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tuellertrails · 3 years

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It’s hard to put into words what our first week on trail has been like, but I’ll try.

Tiring. Hot. Cold. Amazing. Beautiful. Adventure. Ouch. Hungry. Thirsty. Dirty. Smelly.

There you have it!

Starting out the PCT was an emotional experience. It was surreal hiking those first few miles, and then it just sinks in “oh right, this is just hiking. And hiking is just walking. And walking is tiring. Wow it’s hot. Wait, how am I already this dirty?” We only made it about .3 miles when we came upon a little campground with some trail angels that we talked to briefly. One of them was an older man with long white silver hair and blue eyes named Legend who apparently is a triple crowner (has hiked the PCT, AT and CDT). He told us to put our hands towards the trail and then grab some air and cup it into a ball in our hands. He said we had grabbed a little piece of magic from the PCT and it is carried in all the hikers who had gone before us and that we were all connected. He told us to hold it up to our hearts to absorb, but being the brilliant nurse that I am, I held it to the right side of my chest instead of the left, so I guess that means the magic went into my rib cage instead. I’m not an expert in PCT magic 🤷🏻‍♀️ so who knows how it will affect me. Magic ribs? Time will tell. He also told us to take another piece of PCT magic and put it in our pocket to give to a friend. I will sell mine to the highest bidder. Authentic PCT magic, hard to come by, Bitcoin will be accepted as a trade.

Hiking has been very physically exhausting for me, more than I expected to be honest. We’re going about 2-2.3 miles per hour at this point, and have done 10-16 miles per day. We wake up between 6-7 AM, pack up our stuff and head out. Generally we eat breakfast at our first break of the day after 3-4 miles, and I’ve found that I need a break about every 3 miles. If we can get to a great spot for lunch, we will generally take at least an hour and sometimes more if it’s in the heat of the day. We try to stop hiking between 5-6 pm, so we can have time to set up camp, make dinner, roll out our feet and sore muscles, and write in our journals before bed. We are very tired every night, but sometimes we don’t sleep very well if it’s windy or very cold. I always take my trusty Benadryl and sleep better with it!

The hardest part for me so far has been the wear and tear on my feet. The biggest mistake I made at the start was not putting inserts in my shoes. My feet have been in a lot of pain and I’ve had to take more breaks to roll them out to continue hiking. No matter how tired I am, I have to roll out my feet at the end of the day or they fee pretty rough the next day. I’ve also been dealing with some blisters and some chafing, so basically everything hurts! Doing miles on miles every single day is a lot of work, and we are sore every day. Other hikers that we’ve met who have done other thru hikes assure us that we will get our trail legs (eventually) but it’s going to take about 3 weeks

Ok, enough complaining!! We have met some amazing people. Landon’s cousin Justin hiked out with us the first day and it was fun to give him a taste of the trail. There was a small group of people that we started with who have been a bit faster than us and are now ahead of us on the trail, but maybe we’ll run into them again!

We met a mother and son duo named Chris and Pat. Pat is a psychologist at a University and counsels students. She was the nicest friendliest little lady and I immediately liked her. Chris, her son, works in film media and is trying to become a landscape photographer. They were both lovely but Pat can't go very fast so I'm not sure we'll see them again, but we're following each other on Instagram now.

We’ve spent quite a bit of time with a small group of hikers, hiking and also hanging out with them in Julian (where we are taking our first zero day, no hiking and only lots of resting, eating and socializing). Half of them are not American which is exciting! Florian is from Germany and is a super interesting guy. He works for Google and has lived in Australia, the UK, and most recently in San Francisco. We talked about the differences between Germany and Europe, some about politics (how crazy American politics are compared to relatively boring German ones), gun control, Mental illness and lack of resources in America, our messed up healthcare system, the largeness of Australian huntsman spiders, and a whole bunch of other things. Lauren is from Canada and loves to quiz you about geography and ask fun questions. Today she asked "which animal most represents the place that you live?" Landon and I debated for a while and decided on a big horn sheep 🐑. She and Florian met on the JMT and are hiking together as friends as they both have significant others. She is always scavenging for everyone’s extra food and someone suggested that her trail name be Trash Panda (people give each other “trail names” on thru hikes, and then that’s how people introduce themselves. We haven’t gotten ours yet but it’s only a matter of time). I don’t think she accepted that trail name though 😂

 Another woman from the group is from Germany named Silke who is a bit more shy but still friendly, and man is she fit. She just blazed past us on the trail today. We also gave her a piece of pop tart and some skittles to try, and she hated both, which was very funny to watch her disgusted reaction. She hasn’t built up the junk food tolerance that we have I suppose, it takes years to build and I started very young! Carolina is from the Czech Republic, and has a great sense of humor. I can’t imagine the kind of bravery it takes to go to a foreign country where you know no one and the language spoken isn’t your first language, and taking on a monumental task like hiking the PCT. It’s pretty incredible and I have a lot of respect for all the hikers, but especially the foreign ones. We took a picture yesterday before Carolina had showered and she said “I look so dirty and crazy!” 😂 I ask just about everyone “what does your family think of your coming out to do this?” and the most common answers include “they don’t really get it...” and “They think I’m crazy.”

Otter is a 58 year old guy who was in the airforce for 30 years and has spent the last 5 years of his retirement hiking and traveling. He hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2019. Otter said that he decided to hike the AT initially because he read a story of a guy in his town who hiked it when he was 18. The guy had to ask permission from the board of education in Virginia to graduate high school early in order to hike it, and they told him no, so he quit high school and did it anyways. Otter told us that he read that and it stuck with him, and he made it a goal of his to hike the AT someday. He said it took 35 years, but he always remembered that guy and wanted to do it. Just goes to show that you never know what kind of impact you can have on the people around you! He has been very kind to us and let us come to the Airbnb that he had rented to do laundry and shower when we got into Julian, and we have used the Airbnb as a hangout zone for our whole group yesterday and today, which has been great. After showering and having clean clothes, we almost felt like normal people 😂. In Mt Laguna at mile 42, we showered in a campground bathroom and washed our laundry in the shower like the hiker trash we now are. Real food from a restaurant and a cold drink from a trail angel (people that provide food/drinks/rides to hikers) is also incredible. When you’re living so minimally, the little things are a big deal!

Lastly we have Brandon, who I met on Instagram last year and was also supposed to hike the trail but canceled due to Covid. He ended up getting a permit for this year too and started the day after us (coincidentally he is also a travel nurse). Last night, after hanging out at the Airbnb, We camped behind the Julian Market (they allow PCT hikers to camp there) and Brandon came too. At 5:30 in the morning after just settling back down into his sleeping bag after getting up to pee, he hears a voice say “oh good, you’re up. I really need someone to talk to.” He looks over and sees this strange girl that he doesn’t know (and wasn’t there when we went to bed) who is wrapped up in her sleeping bag. He says “Oh, um..are you ok?” And she says “I have no pants”. And proceeds to tell him that she ripped her hiking shorts and didn’t carry any warm sleeping clothes because they were too heavy. He tells her that she needs to have warm base layers if she is going to continue hiking (and not die) and that she can pick some up at the gear store in town. She tells him that she asked the guy she was hiking with if she could come and cuddle with him and he told her no, so she knocked on some random strangers window at 3 AM and asked for a ride from Mt Laguna to Julian, and the stranger gave her a ride (and luckily didn’t murder her). So that’s how she ended up on that back porch in Julian, possibly staring at Brandon for hours and willing him to wake up to tell him this. Apparently she talked to him for about 45 more minutes and at some point said that she was waiting for her meds to arrive. He said “Maybe you should call your family?” And she said “no way! They’ll freak out” 😬. Landon and I were returning from using the bathroom and we walked right past them, I thought that they knew each other somehow and somehow missed the pleading desperation in Brandon’s eyes to help him in this incredibly awkward 5:30 AM conversation with this random girl. Eventually she ended up going to the pie shop across the street and sitting in there to get warm and charge her phone. Long story short, I really hope that girl is ok, because hiking the PCT is hard enough as it is without having any warm pants. Also, hiking is not a replacement for a support system and therapy. Be safe and get mentally healthy before you hike!!

