Proceed to the Route

 7/26/21

There's an issue of killing time between check outs and check ins. I try to get creative with it - hot tub soaks are good. Went to Shoji Spa and Retreat in Asheville. Soaked for two hours and had a bottle of Prosecco, not a bad way to spend time. Driving the Blue Ridge Parkway is what I did today, between Brevard, NC and Walhalla, SC. 

Brevard was cool - so many waterfalls in Pisgah National Forest. I would've loved to see them all. I ended up going to DuPont State Park to see Wintergreen Falls. I enjoy the hikes to these places more than the destinations. I saw deer and a tree growing through the middle of a huge boulder, splitting it in half, beautiful. The sound of the waterfall was almost better than the sight of it. 

I stayed at Pilot Cove in Brevard. Pretty cool place - loved the giant deck and how close it was to Pisgah. Drove the Pisgah Highway on my way to Walhalla which intersected with Blue Ridge Parkway. From there I headed south. 

Devil's Courthouse is pretty cool. Photos don't do it justice. 

Mostly I just love the parkway itself. The water pouring off the cliffs, the smell of it. 

Now I'm in Walhalla, SC staying in the cutest little shipping container tiny house. The view is amazing, I've been watching storms come in. There was a rainbow in the forest below me. I'm looking forward to exploring - lots of great hikes all around me. This is the view from the place:

Driving here on the crazy backroads and highways, I wondered what it must feel like to be a man traveling like this. I can't help but be a little afraid as I'm driving as a woman alone on these backroads that I don't know at all. When someone gets behind me and starts following too close, I pull over and let them pass. I have a vivid imagination and movies like Tom Ford's Nocturnal Animals make me think too much.

This is the link to the Walhalla Airbnb:

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/48827180?guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=f30585cd-cdc5-4c84-9920-b177a06f44fc

Goodbye Asheville

 Asheville is a remarkable city. Great food, insanely beautiful nature, earth-conscious, great ciders and beers - the list goes on and on. 

Early Girl Eatery, French Broad Chocolate, and Chai Pani all worth a visit. Since Weaverville is really close, I went back to Blue Mountain Pizza and Well-Bred, the first for the excellent pizza, beer, and cider, the second for the eclairs. 

This cake from French Broad Chocolate was absolute heaven. And FYI, it's named after the French Broad River. 

I spent most of my time on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was like medicine for me, I never got tired of that drive. Sometimes I'd head south, sometimes north, sometimes with a destination in mind but more often not. Heading south, I went through a lot of tunnels, some long enough for me to feel the the press and weight of the dark. I stopped to hike a lot, not always reaching the end of the trails but just enjoying the cave of trees around me, the feel of my feet on the soft dirt. The smells are indescribable. 

Today was the North Carolina Arboretum, lots of great trails. I especially liked the Bonsai collection - living works of art. Afterwards, I headed back up to Blue Ridge Parkway to Craggy Gardens, a favorite stop. A little goodbye until next time, hopefully in autumn, I'd love to see the leaves change. 

Yesterday I walked around Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary and Beaver Lake. Loved seeing the flowers. 

It's hard for me to leave this place, my heart feels a little heavy. It seems whenever I stay at a place I love it feels like leaving home all over again. I think ultimately this is a good sign, a sign that maybe many places can be home.

This is the link to the amazing Airbnb in Woodfin:

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/50277547?guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=23cbe5c4-03e4-4279-89a3-3f0062fcc0e9

It'll pass

 7/19/21

Woke up this morning with my head feeling dark and crowded. Could've been that I didn't sleep well - I'm never good when I don't sleep enough. Had an appointment that got me out, afterwards I put "Blue Ridge Parkway" into my GPS. Then I put the top down on the Miata.

 Because of the work I used to do, I am a planner. My brain craves structure while my heart loves spontaneity = quandary. I didn't plan to drive Blue Ridge Parkway today, but I'm SO SO SO glad I listened to my heart. Often my brain is a complete jerk.

Untethered doesn't mean get rid of all of my possessions, though I've come pretty close to doing that. I want to be untethered from thoughts. With a lack of sleep, I'm susceptible to depression. My friend Nitcha mentioned displacement to me - the word sums up how I feel when I get into these moods. Thoughts suck the joy out of this once-in-a-lifetime chance to travel. They rarely have anything positive to report, just the endless droning about fear, sadness, isolation.  Doing the work to understand that thoughts are auto-pilot garbage isn't easy. I'm human and fall into the trap of it more often than I like to admit. 

