Date: 2011-06-19
To: Life is Good
Miles today: 0.0

I¢m sitting outside on the porch of this little strip of a motel in Marion, Virginia, watching the rain coming down. You know, this (and almost every hotel I¢ve stayed in during this adventure) is the sort of hotel which, on a road trip with my family, I¢d have avoided at all costs. But somehow here, living this lifestyle, these hotels are perfect. Your Holiday Inns, Traveler¢s Inns, even Hotel 6, are too upscale for trail life. These little dives are perfect, and the folks one meets are colorful, diverse, and refreshing.If one were available, I¢d likely be staying at a hostel. But as there is no hostel here, and because I am still somewhat shaken by the theft I experienced at Uncle Johnny¢s, I have avoided the hostel stay of late. But when I encounter one, I will stay again, the past notwithstanding. That theft was disturbing and frustrating because of the inconvenience, but I¢m moving on. Still, in this little town there is no option other than this little hotel, or one of two others practically just like it. So here I stay. It¢s the first town stop I¢ve had since Damascus, and let me tell you, I was feeling pretty ripe. I didn¢t intend to stop here, but a desire to get clean and wash some clothes compelled me to get off the trail two days earlier than what I¢d planned. I haven¢t bathed since Damascus, five days before I arrived here. I was almost completely out of food for myself, completely out of food for Tessa, and I was mentally and physically drained. It was just time for a break. And as it happens, I¢m glad I did!I got off the trail at Dickey¢s Gap and hitched a ride to Marion. Lucky for me, Marion has several hotels to choose from, a grocery store, and even a Wal-Mart! I booked a room here and settled in for a night¢s rest. Then it came to y attention that there¢d be a bluegrass festival the following day, so I decided to stick around for it. That would¢ve been last night. Unfortunately, storms hit and the festival was rained out. Not only that, but it¢s killed two days of hiking. I¢ve decided to hang out here one more night to avoid the storms. I can even see the storms I¢d be in if I were on the trail as I sit here on the patio of this crummy little hotel. Still, I believe I¢ve made good use of my time. Despite the rain, I caught a ride to Atkins, which was to be my next stop anyway. I picked up my mail drops and brought them back here to Marion. I charged everything (and EVERYTHING was dead¢¦phones, MP3, computer¢¦) I resupplied here, which was a good thing, as Atkins has virtually nothing for resupply. So, though I¢ve lost some days here in Marion, I¢ll just skip Atkins and keep moving on.I have a LONG stretch of hiking through Virginia. On the trail, they call it,¢The Virginia Blues,¢ because this stretch is so long and can be tedious. Up to now, through these first states, it feels like I¢ve been making good progress as I cross state lines: Georgia to North Carolina to Tennessee to Virginia. But now it will be mile upon mile of Virginia, the longest single-state stretch of the Appalachian Trail.I¢m itching to get back on the trail after this break. The ponies in the highlands were such a treat, as was the Virginia Creeper Trail and the numerous balds that preceded them¢¦I just wonder what¢s next for me down the trail as I continue on with my adventure. Life out here is good. Harder than I¢d ever even imagined at times, but also far more rewarding than I¢d ever imagined. It's life turned up several notches in intensity, and I wish everyone could experience this at least once in his or her own life. It¢s truly life-altering. I can promise you that, even after just two and a half months, I am not the woman I was when I left Austin. I like the new me far, far better. I am in a good place in my heart, mind, and spirit, and I will carry this home with me. I know it.