One last funny story. This morning we were eating at a diner when the waitress came over to take our order. She looked at me hesitantly and said “Um...I’m not sure how to handle this...you have a spider on your hat.” I yelped and threw my hat on the table. She grabbed my hat and took it outside and gently shook it off and de-spidered it for me before bringing it back to me 😥. What a good lady!! Please tell people if they are wearing spiders and help them out. I guess I am just becoming one with nature now.

Anyways, this is long enough, but I just want to say that we’ve had lots of great experiences, seen beautiful scenery, and met awesome people. Even though this is incredibly hard, it’s such a cool adventure and I am loving having a great partner to experience it with me. Hoping my feet are doing better in the next section and that none of my blisters get infected! Our friends helped me shake down my pack today and I was able to get rid of at least a pound in weight. When you carry everything on your back, hips and shoulders, every little ounce makes a difference! Much love to everyone and thanks for the support, it’s been a great first week!

- Joscelyn

P.S. - I’ll post our daily mileage for anyone who is interested

Day 1

Start: Mile 0 Mexican Border

Stop: Mile 11.4

Total: 11.4 miles

Day 2

Start: Mile 11.4

Stop: Mile 26 Boulder Creek Campground

Total: 14.6 miles

Went thru Lake Morena

Day 3

Start: Mile 26 Boulder Creek Campground

Stop: Mile 37.1

Total: 11.1 miles

Elevation gain: about 3k feet 🦶

Day 4

Start: Mile 37.1

Stop: Mile 47.7

Total Mileage: 10.6

Went thru Mt Laguna

Day 5

Start: Mile 47.7

Stop: Mile 63.7

Total: 16 Miles

Day 6

Start: Mile 63.7

Stop: Mile 77

Total: 13.3 Miles

Day 7

Zero Day In Julian

#pct #pctclassof2021 #pct2021 #tuellertrails #hikertrash

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thistransient · 6 years

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I asked my friend who’s addicted to thru-hiking if he’d consider himself an “experienced tramper” and he replied “I’m an experienced tramp” which is also what I think when I see this terminology and wonder why we can’t just all say “hike/hiker/hiking”. In any case, I’m still working on the Te Ara Hura walk around Waiheke (having decided to stop moaning about life and go do something...it was the right move apparently because I got an email while on the trail that work will start Thursday), today I did the “Headlands” section, which was something like 16 km and took me around 6.5 hours (including stopping constantly to take pictures, look at the map, go back the other way when I started to get lost, investigate interesting plant life, and sit on benches and contemplate the sea). I had great hopes that my joints would hold out for this whole endeavour but alas, the last hour had me starting to walk backwards downhill to spare my knees (it worked though). But hey, it’s longer than I could comfortably walk in one shot back in Taipei, progress! There’s hope that I might someday be able to go trekking in the Himalayas...

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anoutlandishfanfic · 7 years

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Message in a Bottle - Part One

I received another wonderful prompt from romancoin the other day! She seriously has the best ideas. If y’all need prompts, ask her. But, anyway, she sent me this completely developed story and hinted she might try her hand at writing fanfic someday… so I strayed a bit from her premise in hopes that I’d annoy her enough to make her want to write it her own way. Ha! I love you romancoin, don’t hate me.

Here’s the premise that she pitched to me: Lonely Modern-Day-Claire (an engineer, to stir things up a bit) goes to Craig na Dunn not knowing it’s hidden powers. Something vanishes thru the cleft in the stone, prompting her to send other things thru. Jamie finds them and sends them back. Love letters ensue and one travels thru the stones to the other.

Day One - July 10th, 2016; Cairngorms National Park, Scotland.

Uncle Lamb and I had relocated to Oxford from Cairo about five years ago. He had taken a teaching position there, while I attempted to graduate early from upper school and begin taking university courses of my own in London. This set me at a complete disadvantage in the friends department, yet managed to earn me a certain measure of unwanted attention in the biochemical engineering department.

I took this summer off from internships, classes, and labs and instead followed my uncle to the Scottish Highlands. It was a breath of fresh air, literally and figuratively, to be back in the field with him.

This location wasn’t really within Uncle Lamb’s usual scope of historical exploration, he was an expert on the intermediate Egyptian dynasties with several books published on the more specific topic of New Kingdom hieroglyphics, but he had lost a bet with a favorite professor friend of his and, so, here we were.

Tipping my head back, I peered up the steep slope of the hill. Hiking was never far out of the realm of possibility with my uncle and I thanked my lucky stars I had worn my boots today. “It’s at the top?” I asked, rather unnecessarily.

Of course, it was at the top. It was always at the top. Except when it was at the very bottom, but, even then, you had to climb back to the top.

“Yep!” Dr Joe Abernathy, an American who specialized Scottish folklore, replied eagerly.

I trailed behind Uncle Lamb and Dr Joe as we hiked the path up to the top of Craigh na Dunn, listening absently to the two of them discuss the myths surrounding the site. They were two peas in a pod, although Dr Joe was significantly younger than my uncle, and were both in a titter about recently found artifacts or some such.

“And you say they just appear at the base?” My uncle asked skeptically.

Dr Joe nodded, “Dead as door nails.”

The thought of poor, dead birds randomly materializing on the ground in the middle of a henge made me shudder.

What on earth had I agreed to?

…

Day Three - July 13th, 2016.

I sat on the ground between two of the outer stones and chewed on the end of my pencil as I tried to get the cleft in the center stone right. It was quickly frustrating me, being almost geometrically proportional but off just enough to make it irritatingly irregular.

Tearing the page out of my sketchbook, I crumpled it up into a tight ball and threw it at the offending rock. It arched perfectly, looking like it was going to pass right thru the divide. I silently congratulated myself as I waited to see if it would land my uncle, who was working on the other side.

A startled shriek escaped my lips as the paper vanished into thin air.

“Are you alright, Claire?” Uncle Lamb stuck his head around the side of the stone.

Pointing above his head, I gaped, “Where the hell did it go?”

“Where did what go?” Dr Joe asked, coming towards me.

“My paper,” I stood as I answered. “I threw it at the stone and it disappeared.”

Dr Joe laughed and patted me on the head patronizingly, “Sure you did, kid.”

“I’m eighteen and I know what I saw!” I informed him.

…

Day Four - July 14th, 2016.

One of my favorite things to do when I was in the field with Uncle Lamb was to go for morning hikes. We were both early risers, but, as he need an entire pot of coffee before he was ready to do anything productive, I used it as my own private, quiet time.

I got to the top of the hill just as the sun was beginning to hit the standing stones. The sunrise painted the already eerie monoliths in an almost otherworldly light and I took out my phone to quickly capture the moment. Something white caught my eye in the corner of the image, prompting me to move closer to the center stone to investigate.

It was my paper.

Mouth open in astonishment, I scooped it up. It was slightly damp from the dew, but very obviously the paper I had thrown the afternoon before. It certainly hadn’t been there before we left, I had scoured the site looking for it to no avail.

I uncrumpled it and dropped the sheet of paper like it was a hot coal.

Someone had finished my sketch, signing their work with five neat letters in the bottom left hand corner.

JAMMF

#Outlander #outlander fanfic #fanfic prompts #romancoin #message in a bottle

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sundrenched-smilez · 7 years

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odd numbers for the lesbian asks! (if it's too many just do every 4th one maybe?)

1. Femme or butch?

for type, im vry easily wooed by butches tbh

as for myself, im genderfluid + heavily lean towards butch-ish for one gender + have been gettin more comf w that term for myself. the 3 genders i switch between, ive described as sharp, dainty and tired, for reason of not really being comf w gender labels aside from nonbinary. sharp/tired r kinda butchish, moreso sharp. like leather jackets, ripped jeans, dress pants/shirts, defs flannels (which r a given for any mood im in tbh) while tired is like mb softer, more focused on flannels + loose tank tops/shirts, shorts + certain skirts, comfy clothes, and the like

ive found that i’m leaning more towards butch lately too, like i’ve been a lot more comfortable with pants and a nice top than i have w dresses or most skirts + im wondering if i was just hanging on to femininity for sake of society, so those r things 2 think abt. i still feel comf in them sometimes, but it’s getting much less often. gender’s weird, i still cant cling to one bc of how pressuring that is so genderfluidity is still smth for me + it shifting to different percentages is okay (im thinking out loud @ this point, but its helping so i hope its interesting to read)

3. Plaid button-ups or leather jackets?

both, but primarily flannels/plaid buttion-ups

5. Describe your aesthetic

aaahh theres a lot of diff aesthetics i could go into, but i have a tag if ur interested in a visual representation? basically, cosy homes, forests, wooden steps and bridges, cats, girls/nbs, water, plants, and old video game stuff, and clouds/skies. i’m sure there’s more in there, but for a good rule of thumb !! as for like dressing aesthetic, i like to look rly gay + attractive and a lil showy? like my shorts r Short and i love crop tops + a lot of my shirts show my bra thru them, + i like showing it when i can, like sports bra + a tank top is a fav look of mine bc i can make it look like my bra is a trim on the shirt + it’s cute. i’ve been wearing dresses less often, but occasionally, i like to rock one. id love a pair of combat boots but i have like size 11/12 feet + most stores dont carry that size + im hesitant to buy some online.