Blue Ridge Parkway!!! Photos do not do it justice. The smell of it -  I could smell the flowers, the trees. The clouds creeping over the mountains, the rocks wet from the rain, waterfalls in the distance - it's all unbelievably gorgeous. I don't have enough words to describe it. I squealed driving into tunnels, I got rained on with my top down and didn't care, I stopped at every scenic overlook. Thoughts had no place here, only joy and gratitude. 

Out of the Woods

 7/16/21 Happy Birthday to my mom, Beth. 

I'm in Asheville, NC, not Marshall as originally planned. I'd had a gut feeling about Marshall. Arrived to find a gravel driveway that was basically large rocks, which is a no for the Miata. I tried and heard the terrible sound of scraping on the undercarriage of the car. The host was so apologetic, she'd been out of town when the gravel was done, had no idea it was so LARGE. I always ask the hosts if the driveways/roads will be ok for my car. 

In the spirit of not wanting to waste my money, I went inside and tried to make it work. The schlep from my car to the place with my stuff was not great, as not only is it hard to drive on these rocks, walking was no picnic either. I started to get that feeling in my gut, a heaviness, which I've learned from past experience I cannot ignore. The place itself was fine, but I think I needed to get out out of the woods for a while. I'd stayed 8 days in Mars Hill, enjoying the nature and isolation, it was time for a change of scenery.  I grabbed my things, booked the Kimpton in Asheville, and immediately felt 100% good. There's a LOT to be said about trusting your gut, even if it's not about being in any kind of danger. There's also a lot to be said about being kind to people - instead of getting bitchy about the issue with the driveway, I sent a text to the host later apologizing, saying it wasn't going to work with my car and telling her I understood that I wasn't entitled to a refund. She gave me a partial refund anyway, really nice. 

I'm sitting on the chaise in the room, looking out the window at the court house, the little park, the gorgeous Black Lives Matter painted on the road. I'm watching some guy try to ride a unicycle, amazed that he can do it for more than a minute. I can see the place where the Confederate Zebulon Baird Vance monument was taken down. I feel really happy at the moment. I've finished the mimosas a few hours ago, so I can't blame it on the alcohol. I'm listening to my playlist, currently playing is Devotcha "We're Leaving". Still isolated up here but I can see people and that seems to be enough for me at the moment. 

Goodbye Mars Hill

7/15/21

 I have a feeling I will be saying goodbye to a lot of people and places on this adventure. I've always been terrible at goodbyes. I am going to make a point to be more graceful about it. 

I'm on to Marshall, NC for a few days. This Mars Hill Airbnb has been so peaceful, thanks to a remarkable host. It was the perfect first place to stay.

Here's a few of my little friends:

A really cute spider holding a fly.

Whatever this is, it's cool. 

The bunnies visited every day, sometimes so comfortable they'd lie down in the grass.

This is Pinnacle Mountain Fire Tower. Great 10 mile round-trip hike. It's also where I had my first and second bear experience. I'm terrified of bears the way some are terrified of snakes and spiders. If I'd seen the bears on my way up to the tower, it's highly likely I would've headed back to my car. I realize that here in the North Carolina Mountains, bears are a given. It's their space and we are lucky enough to get to visit. I'm grateful to Debbie and Karen for gifting a small taser/flashlight combo to me before I left. I was reluctant to take it, so glad I did.  Took it out of my backpack after seeing the first bear. The sound of it had the second bear running away from me full speed. Both bears ran from me, which I'm really grateful for. I know they aren't grizzlies, but still, I don't want to interface with them. I love nature, but I'd prefer more distance between me and bears.

Aimless Driving

 7/12/21

Went back to Sam's Gap this morning - great exercise. It puts me in a good headspace, plus it's stunningly gorgeous up there, I don't get sick of it. The smell, the feel of the soft trail beneath my feet, the wind in the tops of the trees = perfection. 

I am a creature of habit, to some extent, something I learned from work. There's comfort in routine. During the quarantine phase of the pandemic, I hiked every day. I alternated between two trails, and I didn't feel comfortable deviating from that routine. It felt safe, I saw new things each time I hiked, and I felt a tremendous comfort in having some kind of routine, a schedule. 

Now, going back to the same trail for a few days is about as much a routine as I have. 

After the hike, I went to Stack House Burgers. A giant house-made veggie burger and blackberry cider - really, really good. It's the kind of place I love, family-run, kind of a hole-in-the-wall with a locally made beers and cider. If you're in Mars Hill, NC, or nearby, it's another place you should try. They have fried PICKLES. 

