Lol. Oh to be 19 again. What a time. We headed back to our room and had our ciders and then passed out. I loved my bed and was just in heaven all night in those pillows and plush. Man it was amazing. Coming back to the lodge for sure someday haha. Gonna have my ¢Same Time Next Year¢ with my husband some day and come back here haha. And maybe Thumper won¢t be allergic to chicken and we can have a reunion. This kid. Little Debbie