7. Favorite pair of shoes?

its rly hard to find any, i have like walmart converse knockoffs atm + theyre a beige/grey color im not that huge on, it kinda reminds me of sandalwood but depressed

9. Any haircut goals for the future?

there was the undercut!! and i have that down now c: next step is to dye it blue and mb some purple. i wanna bleach it if i’m gonna dye it, but im hesitant to do that bc of how damaging it is, but since my hair’s been cut a cpl time almost all the color is out now, so i think itll b ok if i take good care of it.

11. Describe the worst date you’ve been on

i went to a cafe w someone (i think they were nb but i cant remember, it was like 2 yrs ago about ) and they were impossible to talk to bc they just kept saying “im awkward sorry” @ everything and like any conversations i tried to maintain were all one-shot responses, and like that was a lil frustrating. like i dont hold it against them or anything, more in a sense of i was rly tryin 2 carry it and just couldnt

13. If taken, talk about your girlfriend/wife!

whooh i wish i was taken, i need affection + to b cute w someone

15. Describe your dream wedding

hmmmm i havent thought much about it !! i know when i was younger i wanted to wear a black wedding dress but now im thinkin mb a suit that switches to dress @ the bottom?? that could b cool. I’d be happy w anything tbh, if im getting married, i’d just b happy to be w my wife/spouse. mb somewhere in a forest or on a boat would b cool, defs lots of good food and colorful flowers. I’d like a lot of color, most weddings ive been to are just b/w and bland for my taste (they’ve also all been straight tho so theres that.) it’s kind of wild to think that i might b married someday, but it’d b rly nice. i just haven’t thought much abt the planning of one. it’d b rly gay tho, probs give out tiny gay flags at each seat, and the cake could b lesbian flag colors. im rly drawing a blank on this, but i know id want all my friends around the country + world to be there.

17. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

i definitely want to live in a port town at some point !! idk where i’d like to settle down, ideally somewhere that doesnt get much hotter than 90 degrees + has lots of parks + is big enough for some events, like pride stuff, little festivals, a farmer’s market, and places to do things, such as a movie theater, bowling alley, mb an aquarium, if not one in a nearby town. hiking trails r also good.

19. Favorite lesbian novel/story?

on a sunbeam!!! its a huge inspiration for me, and i love it so much. it always puts me in such a good mindset when i read it, and the artist is my age, so it makes me feel like I can also accomplish great things if i rly put my heart into it!! which is such a good feeling, and it has great representation + characters that i love, and its rly gay, and in space and theres ships shaped like fish + its gorgeous : D i could go on for hrs abt it + how important it is to me. theres an nb character too, and like the aspect of found families is one that rly hits home and it helped me get thru a rough time of my life + better accept myself as queer/gay.

21. Favorite lesbian musician?

adult mom (tho i think they’re bi but still gay), or hayley kiyoko

23. Ever been assumed to be nothing more than a gal pal?

i think so, but i can’t place when, it’s been a bit.

25. Be positive! What do you like most about being a lesbian?

talking abt being gay w other girls/nbs is lovely and cathartic, i never got to growing up bc i lived in a homophobic town + i was like dealing heavily with internalized homophobia and body/gender dysphoria so i was ace for a bit. talking more abt like sexual attraction + aesthetic attraction is new to me, and that’s been a process to get to, but it’s nice that I can now do so w/o being belittled or barraged by insult. i also just love the thought of being w someone, and daydreaming abt when that happens is really nice. also,, girls + nbs r a blessing and brighten my day and im so glad im attracted 2 them

27. Turn ons?

absolutely communication, that’s a need. i had a bad experience w someone bc she wasn’t communicative at all, and failed to tell me that we weren’t dating despite us going on several dates + kissing??? like i wont go too into it, but hatchi matchi it was a mess. so yeah, communication, affection, and like reassurance that they actually want to be with me, and that my presence is wanted and enjoyed. I got a lot of “i dont care”s for answers last sort-of relationship, and that was rly discouraging. another turn on is for them to initiate talking and things, like holding hands or planning to hang out + such. consent is another big one.

29. Do you usually ask other women out or do you wait for them to ask you?

i usually tend to ask them out, but im still dealing w internalized junk, so its difficult. i also havent any situations in which they liked me back, which is frustrating. like i got lead on earlier summer for abt a month until i asked what we were doing + didnt rly get an answer, and it was this whole mess. i generally try to make the first move tho, bc i know firsthand how difficult it is, but that being said, it’s still hard for me to know for sure if theyre interested + i dont wanna make things uncomf w them, so i’ll wait until i think there might b attraction. that being said, once that’s all out of the way, i like to consider myself a good flirt when im trying.

31. Talk about your interests or hobbies!

i have lots of interests!! im obsessed w steven universe, its my fav show (and if u ever have time, we should totally watch it together sometime, i rly think you’d love it, it’s super gay + heartwarming.) i really love playing music and learning new songs, which im rly great at memorizing. talking to friends + gettin 2 know them better is always nice and fun. i like to draw new things + see the different ways ppl draw, so seeing art on here is always fun for me. i’m also rly into polygon videos (it’s a youtube channel, not like videos abt polygon haha) and this podcast called the adventure zone. season one just ended, so i might start listening to another one called friends at the table. i rly wanna start a podcast w someone, but can never find anyone to start it with. idk what I’d talk abt but if i could find a partner for it, i think it’d be a lot of fun. mb smth abt games or books/queer representation in media. doing a dnd podcast would also b rly fun, but a lot of work + editing so mb later down the road !! im blanking on other interests atm, but animations and cartoons r lovely and i aim to make something in that field one day, if not just a comic.

my hobbies r mostlyyyy drawing, dnd things now every thursday, hanging w my friends, playing video games, sometimes writing (i rly wanna start a comic, and im tryin to get my butt into gear on it), goin to parks, listening to music, and goin 2 events w roe + cesar, two of my friends. sometimes ill play music!! i need to get more than the keyboard i’m lending, but i love performing. ill also watch leg birds on youtube, theyre a lesbian couple that plays gams + theyre rly sweet.

33. Do you love easily or does it take time for you to warm up to someone?

its easy for me to love friends, doesnt usu take me more than a few months of knowing them if were talking a lot. as for falling in love, that takes me a lot longer. ive never rly been in love w someone. i thought i was once, but rly it was just my first gay experience w someone and i wanted it to be perfect so i projected a lot of things + made it better than it seemed to myself for the duration of it, which wasn’t healthy, so i wanna avoid doing that again, + take things slower next time. or at least for what they are.

35. Ever fallen for a straight girl?

a few times, they were just crushes tho, so it wasnt too too bad

37. Favorite comfort food?

hot cocoa or tea. as for food food, i dont think i have one. mb french toast or cinnamon rolls.

39. Vegetarian? Vegan? None of the above?

i used to be a vegetarian!! for like a yr, but it was difficult for me to eat and feel full, and i was pretty underweight, so i stopped.

41. Early-riser or night-owl?

both, i tend to stay up, but getting up early can be nice if i dont have to do anything. like just gently waking + making some tea and a nice breakfast + sittin around for a bit.

