I love you too: gratitude for my first week on the Pacific Crest Trail

Song of the week: Found (Forever) by Caamp

April 11 – April 18

Mile 0 – mile 85.3 (Julián)

The kilometers were easy the first day on the road; our bodies untouched by the desert, without dust still clinging to our toes and our backs still without feeling the weight of what we carried on them. Disbelief in what we were doing was enough to drive us through the 15.4 miles that first day. As we drove deeper and deeper into the desert, we watched as the boundary wall seemed to recede from us, slowly dwarfing in size compared to the surrounding mountains dotted with crumbling rocks and sharp bush vegetation. The conversation painted our miles that day, all eager to soak in the presence of people who understand because.

First night of cowboy camping with the girls!! So maybe…cowgirl camping?

Everyone here comes from different places, everyone has different pains and longings, different languages ​​and different things they like to put on their tortillas at lunchtime, but we also all have something in common: a driving force that brought us here. Some may have had a year of crashes and burns that led them to this path, a series of life events that lead the average person into substances or other forms of darkness, and following the path meant surviving. For some people here, the trail might have been just a whisper in their ears, one that only spoke very often, but over time painted a picture of what life could be like without the shackles of society.

Sunset at our campsite just before heading to Julian the next morning.

In the midst of too many conversations to count, I have been surprised by all the invisible threads; The unknown crossing of paths years ago, the mutual friends, places and people that are ingrained in my story, I discovered are written in the stories of many of the people I have already met here. It’s enough to make a girl feel like she belongs.

Tears have formed channels on my cheeks so many times during this first week; the fear, the pain in my feet, the overflowing laughter, the loneliness in my tent at night and the gratitude. gratitude. Gratitude for the sunrise I see every morning and gratitude for the friends who are by my side while I do it. Gratitude for the clean water I drink and gratitude for the hiding place hidden in the shadow of the desert when there is no stream to feed my filter. Gratitude for being here. To be on this path is to be loved, no person can do what is necessary to be here if they are not shown love, even if it is only the love they show themselves.

A beautiful crescent moon watching over us the night 7 🙂

A million thanks to the people who love me, the support and interest you have shown in this endeavor of mine is the fuel for my fire when my fires go out.
I love you too <3

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