Heading South

Mom and I have made it to Georgia! It has been raining all day and when we pulled up the drive way to the Hiker Hostel the sun began to peak out of the clouds and the rain ceased.

I feel like I am in a dream. There is a stillness about this place. As we walked up to the main building we were welcomed by a woman reading that recognizable “yellow book” we all should know at this point (Appalchian Trials). We walk in and there were two hikers sitting, not talking- being very still- they hardly turned their heads towards us. We encounter a small group downstairs sitting around a table, three men and one woman, they welcome us with quick one word greetings and kind, nervous smiles.

I feel this heavy feeling within my ribcage- a humming/ buzzing vibration. Some may call these “butterfies”, but I think this is different. I sense it in the other hikers too. It’s like a swarm of bees before they take off. It’s not just excitement; it’s a fight or flight response, as well as an unspoken understanding that we are all being guided towards the same direction- in all honesty, it’s scary as fuck in the best way possible.

This time with my mom has been a gift. I feel calm when I am with her and she has made it an incredibly enjoyable and effortless journey down here. Our car ride talks often consist of spirituality, meditation, and the occasional inappropriate sexual joke that makes me cringe.

I am ready for tomorrow. I am writing a new chapter for myself one step at a time. At this point, I feel as if the decision to hike this hike has already been made- I have nothing else to do but to show up and do it. This is my only choice and I have never made an easier, more confident decision. I will let my bees swarm and breathe!

Pit stop in Asheville, NC- HomeGrown