On the plane quivers…

My flight from Sacramento to Asheville was crazy (guess that’s what I get for using my miles to get a free flight). Sac to Denver was awesome because I got so see my friend Duncan from college and deliver him In N Out (sadly, Colorado has yet to offer its brave citizens this fine burger). Denver to Little Rock, AK was fine, until I discovered that my flight left 20 minutes before boarding time without any of the TV monitors or airline representatives telling me as much. They ended up sticking me on a different airline’s flight to Chicago, but that was delayed, too. By the time I got Chicago, my flight had left the gate and was hanging out on the tarmac, so I mossied my way down to the United First Class counter (the economy counters were closed down at 9:30 pm, of course), and they got me a new ticket and a discounted night at the Double Tree. Yes!

Now I’m hanging out in Asheville at the home of my friend Erin, my old housemate from grad school. I’ve got to get myself up to Standing Bear (I’m a bit loathe to pay the hostel $80 to pick me up here…maybe something will work out.

About half way through the flight to Asheville, the twitching excitement of starting a new hike shone through the clouds of fear I had been feeling about doing the BMT/AT. I love putting one foot in front of the other and even though I’ve never done the BMT before and never lived in NC, I felt the asme excitement that I had when I flew home after 4.5 months in Africa. Like coming home relieved me from the cultural and logistical stress of being in Africa, so, too, do I feel that starting a hike relieves me of the worries of my old life. Not that my life for the past 4 months has been particularly stressful–in fact, it has been downright delightful. But I feel like I’m about to return to my calling, and there are few better feelings than that.