43. What is your Myers-Briggs type?

enfp-a

45. At what age did you know you were a lesbian?

i think like 16-17? it took me a bit to get words for identity, like lesbian/nonbinary and the like, but i always knew, like id call myself an individual as opposed to gendered terms that i was referred to, and always felt rly yucky w deadname + the wrong pronouns

47. Are you crushing on anyone at the moment (celebrity or otherwise)?

ive got one crush atm !! and another person who seems nice, but i wanna hang out w before like thinking abt a crush (im poly, which perhaps goes w/o saying, but i always like to state it when talking abt these things, jic )

49. Talk about your dreams/aspirations for the future

i’d like a partner or two, to get some bongos- i got to play some a couple weeks ago, and it was the most fun i’ve had playing anything!! having smth with an instant response that i could make up rhythms with was really rewarding and so much fun. i know i want a cat at some point, to go on cute dates + cuddle and kiss a lot w someone, to visit my friends in other places, dye my hair, get a better job, to travel a bit, make a comic, go to college for animation and storyboarding, mb go to camp at some point, and I’d like to make some more friends here, i’m already making some, which i’m super happy about, but it’s always nice meeting new ppl

thank u for asking!! this was relaxing + fun, and a lot of the topics were cathartic to talk about, and i needed it. so thanks for listening too kinda

also im queen of commas, i’ve discovered while typing this

#msg in a bottle #cass charts #idk what i want my ask tag to be

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crowcialist · 7 years

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Dorothy Lake-Bear Lake-Deer Lake, 6/10-6/11

This weekend was just my second backpacking trip since I walked into Canada on the PCT in September. I find that I have not lost all my old habits, though. The sound of running water still makes my ears prick up, and my eyes immediately start looking for a path down to it where I might filter enough for the next few hours. It makes me proud that I haven’t lost the little things like that. It makes me hopeful that I’ll never really lose them, that I really have been changed in some ways big and small by the adventures I’ve undertaken. (People always say that they’re changed by things like that, but I wonder how much they’re really still carrying inside them after awhile. I can tell you from experience that it can be hard to differentiate the ways you’re really different after from the stories you choose to tell after. The former doesn’t always make for the best of the latter.)

What I have lost are my thru-hiking legs. One day of going up and down switchbacks was enough to set every muscle in them on fire; the me of a year ago would’ve been ashamed at how gassed I was after nine miles. But that’s the whole point of the paragraph above this one, isn’t it? I’m not the me of a year ago, in ways both good and ill. It should be enough that I still get to snap to attention with cold feet in a rushing stream and marvel at the jagged pinnacles above me. It should be enough to hike as far as I want to, not as far as I need to, with good people I can laugh with as we cook dinner outside our tents.

Long-distance hiking, like writing, is an act of faith. You have to believe that at some point what you once thought was an insurmountable amount of work and practice laying before you will someday be behind you, that what now seems like the impossible will someday seem like the mundane norm of your own basic expectation. I might not--I probably won’t--ever thru-hike again. But I’ve committed enough of myself to writing over the years that the same process is to some degree playing out: in the day-to-day, I still often feel frustrated and slow and unqualified. But after a time, I can look back and see all the miles I’ve put behind me along the way.

Okay, to the trail. On the lower half of the ridge, the trail is lined with trillium. I feel a particular attachment to that flower because I had never seen it before my first backpacking trip, nine years and change ago. There, on the John’s Brook trail in the Adirondack Mountains, it was all over the place: three pointed blood-red petals springing out of the ground. I don’t remember much from that trip, but I do remember the trillium. One photo I took of it was the desktop background on a computer at my dad’s house long since scrapped. I can still see it, but the picture is gone forever. (Such is the impermanence of things--flowers, photos, 1s and 0s.)

We gained 800 feet in the first two miles up the switchbacks to Dorothy Lake. We had a pleasant enough walk along the lakeside, though we were eventually required to cross a shallow, wide stream gushing with snowmelt. As such it was almost unbearably cold. Not being nimble enough to rock-hop my way across, I plowed straight in, and by the time I picked my way onto the opposite shore my feet and ankles were on fire with cold. The rest of our party made it across on the rocks with varying degrees of success, but there was really no way to make it completely across without getting one’s feet wet.

At Dorothy’s southern end we started another 800-foot climb up switchbacks that grew increasingly more snow-covered. By the time we finally crested the ridge and made it down to the other pair of lakes, it was pouring rain--hardly an ideal condition for sitting in the snow and eating lunch, especially if, like 2 of our party of 6, it’s your first ever backpacking trip. Save for more snow coming from the clouds, we hit just about every possible condition on the way up: dazzling sun to creeping fog to pouring rain.

Between the snow cover and the temperature it was clear that, rain or no rain, sleeping up top wasn’t really an option. So we retraced our steps for two miles or so, back down the punishing switchbacks of the ridge, until we got back to the freezing stream. On the near side was a camping spot good enough for our three tents (and two hammocks we hung up to boot).

God, I’ve missed this, I wrote in my journal that night from the snug dry confines of my tent. I didn’t believe I did until today, but it does something to my spirit to be bodily exhausted after a day of getting Lucky Enough--to not step wrong into a posthole and injure myself, to be with five great friends out in woods that smell like Christmas, to drop my hood and turn my face up into the rain and say a silent thank-you that I get to be alive today. I am at root a homebody. But my soul still cries out for old growth forests and dripping moss and cold streams made gray by glacial till. Being able to touch the ferns and trees and rocks grounds me in its own unique way, and I hope I never forget to bring myself to the places where that can happen best.

* * * * *

The last bit of my journal from that night--before a morning spent alone by the side of the stream, before a hike out with friends into dazzling sunshine that made the whole weekend feel complete--reads as follows:

It is difficult for me to appreciate anything as much as it ought to be appreciated unless I seek out--and reach--a period of profound loneliness.

This need not be for more than a day, though the effect certainly deepens the longer I spend in solitude. I feel it strongest in the evenings and when I climb into bed--in this I am definitely not alone--and it often keeps me up later than I’d like. But it’s healthy to stay up and ponder your own inner workings from time to time.

#hiking #backpacking #outdoors #washington #pnw #explore #cascades #adirondacks #trillium #tents

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sychellebanda · 7 years

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CONTINUING ILOCANDIA ADVENTURES

“Travelling is one way to meet new people”- here’s a bunch of groups that we have encountered during the Ilocos Tour, A group shot taken at Patapat Viaduct.- Thanks for the nice tour coordinators who manage to take this shot and made the vehicles stop for a couple of minutes.

For the second day of our tour, we headed to Ilocos Norte. It was a long drive which gave us some time to take some sleep. But for me, I enjoy watching the beautiful views during trips like this and choose not to sleep.

First stop is the Marcos Museum at Batac, Ilocos Norte it is dedicated to former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. The entrance fee of the Museum is 50/head for the adults and 30.00 for seniors & students then for 10 y/o below is 10.00. You can find lots of memorabilia there and of course the body of Marcos which is preserved under 7 layers of surgical wax as they said. Cameras/phones are not allowed inside the Mausoleum.

Next stop is the beautiful church of Paoay, one of the oldest church in the Philippines.The façade was really picture-perfect. Just by looking at the church it will really make you wish that someday you will walk thru its aisle and say your “ I DO’s” with the one you love.

And for our third itinerary, we went to Culili Point Sand Dunes. I think this is one of the highlights of our tour. Riding a 4x4 thru an extreme trails with sand boarding was really a lot of fun, but of course we felt tons of nervousness throughout the activity. Screaming at the top of our lungs for every high peaks that we need to cross. But we enjoyed a lot.

There is no entrance fee but each ride cost 2500.00 or you can just pay 500.00 per head for a group of 5. You also need to fill up a waiver form before you ride the 1 hour extreme adventure of 4 x 4. But don’t worry, cause the drivers there are well trained as they said.

After the extreme activity we headed to a mini restaurant to have our lunch- forgot the name of the place. But their food is affordable enough as I remember.

Then we headed to the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, There’s a short uphill climb before you reach the steps of the lighthouse but you can take a tricycle if you don’t want to take a walk like what we do, but when we are going back to our van we just take a walk since we are going down, it’s not so tiring :)

Exploring the light house is free but we are not allowed to climb up to the Lighthouse tower. But the scenic view at the veranda part was already awesome, so i think its quite enough for us even though we didn’t reach the top most part.

For the next place, we went on Kapurpurawan Rock Formation, going there you can already have a glimpse on the famous windmills of Ilocos and they have really lots of it there.

