Gone Fishin'

Here I go again, leavin' for a while on a trip. My group leaves tomorrow for a 14 day backpack trip. We will be hiking over 40 miles in the Uwharrie National Forest in southern North Carolina. I'm supposed to be packing right now, but I'm having a little trouble staying on task. That's o.k., it's only 12:42 a.m., and I have to get up at 6:00 tomorrow. I can sleep on the van ride though.

A backpack trip is a brilliant way to test a young man. He is faced with the daunting task of propelling two weeks of food, shelter, clothing, water, eating and cooking gear, etc. on his back; walking on his too tender feet over rock, dirt, water, grass, root, incline, decline, crevice, cliff, and crack. Reared in the city, he suddenly finds himself in the middle of the wilderness, fending for himself. It is a struggle of the will, a strain on the mind, a punishment to the body. At the end of the trail is more than just a van ride home. It is victory. It is pride. It is strength and confidence. A new young man emerges from his chrysalis to face life with new eyes.

I also get to play with fire the whole time.

No one ever forgets a backpack trip.

Get What I'm Driving At?

I have just arrived back to North Carolina after spending the last 3 days in Vermont. I took off from South Hero, VT at 8:00 a.m. and got to camp at 8:30 p.m. Pretty good travel time. I successfully avoided the N.J. Turnpike which I happen to loathe (along with every driver that owns a New Jersey license plate).

Yeah . . . so why would I drive up to Vermont for a mere 3 (actually 2 and a half) days? Maple Syrup? Ben and Jerry's? To see a moose? O.k. it was to see a girl. Not just any girl though. Only the best girl I know. Emily's her name, and she's got the biggest brightest smile you've ever seen. She likes to kiss me with it. I haven't turned her down yet.

South Hero is an island surrounded by Lake Champlaign. Emily's parents have owned a house on that island ever since she can remember. Last night the four of us drank beer and played washers (kind of like horseshoes only you toss washers into a coffee can). Then we played a board game in the living room. Shit like that's pretty cool. You dig?