Then, I got in my car and started driving. The Miata is fun to drive. I'm glad I didn't trade it in for some gas-guzzling SUV, no matter how little interior space it has. Driving with the top down on those curvy roads in great weather is really fun. I saw a sign that said Rocky Ford State Park, and decided to check it out.

Absolutely amazing. Waterfalls, great trails, the sound of water, the SMELL of the trees, the plants - I'm so glad I chose to wander. Maybe the cider helped? Fear can set in sometimes. It can keep me from exploring, I have to work to overcome it. It being a Monday, it wasn't crowded at all. I saw at least four places that would be great for swimming. The water is so clear, a lovely blue-green. There's a place there called The Blue Hole, which I'd like to explore more. It's deep, at the bottom of a small waterfall, and the color is delicious. 

Cheers to aimless driving. May we all do it from time to time. 

Solo travel and isolation

 7/11/21 

A friend of mine has a blog called projectsanityroom.blogspot.com - Her name is Angie, and coincidentally, today is her birthday. She's a great writer, candid with a great sense of humor. She kindly doesn't judge my lack of writing experience. 

If you'd told me a year ago that I'd be traveling around with no home base, I don't know if I would've believed you, though I would've been intrigued by the idea. Last year was an absolute shit show and it gave me the impression that anything could happen.

Solo travel comes with isolation. It doesn't mean unhappiness, because I experience intense joy often. It's a different kind of isolation than I experienced in quarantine. There are times I see such beautiful things, I'd like to be able to share it with someone. Most of the time, I'm thrilled to be alone - to be living my life on my own terms, my own schedule. I’ve read a bit about the occasional loneliness experienced by solo travelers, I understand it’s a common but temporary feeling. 

This morning, I went out before sunrise and looked up at the sky. The stars were astounding, never seen so many in my life, the Milky Way clearly visible. I saw a meteor and I felt blissfully small, insignificant. I love this feeling, it’s a reminder to not take anything out too seriously.

I feel vulnerable a lot, emotions can overwhelm me. Still, I am immensely grateful for this opportunity. I find myself saying thank you all the time, aloud. I'm writing this on the front porch of this cute little Airbnb in Mars Hill, NC. Listening to birds, looking at how the dew in the grass sparkles, feeling the sun on the back of my neck. This is joy, quiet and sweet.

A few days ago, I went to the little town of Hot Springs, NC to soak in hot spring fed tubs at Hot Springs Resort and Spa. I sat in the tub for an hour, watching the river, the birds, butterflies, and a curious squirrel. It was perfection. 

Yesterday, I hiked Sam's Gap again, this time going up to a clearing where the view was gorgeous green-covered mountains as far as you could see. After, I went to Blue Mountain Pizza, had their delicious Olympus pizza and beer (not being paid to say this, though it would be great if I were). I make a point to only buy from small businesses -after 2020, they need the help. This place is great, and if you're anywhere near Weaverville, NC, you should go. 

Most of the time, I spend sitting on the porch here at my little rental. I watch birds and insects, marvel over the clouds in the ever-changing sky. I feel extremely fortunate, I can't say that enough. Even with the occasional isolation settling heavily in my gut, I wouldn't change a thing.

This is no longer a test

 7/9/2021

Arrived in Mars Hill, NC on 7/7.  This is my little house until 7/15, where I will move nearby, a place I booked months ago. Before all this started. 

I sit on the porch a lot. Have coffee in the morning. Adult beverage in the afternoons. My host Gentry is about as real and nice as a person can be. I've missed that a lot. 

Took a hike at Sam's Gap, which is on the Appalachian Trail. Gorgeous rainforest up here, rains every day. I have learned that southern states have unpredictable weather. It's constantly changing. 

This is a little walk that's right by the house. 

It smells incredible here. That's one of the first things I noticed. Fresh, green, and lush. The sound of the wind in the trees and the birds brings a lot of joy. I am glad it doesn't take much to make me happy. I've always been the person who pretends to be a local when traveling. I never felt the need to see every sight, to run around all day, checking things off a list.

It's different now, in a lot of ways. As the title says, this is no longer a test. I am out here, no home to go back to, which is both exhilarating and scary as hell. I'm going to pretend everywhere I stay is my home. 

Here's the link to the lovely Mars Hill Airbnb:

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/16555531?guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=3009b408-89be-47e3-b780-aae43c9c05db