Going back to the rock formation, before reaching the beautiful and unique art created by nature. you need to walk thru a path for a couple of minutes. But if you don’t want, you can hire some horse there and try horseback riding.

The rock formations was really awesome but we haven’t able to get to them as close as we want because the path thru it, was rocky and slippery, our shoes was not meant to cross those paths, I suggest that when you visit this place you must wear shoes that is same as the one you use for hiking/trekking.

They call it Kapurpurawan because the word “puraw” in Ilocano means white, obviously because of its color specially. We enjoyed taking pictures here and forgot about our time, we thought that the people with us there, was on the same tour as we have but unfortunately they are not, so we end up rushing and running to our van because they are waiting for us but not quite long. hehehe~ sometimes that’s the disadvantage of a tour, you have limited time to appreciate the places. But it’s fine tho.

Next on the list was the Bangui windmills. Ohhh I love this place so much. Because instead of sand they have pebbles, and i don’t really know but i love rocks/stones. so i end up getting some pebbles and take it home :). I think it’s one of the reasons why my bag was uhmmm heavy.

This is the last place that we have for the second day of the tour, and it was about 6 pm i guess, so we doesn’t have much time to take some pictures because of the lack of the natural light. We just enjoyed the beach, wind and the pebbles :) then we headed to our last night of accommodation.

Are 2nd day accommodation is at Casa Victoria Beach Resort Brgy. Saud, Pagudpud. Our room was also nice and clean. The food was also good. And the view was very awesome. I think this is also one of the best experience that we had because our room is near the beach, we got the chance to enjoy the beauty of the sea early in the morning, while the others are still sleeping (i guess) we are already wandering at the beach. And it was really relaxing, it make us feel a little bit sad tho, cause we know its our last day and after this day we’ll be back to reality ~ work work work.

After taking our breakfast, the third day of the tour started. We went first to Bantay Abot cave, this interesting place is not really a cave as they said, but a rocky hill that resulted from an earthquake that happened so many years ago. Bantay Abot Caves means “a mountain with a hole.”

To reach the “hole” part you have to get down from the main road to get close to the spot. The path was quite rocky and slippery cause the waves can get as close as to the sides of the path thru the cave. But it’s worthy, the place was really breathtaking.

For the second to the last itinerary, we went to a beach near Hannah’s beach resort. We have some time to swim and play before going back to Ilocos Sur.

Me and my sister didn’t try to swim because the waves are quite strong and we really don’t know how to swim ~ hahaha. we just enjoy playing with the sand and walking at the shore.

After our lunch, we headed to the last itinerary for Ilocos Norte, The Malacañang of the North or Malacañang ti Amianan in Ilocano it is only one of the 29 summer residences built by Former Philippine President Fernando Marcos.

It overlooks the scenic blue waters of Paoay Lake. They have lots of rooms and memorabilia of the family of Marcos can also be seen there. Also the Office used by Pres. Marcos was also there.

Malacañang of the North is now managed by the Department of Tourism, entrance fees are 20 pesos and 10 pesos for adults and children respectively.

After the journey of the North, we headed back to Vigan to have our final tour and buy some pasalubong. We depart at around 5pm to go back to Manila and I guess we were home at around 3 am. And tadaaaa! I have a couple of hours to sleep and rest because I will be preparing for my early work schedule again. ~

Super plenty of places to go, Many scenic views to appreciate but we have too little time to explore the beauty of Ilocos. 3D and 2N was really not enough, Hoping to get back to this awesome places again.

Ilocos really captures my heart. I will surely go back here.

#ilocossur #adventure #windmill #beach #explore #itravelphilippines #discoverphilippines #chooseph #travel #sibgoals #sanddunes #paoay #vigan #ilocosnorte

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jasonjhatfield · 7 years

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For those of you that don't know, I'm planning to attempt a thru-hike of the Colorado Trail with Koda this July. The Colorado Trail is around 490 miles long, starts in Waterton Canyon, ends in Durango, and travels through some of the most incredible mountain ranges in the west. It's always been a life interest of mine to thru-hike a trail, but it's been one of those things that I've always said I'll do someday. When you get over 30 and start to contemplate mortality a little more, you realize some of those "someday" plans might never happen if you don't take chances when they come. This trek is an affirmation of my devotion to the journey I started when moving to Colorado and a continuation of my drive to connect more meaningfully with nature. I've never done anything like this but I've spent a lot of time solo backpacking, so I don't anticipate any major issues. I'll be mostly self-supported but will be looking for some help with resupplies. I'm also planning to combine this trek with my photography business in a few different ways. I'll be backpacking with my camera gear and hope to produce a documentary or adventure series on the trail, a magazine/print article or series, and high-quality photo essay book of the trail. To that end, I've already had some meetings and planning, but I still need a lot of support! I've laid the groundwork plans for these ideas but I'm looking for possible support and/or sponsorships. This thru-hike isn't about setting a speed-record or overcoming a hardship, but it is about telling the story of Colorado, the trail, and it's connection to us. If you have any suggestions, feedback, connections to parties that might be interested, advice, or want to lend a hand, please let me know! Thank you everyone for your support!

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drashleighreid · 5 years

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If you have the time, do all you haven’t done!

omfg! haha okay holy shit

Alisons: Sexuality?

lesbonym

Amaranth: Pronouns/Gender?

She/her

Amaryllis: birthday?

nov 4th!

Anemone: Favorite flower?

sunflowers and port wine magnolias for their scent and peonies!

Angelonia: Favorite tv show?

id say favorite of recent would be big little lies

Arum-Lily: What’s the farthest you’d go for a stranger?

i don’t know i guess it depends on the situation. i find myself agreeing to do things for strangers for some reason like one time i took an acting workshop and i literally drove three people home afterwards even though they didnt live anywhere near me and i didnt know them at all lkjsf

Aubrieta: Favorite drink?

i dont drink much else but water usually lol. i like cold brew coffee and iced tea too. and lemon ginger tea. alcohol-wise i love gin and tonics, red wine, and old-fashioneds

Baby’s Breath: Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?

no but i said that the time before too LMAO

Balsam Fir: Have you ever been in love?

im not sure. i’ve felt really strong feelings for people in the past but i don’t think it’s ever been mutual so i guess not

Baneberries: Favorite song?

god i don’t know if i can do a favorite of all time. i recently played this video game Submerged and it was a really cleansing and wholesome time and I’ve been listening to the orchestral score of that a lot since. any lana del rey song, get free - major lazer hits me in my toner tbh, the jazz standard stardust - there are so many versions i adore idk its too hard to pick ill just end up listing my whole spotify soon i dont really have all time favorites i just go thru waves Basket of Gold: Describe your family.

my mum runs a childcare business, my nan works at a post office, my brother is an IT guy my sister in law is a hairdresser and i have two young nieces who are in 1st and 2nd grade. they all live in my hometown which is kinda far from me. my dad passed away a few years ago but he owned a flower farm. my parents separated when i was in 2nd grade but i spent every holidays with my dad. i have looooooots of cousins lol

Beebalm: do you have a best friend? Who is it?

i dont really do the hierarchy thing ! but i have a few. my friends jess and rach from here are my fave people ever and literally make me cry with laughter when we all hang out and my friend meg who i’ve known since 8th grade is my vegan salad club soul sister and i love her to death

Bellflower: favorite animal

dogs and toucans ! lov birbs

Bergenia: Are you a morning or night person?

night!

Bluemink: What are your thoughts on children?

that i dont understand how i didnt get the maternal gene when my mum literally looks after children for a living slkjsdf. im not opposed to having one someday but not for a while and i think id honestly be content either way

Blazing Stars: What are you afraid of? Is there a reason why?

small spaces/being trapped which i dont know? ive just always had some level of claustrophobia i dont know where it came from

Bugleherb: How would you spend your last day on Earth?

probably stressed LMAO. idk hanging out with loved ones eating good food trying to do a bunch of things i’ve always wanted to do

Buttercup: Relationship Status?

in a committed relationship with a body pillow and my vibrator

Candytufts: When do you feel most loved?

when i can speak openly and be vulnerable comfortably. when people tell me they care about me and value my presence

Canterbury Bells: Do you have any piercings?

2x each ear and one cartilage

California Poppy: Height?

