I decided to leave Monday rather than Tuesday for my week
long disconnected adventures in the mountains.
To say that I over packed would
be an understatement. My first must do
item was to disconnect from Facebook and emails. I felt immediate relief knowing that I didn’t
have to worry about hateful messages, slanderous gossip, and the cesspool of
attention seeking, nosey, connected yet disconnected social media environment.
I will have to deactivate more often, boundaries are wonderful. It is amazing how social media affects
us. Car loaded and Bruiser in bucket, I
headed to the mountains. Once in
Pennsylvania gallons of water dumped on the turnpike. Semi-trucks and narrow lanes due to
construction wrecked more havoc on my nerves.
The rain was so bad in some cases that I could barely see. One must be able to see in order to not miss
one’s exit. Sigh, I took the next exit
which was the same location I entered the turnpike months ago for my Richmond, Virginia
getaway. No problem, except for my full
bladder. Alas, I stopped at a quaint Amish
store for some goodies, unloaded my bladder, and talked Siri into backtracking
as efficiently as possible.
After unpacking. I
drove around looking for a fresh food stand, craving fruits and vegetables with
no luck as all were closed for the day.
I did however find several trails.
The Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail was very close to where I was staying and
the anticipation of hiking and running in unfamiliar woods made me feel like a
kid, curiously exploring something new. The rain continued into the night, offering a
relaxing sound to accompany my reading, writing, and reflecting. A few times I found myself looking at my
phone as if I were to get sucked into the Facebook world but immediately
relieved upon remembering that it was deactivated. Just Bruiser and Me, mountains and the pitter
patter of rain drops. Day 1 was a success.
The rest of the week I was immersed in nature, facing fears
as I pushed myself out of my comfort zone, and relaxing. I tried zip-lining for the first time. I am terrified of heights, I physically
become shaky, legs trembling, sweating, and have to force myself to move. It was a small course with the options of
high and highest. We were allowed to use
the time to go around as often as we wanted.
I told the guy, “My only objective is to do it once and not die”. Mission accomplished!
I continued the days with hiking near the Youghioghney
River, tried some chocolate covered potato chips, hiking and trail running,
white water rafting, and kayaking. My
evenings were spent reading while Bruiser snuggled. It was a chilly week in July but regardless of weather, disconnecting while spending time in nature is rejuvenating, relaxing, and refreshing.
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