On the Road Again

Hello, lovely readers I can only assume exist somewhere. I write this blog from the public library in wonderous downtown Burlington, VT.

You may be saying to yourself, "I have been vigilant in my studies of Appalachian Trail maps and handbooks as I follow Twinkletoes on her whirlwind adventure, and I have never seen Burlington listed as a major stop along the way. How is it that she came to be in such a place?"

The answer, my incredulous friend, is as follows: As Voodoo and I extended our stay in the wonderful burg of Manchester Center for three nights (a zero and a half and a slackpack day), we woke on the morn of our final departure with less than an enthusiasm for hiking and an earnest need to break the monotony once again. So with nary a second thought, we Googled our way a route up the highway to Burlington - home of Ben & Jerry's and Magic Hat Brewery - and proceeded to catch a ride on the thumbnail express. That is to say, standing on the side of the road, we were here in three easy hitches with endless possibilities awaiting us. We rented ourselves a phat ride, strolled by Lake Champlain, wandered down I-89 and found an awesome flea market, and who knows what more will come in the next two days.

All I can say is that I am happier right now that I have ever been on the trail. By no means are we quitting the hike - we'll be back to Rutland, VT on Monday - but never before have I had someone to enjoy utter randomness with. Be spontaneous with. Enjoy life with. We will definitely finish the trail (you know, minus the parts we skipped). Getting to Katahdin is something I would never want to miss and was definitely never in question. To us, though, a lot of this hike was supposed to be all about the adventure, seeing new places and people, and having new experiences. I've done the white blazes and it was awesome and will be again at the end. Now it's time to fill in all those other gaps that the white blazes miss.

So that's all for now. I have no idea what we'll be doing the rest of our time here. Maybe visit Montpelier? Canada? The moon? Whatever it is, I know it will be amazing time spent with an amazing person and it will certainly not be hiking (probably).