5′6

Cardinal Flower: Do you believe in ghosts?

yes

Carnation: What are you currently wearing?

a cute grey nightgown lol *+*

Catnip: Have you ever slept with a nightlight?

im sure i did when i was younger but now light kind of bothers me when im trying to sleep

Chrysanthemum: who was the last person you kissed?

my friend when we were drunk

Cock’s Comb: favorite font?

i dont think i really have one lol

Columbine: Are you tired?

im kinda like comfy sleepy. its pouring rain and a cool breeze is coming through my window and im really cozy so its just like. nice.

Coneflower: Dream job?

scriptwriter/director

Crane’s-bill: Introvert or extrovert?

im an introvert

Crown Imperial: What’s the farthest you would go for someone you care about?

im fiercely loyal to those i love.

Daffodil: What’s your zodiac sign?

scorpio babeeeeey

Dahlia: Have you done anything worth remembering?

hmm. in what scheme lol. of the world? probably not yet but we’re working on it.

Daisy: What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?

idk if its an accomplishment but my travels are probably the highlight of my life to me. im kind of always fearless when i travel lol and i love that for me

False Goat’s Beard: What is something you are good at?

i dont know. i like to think im good at talking people through things and being empathetic and giving advice. i try my best to be there for people

Foxgloves: What’s something you’re bad at?

letting things go. not bottling things up.

Freesia: what are three good things that have happened in the past month?

i finished school for the semester ! i started a painting! i saw two cool theatre shows.

Garden Cosmos: How was your day today?

actually pretty good!

Gardenia: Are you happy with where you’re at in your life?

not really but i’m starting to see the potential in the future a lot more. i tend to get really stuck and struggle to see beyond my current situation but i’m trying to look forward and realise that things are going to get a lot better with time

Gladiolus: What is something you hope to do in the next year or two?

direct a short film i’m happy with, write more, travel overseas, cultivate a close group of friends here, go back to singing lessons.

Heliotropium: What helps you calm down when you feel stressed?

watching youtube videos ! jenna and julien and remi cruz are my favorites they just make me feel so positive. listening to podcasts especially my dad wrote a porno because even if im in the worst mood ill literally be sobbing with laughter. listening to music and playing mindless games on my phone! watching movies and tv shows. getting out of the house and going to a cafe/wandering around the mall. going to the movie theatre. reading !

Hellebore: How do you show affection?

i use my words a lot of the time. if i really care about someone i’ll talk to them and be there for them.

Hoary Stock: What are you proudest of?

im proud of my strength and my unwavering knowledge of what i deserve. im proud of my friends and my family and everyone in my life.

Hollyhock: Describe your ideal day?

waking up and taking a dog for a walk having coffee and brunch with a close friend doing something fun like rock climbing or ice skating or going on a hike then going to see a show and going home to watch movies or play video games or play card games

Hyacinth: what do you like to do in your free time?

read, watch movies, exercise, talk to friends, write

Hydrangea: How long have you known your best friend? How did you meet them?

Jess and Rach i met on here like ??? i cant remember when ?? 2012 ?? 2011? then we finally met in person in 2015 and now i swear i see them more often than i see friends i live in the same place as. my best friend from high school i met in 8th grade so 2007??

Irises: Who can you talk to about (almost) everything?

my best friends. my sister in law.

Laceleaf: How many friends do you have?

idk its kinda weird to count lol

Lantanas: What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?

hmm. this random lady in a mall once told me i can pull off red lipstick better than anyone shes ever seen before shhhhwooooosh. some of the things people have said about my fics literally makes me want to cry. one of my professors last year wrote a really lovely recommendation letter for me and told me i was fucking awesome and was going to do great things.

Larkspur: What do you think of yourself?

She’s Trying. idk i struggle sometimes but at my core im proud of myself and i know my worth

Lavender: What’s your favorite thing about yourself?

My resilience and passion and empathy.

Leather Flower: What’s your least favorite thing about yourself?

that i lose sight of what i want and how to get it. that i shut people out and am sometimes so scarily independent that it tips and turns me lonely.

Lilac: What’s something you liked to do as a child?

visit my nans on the weekend and play video games. go to the beach. read !!! write.

Lily: Who was your best friend when you were a kid?

my best friend had the same name as me and we’d play bratz and she had a pool so it was lit now she lives a few houses down from where my mum lives and has a child and we havent really spoken since like 9th grade lol slfj

Lily of the Incas: What is something you still feel guilty for?

not making it back in time for my dads funeral

Lily of the Nile: What is something you feel guilty for that you shouldn’t feel guilty about?

a lot of the time im self assured enough to not feel guilt over things i know aren’t my fault or situations where im not in the wrong. i never want people to be unhappy or struggle even if they probably dont deserve my sympathy though so i get mixed feelings there.

Marigold: Where did you grow up? Tell us about it?

i grew up on a coastal beach town. a small sleepy lil bay. it’s super pretty and idyllic and gorgeous but living there grew a bit monotonous tbh im not a small town person. visiting is lovely though. my nan literally lived basically on the beach when i was growing up youd just like roll down a hill and be on the sand. i loved it so much

Morning Glory: What was your bedroom like growing up?

i had a few different ones. i usually had purple walls ! and id decorate it with random things i was interested in and had books everywhere

Mugworts: What was it like for you as a teenager? Did you enjoy your teenage years?

i mean not a whole lot LOL high school kinda sucked. i did really well at school and i had some good friends! it wasnt the worst but i was also a closeted gay and didnt know who tf i was so there was some struggles around that.

Norwegian Angelica: Tell us about your mom?

shes generous and selfless and kind. she’s had a bit of a rough life but she’s strong.

Onions: Tell about your dad

i love that this q is ‘onions’ mood. our relationship was ,,, turbulent. i have some really great memories with him and visiting was honestly good a lot of the time when i was growing up! we’d play pool and id help them with the flowers and we’d go out boating and swimming and bowling and do lots of fun stuff but he was also an alcoholic and gradually got worse as i got older and he was really intimidating and could be really hot and cold and had really unrealistic expectations.

Orchid: Tell about your grandparents

i was really close with my grandmother on my dads side she gave me my passion for reading and writing !! when i was really young i would sit in her lap and she would read me stories and then when i got older i started reading the stories to her we were super close she passed away when i was in 6th grade and it was really sad i loved her. my grandpa on my mums side taught me how to play pool !! he used to run the pool club where i’d compete and he was just a nice guy he passed away a few years ago. and my nan on my mums side is an icon i love hanging out with her i grew up spending almost every weekend at her house playing video games she always has all the newest consoles and video games for all of her grandchildren lol we go for walks on the beach and shes awesome one time she came to pick me up from school blasting low by flo rida we stan

Pansy: What was your most memorable birthday? What made it be so memorable?

hmm my 16th maybe ! that was when i was in the US and i remember having cheer practice and my host mom brought cake in and it was just really nice. idk why my 10th birthday is so memorable to me but i had a lit bday party and i remember so much about it lol?

Peony: What was your first job?

i was a barista!

Petunia: If you’re in a relationship, how did you meet your partner(s)? If you’re not in a relationship, how did you meet your crush/how do you hope to meet your future partner(s), if you want any?

i dont know if i have an idea on how i hope to meet my future partner its not something i plan or have a preference for. ive met most of my closest friends online and w being gay *+* lol itll prob be through online im guessing.

Pincushion: How do you deal with pain?

physically? poorly LOL im such a baby if im in pain in any way.

Pink: where is home?

idk. i dont know if i have one just yet tbh. we’ll find it !

Plantain Lilies: If you could go back in time, whats is one thing you would stop/change?

hmm i try to live without ragrets. there are a few situations id like to go into either wiser or not at all though if im being hoe nest.

