Day 25

Day 25: I started the day weeding with @blazing.sandals. (Did you know we met while pruning some grasses for a high end landscaping company in 2018? We did.) Then I got to DRIVE his Jeep into Knoxville where I met a couple of friends for Mexican food and drinks. It was SO therapeutic to have a little taste of my old life back for a little bit. The story of the mountain lion and bunny was a lighthearted way to express some heavy things, like feeling this sense of worthlessness on the trail that I don’t (often) feel in “real” life. I got to get away from that for a bit by talking with good friends and doing mundane things like running errands. My sweet friends were also so encouraging about what I was doing and how it was inspiring them. I can’t tell you how much affirmation helps me :)
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I ran by @rei to talk about my REI pack which was not working out for me. They didn’t have what I wanted in stock, but Jacob helped me make the exchange later that week. I also bought a fanny pack to keep my essentials, like my phone, mace, snacks, etc. I’ve made SO many adjustments to gear since I’ve been out here. I even bought a little hydrapack I could use in my tent at night so I wouldn’t have to leave my tent 3xs a night (this is what happens when you try to stay SUPER hydrated), if you catch my drift. Just tellin it like it is! And letting you know, I was making these adjustments to prepare for going solo from this point on. .
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My refreshing day didn’t keep me from lying awake that night with visions of that terrible man and his creepy mugshot from all of the articles I read. The next day was my first time EVER to backpack solo, and I was terrified. #at2019