Prairie Gentian: Who is someone you look up to? Describe them.

hmm. there are a few actresses/celebs i look up to ! all these qs are turning my brain into goo LMAO i cant think

Rhododendron: What is something you used to believe in as a child?

i heard once that someone related to my great grandfather had some kind of connection to french royalty ?? idk how true that was but i was waiting for my princess diaries moment for a while there

Ricinus: who’s the most important in your life?

me bitch

Rose: What’s your favorite sound?

rain/thunder

Snapdragon: At this moment, what do you want?

to read fic until im too sleepy to keep my eyes open then drift off *+*

St. John’s Wort: Is it easy or difficult for you to express how you feel about things?

depends on the situation. i wouldn’t say easy but i can speak and explain myself well because I spend soo much time thinking about things lol

Sunflower: What is something you don’t want to imagine life without?

my mum

Sweet Pea: How much sleep did you get last night?

like 9 hrs lol

Tickseed: What’s your main reason to get up every morning?

coffee

Touch-me-not: how do you feel about your current job?

that i need one

Transvaal Daisy: What’s your favorite item of clothing?

black jeans

Vervain: What’s stressing you out most right now?

this and that. packing to go away

Wisteria: How many books have you read in the past few months? what were they called?

lol none really. i read a few at the beginning of the year but nothing lately. ive read innumerable fic tho does that count

Wolf’s Bane: Where do you want to be in life this time next year?

happier ! growing ! loved. i want to feel accomplished with what i created during the school year, fulfilled. surrounded by people with pure intentions. hopefully just overseas somewhere

Yarrow: Do you know what vore is?

whY is this a question ???????????????????

Zinnia: Give a random fact about yourself

i used to be a fitness instructor

okay that was a lot more questions than i thought it was LMAO fuck

thank you for the entertainment that was fun ! xx

#omfg im dead i didnt think there were that many #long post #read more #Anonymous

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cougbowler · 6 years

Text

I am now a Trail Angel

On Monday September 17, 2018 I became an official Trail Angel and provided a little bit of magic. The whole experience made it one of the most satisfying days of my life. I have no idea how many years left on this earth I have but they will be spent “giving”. You may be asking yourself what is a “Trail Angel”? I will tell you.

First a little background: Soon after getting into hiking in 2015 I began reading quite a few books of real life accounts of hiking adventures. Most of these have been of people who have hiked the entire AT (Appalachian Trail). These people are known as thru-hikers. Thru-Hikers of the AT or even the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) can be out in the wilderness for 4-5 months straight. The AT goes from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mt. Katahdin in Maine. The PCT from the US/Mexico border east of San Diego to Canada north of the Okanagon in Washington State. Both are around 2400 miles. The normal trip for both of these are NOBO (in the North Bound direction) and are from around April to September.

While reading these books I could not imagine walking, quite a bit of them alone, for days at a time without seeing another human and sometimes running out of food or water. The logistics involved are incredible as well. Hikers will mail resupply boxes to various cities along the route so they can pick up more food or other supplies as they go since nobody can carry 4-5 months of food with them. Every book has had something in common. The hiker is in the middle of nowhere and either getting close to a campground or a road crossing (both of these trails cross various roads both dirt, paved and even Freeways) and all of sudden there is a person or a group of people setup and providing hikers with food and drinks when they least expected it. These people are Trail Angels and the amazing food and generosity they provide is the Trail Magic. Sometimes a hiker will just come across some Magic with no Angel in site. This could be in the form of a cooler full of beer, water or gatorade or even some candy bars or other snacks. Some Trail Magic could be a bunch of cold drinks tied up at a stream crossing staying cold in the water. Amazing right?

So how did I become an angel? This summer I have been following along via YouTube of a local Seattle-ite hiker who has been hiking the PCT. It has been awesome to follow along her journey and experience a thru-hike that I will never……….wait….. That I have yet to do. She has passed a few different Trail Angels and received Magic from non-angels. Most thru-hikers leave the trail and head to towns along the way to re-supply or take a “Zero Day”, a day where they hike zero trail miles. Quite a bit of these excursions are hitchhiking from the road-crossing to the town. The random people that give them rides are also Angels, usually unknowingly. I started thinking it would be amazing to give back to the hiking community and provide some Magic of my own. I started looking into how and where I could do this. I found a website about the PCT and saw that it crosses HWY 410 at Chinook Pass near Mt. Rainier and tried to get a few people from a couple Hiking FB groups together to do this but I was not sure when would even be a good time of year to ensure I would see thru-hikers and what would I bring and if it rained would I just be sitting out in the rain…. I needed more planning…. Then I found a FB group for PCT Hikers and even a couple groups for PCT Trail Angels. I joined these groups.

I woke up on September 17th and noticed in the Trail Angel group that a girl had posted the night before asking for help getting from Seattle to Marblemount up near the North Cascades HWY so she could get back on the trail. I posted a reply to see if she still needed a ride and got no reply so I sent her a DM through Messenger. She answered right away that yes she still needed a ride. She said it was her and her friend and they were hoping to go around 11am. I told her I would do it. So there it was my first instance of providing Trail Magic was going to be picking up 2 strangers in Seattle and driving them 2 hours north for free and just because. I was excited. I found out where they were and headed out to fill up my gas tank. She pinged me to say her friend had to go to the pharmacy that did not open until 11 so could I be there at 11:30? I told her if they wanted I would still grab them at 11 then stop by the pharmacy and head north. She said that would be great. So at 11am I got to the Holiday Inn on Dexter near the Seattle Center to pick up 2 hikers. Both of the were probably in their 30’s and the one I had been communicating with was Asia (Ah-see-ah) originally from Poland and her friend was Niko, originally from the Czech Republic but both currently lived in LA. They said they were in the midst of only hiking the PCT through Washington and had been on the trail since August 10 but had taken a break for the past week and explored the Olympic National Forest and Mt. Rainier. We left the hotel and headed to Fred Meyer in Ballard for the pharmacy. While Niko was in Fred Meyer Asia told me they were actually filming a movie and not just hiking the trail. She carried all of the equipment in her pack and Niko had the tent and food. They started out with a drone too but it had issues and never worked so they had to send it off for repairs early during the hike.

We left Ballard for our 2 hour drive to the Marblemount Ranger Station. Along the way I got to ask a lot of questions about the PCT and get my fill on thru-hiking information that I had always wondered about. I asked if they had “trail names” which are nicknames that most thru-hikers either get from other hikers or give themselves usually relevant to something they experience “on trail”. For example someone who is a fast hiker and making good miles everyday may be called “Speedy” or maybe a hiker breaks a hiking pole along the way and they get called “One-Pole”... Anyway they said that they gave each other names and Asia was “dirtball” and Niko was “sweatball”. I did not ask why but seems pretty self-explanatory. The drive was nice and relaxed. We talked about hiking and at times I kept quiet so as not to continue blasting them with questions. Niko spent some time looking at apartments in LA as they were planning on moving in together when they got back but also since they had been in Seattle and on the trail in Washington they were seriously considering moving to Seattle as they had fallen in love with our neck of the woods per se.

The girls were not sure what their plan was once they got to the Marblemount Ranger Station. They just knew they had to check in and get their permits for camping in the National Forest and figure out the best way to get on a trail that would lead them to Stehekin. ***** From what I have heard prior Stehekin is a magical place out near Chelan that can only be reached by a ferry or by hiking***** Their plan was to get to Stehekin in the next couple of days, stay there for a couple days then get on the PCT there and head to Canada. Sounds fun right?

We arrived at Marblemount and pulled up at the Ranger Station. I told them they could leave their packs in my car while they figured out what was next. We went in and Asia started getting the information and their permits. I saw some Bear Canisters in the corner and just had to check them out. I’ve read all about hikers having to carry these in certain places to keep their food safe from bears. This was another really cool first for me. I headed back to the desk to see what the Ranger was telling Asia and NIko. He showed them on a map a couple of places they could camp along the way to Stehekin but first they had to get to the Cascade Pass Trail near the Johannesburg Campground about an hour away. Their plan was to get there and stay the night then start hiking in the morning. Once they realized this was their plan I knew they had no idea how they were going to get to the Campground so I told them I would take them. What’s another hour of driving anyway right? But it was already after 1pm and I think we were all hungry. I asked if they wanted to get some food in Marblemount before heading out and offered to buy them lunch. We went to a cute little place called the Glacier Peak Eatery. After some food we were on our way to the campground. The road was mostly paved but had some portions of dirt and luckily was pretty well maintained without many potholes. We made it there and to their dismay there were tons of vehicles. They were hoping to be somewhat secluded. The actual campsite was about 200 yards from the parking lot so I am not sure how crowded it was but it also looked like quite a few people were heading out so maybe they were mainly day hikers. We got their packs out of the trunk and noticed how it was pretty cold there but I was super jealous I was not partaking in their adventure. They thanked me for the 20th time and I told them it was my pleasure. I gave them each a hug and told them I would be following on IG and looking forward to the movie debut.

I used the restroom and headed back down the windy road. I plugged in my spotify and was engulfed in emotions. Similar to when I start the return trip of one of my hikes and my itch to do a backpacking trip has just got 100 times worse. While Asia and Niko were thankful and were happy to have received a free ride and a free meal it was me that got the most out of it. My heart was full and I can’t explain the feeling of helping someone out with no expectations in return. What I also got out of it was 2 new friends. Yes I may never see them again but we definitely became friends and as I drove away I felt happy but also a sadness as I truly was starting to miss them and I sooo wanted to be out at the campground getting setup for the night and preparing for the next day hike. Someday… Someday. But until then I will continue to seek and provide Magic to those that can use it.

#trailangel

#trailmagic

#pcthikers

#thruhiking

#someday

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becausewolo-blog · 7 years

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Melanie Day’s Bucket List

Greetings, Wolo World, welcome to a very powerful edition of #BucketListsOfTheWorld. This week, we are excited to introduce you to an incredible woman named Melanie Day. She comes to us via her friend, Kathryn Turner, a college friend of Wolo co-founder Ray Collins. If you’d like to learn more about her message, follow Melanie on Instagram or check out her website, Five Years to Live.

Who are you, and what do you do?

I am a wife, a mother of 3, a former college athlete, and a terminal cancer patient. My husband and I recently moved to Utah to seek better health care. Our children are 6, 4, and 3. I played basketball competitively growing up in Southern California and had a successful college career at UCLA and BYU. I was diagnosed with breast cancer 4 years ago while I was pregnant with my 3rd child. I had chemo, radiation, surgeries, AND miraculously, a healthy baby boy! Eventually, I was declared cancer-free, but the cancer metastasized to my bones in 2015. I was then given five years to live. This prognosis has changed how I live my life. I decided to stop wasting time on things that don’t matter. I want to live life to the fullest and no longer delay my dreams. The things I’ve always said I’d do someday have become an urgent priority. Because I don’t know how many more somedays I’ll have. That is what I want to share with others: to live like you, too, have five years to live. To focus on what really matters. To take that dream vacation. To start that business. To tell that person how you REALLY feel. Because we don’t know when we will be taken from this life. Every day is a bonus day. So start checking off your bucket list!

What are three experiences currently on your bucket list?

(1) Girls trip to NYC and also Maine to see the Fall leaves. I've always wanted to spend a few days in New York with my best friends, going to shows and getting the good eats. Also, I've heard that seeing the fall leaves in Maine is a must.

(2) Go to Africa. It's been a place I've dreamed about going since I was a little girl. My mom spent a lot of time in Africa for work when I was younger so it's always been a fascinating place to me.

(3) Float down the Provo river. I realize that's not super exciting, but I spent a few years in Provo for college and I've always wanted to do it and never have. I live in Utah now so I'm hoping to cross this off this summer!

What are three awesome things you’ve recently checked off your bucket list?

(1) I was flash mobbed. My cousin and her coworkers surprised me while I was hanging out at a family fun center one day. They announced my name over the loudspeaker and had me come to the middle of the skating rink where they danced their choreographed routine for me. It was slightly awkward because I didn't know anyone besides my cousin performing, but it was so thoughtful that my cousin would organize it for me. Her company, Clearlink, filmed it and interviewed me after for their Out of the Blue program. I wanted to get flash mobbed because I've loved watching the youtube videos of people coming together to do this at malls or subways. It just seems so cool to me. So I guess I just want people to entertain me. For free. And I love the element of surprise.

(2) I attended the UNC at Duke basketball game in February. It was honestly the number one thing on my bucket list, but I never thought I'd actually get to go. The coaches at BYU heard of this being on my bucket list, so they decided to try to make it happen. Unbeknownst to me, they sent a letter to Coach K at Duke about my wishes and to everyone's surprise, he responded! The BYU coaches surprised me with the news in the locker room after one of their games. They also contributed money to us to fly my husband and I out to North Carolina, as well as money for a hotel and rental car. My week in North Carolina was like a basketball fantasy. I attended practice at both Duke and North Carolina. I met both Coach K and Roy Williams, as well as their staffs. I was able to enter the arena hours before the game started to watch the Cameron Crazies enter the building (which honestly was so fascinating and a highlight for me). I was given the best seats at the game, right next to Coach K's grandson. I even got a fist bump from Coach K right before tip-off! The game did not disappoint. And the atmosphere did not either. It was all and even way more than I had dreamed of. During the week that I was there, I was interviewed almost every day by a different news station. It was a bit of a news circus, but I was happy to share my story, what I've learned from cancer, and how BYU, Duke, and UNC were so kind to me. I met so many great people. One of them being former Tarheel and NBA great, Eric Montross, who actually invited me back for the rematch of the two teams in Chapel Hill. So not only did I go to my dream game once, but I flew back a month later for the rematch!

(3) I danced to Busta Rhymes, "Do the Bus a Bus," with my former UCLA teammates. After our NCAA tournament wins, this is what we did to celebrate in the locker room. Winning in the NCAA tournament is a feeling different than any in the world. If I could re-create that feeling on the daily, I wouldn’t have a bad day. And honestly that is my favorite song to dance to (the clean version, of course). I organized an event last November called the Bucket List Benefit Concert to raise money for our family to cross off bucket list items (in lieu of a gofundme type fundraiser to cover medical expenses). A couple of my UCLA teammates came and we danced to this song together once again.

What is one place everyone must have on their bucket list? Why?

A Lantern Festival. I attended the RISE Festival in Las Vegas a couple years ago, and it was so much more magical than I ever imagined. Watching 10,000 lanterns release into the sky at the same time was one of the most unbelievable things I've ever seen. The desert sky went from pitch black to glowing in seconds and I was totally overcome with emotion. (I actually couldn't stop bawling.) I think everyone should experience this magic. In fact, I'm taking my husband and kids to a lantern festival in Utah next week!

What experience have you've crossed off on your bucket list that scared you most? (Or have yet to cross off?)

Skydiving. I was actually joking when I put this on my bucket list because I'm deathly afraid of heights. But I recently spent some time in New Zealand with some friends who I knew would make me do things I was uncomfortable with. I decided to do it to face my fear.

What’s something you’ve done that wasn’t originally on your bucket list, but are excited to say you’ve accomplished?

I just spent two weeks in beautiful New Zealand! The landscape is full of rolling green hills, cows and sheep, just as I imagined. I visited Hobbiton, went skydiving, kayaked, hiked to waterfalls, biked, surfed, tubed through a glow worm cave, and was basically on a non-stop adventure.

What’s one of the most obscure, outrageous or far-reaching thing on your bucket list that you have yet to accomplish?

Write a book. May not seem that outrageous or far-reaching to most people, but it is to me. I want to do it even though it overwhelms me thinking about it.

Who is one person you want to share a Wolo experience with, and what would you do?

I'd love to go on a Mediterranean cruise and go train tripping around Europe with my husband. That's always been my ultimate dream vacation. We both used to live in Portugal, while serving as LDS missionaries. Neither of us have ever been back.

And finally... do you know what's on your best friend's bucket list?

No, I had to ask my two best friends. Here are their responses:

Jorja:

Have a cabin in the mountains by a lake.

Go on a humanitarian trip.

Jamie:

Duke UNC game (she came to the game with me and my husband).

White water rafting thru the Grand Canyon for 3 days.

Live in our beach house for an extended period of time.

Travel to assorted places.

Finish our yard and house projects.

Live in the mountains for an extended period of time.

Live in Europe for a month.

Thanks for reading about Melanie's experiences! Again, follow Melanie on Instagram or check out her website, Five Years to Live. And in case you want to add some of her experiences to your own bucket list, here are a few that you can add now:

Visit NYC

Visit Maine to See the Fall Leaves

Float Down the Provo River

Go to Africa

Get Surprised by a Flash Mob

Attend a Carolina-Duke Basketball Game

Attend a Lantern Festival

Visit Hobbiton

Tube through Waitomo Glow Worm Cave

Write a Book

Go Skydiving

Visit New Zealand

#bucketlistsoftheworld #wolo #bucketlist #newzealand #nyc #africa #duke #unc #lanternfestival #skydiving #waitomo #flashmob

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