I have to admit, even though it is hard, I am not sure when I was this happy. And I am learning so much. So let me break it down for you.

Kindness

The best part of the trail so far has been the people. My first night, I met three section hikers who I shared a shelter with.

Diet Coke and Wildflower met the first section they hiked on the trail in 2023 and have been friends ever since.  Every year they meet up for three weeks and hike another section with the plan to get it done when it is done. Snowball was out for a weekend of backpacking. They are three of the kindest people I have ever met. They gave advice, shared their stories, and just made me feel so at home. I got to camp with Diet Coke and Wildflower the first few nights.

On night two, I met Wolfpacker and he and I bonded over both being NCSU alums. He is a retired English teacher and we found a common love of literature and poetry, particularly dealing with topics of nature. He gave me a great reading list I am going to tackle. And he was willing to let me contact him to discuss what I read. I love to talk about books with people.

Wolfpacker will always hold a special place in my heart for his willingness to be vulnerable and authentic and share his story with me. I was touched and hope that my listening helped him a little. That’s what telling our stories allows us to do, it takes some of the pressure off and allows other people to help carry the load. I believe as humans, we are all here to ease each other’s burdens.

I hope Wolfpacker and I become great friends. He is a wonderful human being.

Trail Magic

I got a taste of my first trail magic also. When I was running out of food and needed to resupply, I met a couple in the park that was offering rides into town. Planning on spending a night to see the town of Gettysburg, I took them up on their kind offer. Shortcut (named because most of his shortcuts end up being longer) is a thru-hiker but I forgot the year of his hike. He and his wife Victoria picked me up, gave me cold beverages (I cannot tell you how much of a treat a cold beverage is) and then graciously gave me the most wonderful tour of the Gettysburg battlefield.

As we rode around, all I could think of is the tragic deaths of all the men who fought in a war over the ability of human beings to buy, sell, and own other human beings. Gettysburg is a powerful reminder of the worst and the best that humans can be. Every person in the U.S. should see it in their lifetime. It hits hard.

All of these people I have mentioned, and all the others I have met, have filled my soul with hope, something I have been missing for a long time. We don’t all have the same religious or political beliefs but none of that matters. They are kind. That’s what matters and it is restoring my faith in humanity.

Learning

When I decided to hike the trail, I needed a “why” to motivate me. I knew the trail would teach me a lot, but what I most hope to learn is how to ask for and let other people help me. Everyone who knows me well knows that I am fiercely independent. I don’t allow a lot of reciprocity in my relationships and that needs to change. By never accepting help, I take away from others the bonding and feelings of joy we get from helping others.

The trail taught me a huge lesson regarding this. There was a spot when climbing up in the rocks that I couldn’t see the white blaze that marks the trail. It was on a tree that had fallen over in a windstorm. I wasn’t sure which way to go, it was pretty steep and very rocky (hello Maryland and Pennsylvania).

I looked around on the ground and I could see where the fallen leaf litter was crushed by footprints. Those are the footprints of all who have come before me and they will be followed by all who come after. That’s how life works. We don’t walk this world alone. Lesson one hit me right where I needed it to. 

Trail Names

Since I started talking about this journey, everyone has tried to get me to pick a trail name. I resisted because I wanted the trail to give me a name. Usually it has a funny story behind it. Here is mine.

I have a good friend who is a beekeeper and he has been teaching me about honeybees.  I am terrified of bees. But I have been pretty excited about all I have learned. Every time on the trail that I was challenged or discouraged, I would see a bee. They seemed to be reminding me not to be scared. And in typical Robin fashion, I was ready to launch into my dissertation on all I know about honeybees when the trail gave me the name Bumblebee. Wait, is a bumblebee and a honeybee the same? Okay Honeybee. Wait no, Bumblebee. I didn’t know.  So I asked my friend and he said “Bumblebees are a big fat solitary creatures. They don’t make honey and they live in the ground. Honeybees make honey but are technically an invasive species of bee but they give us sweet stuff.”

And then he told me that, in Pennsylvania (where I was), there is a species of bumblebee named Bombas Perplexus which means perplexing bumblebee. Hmm. When I looked up the picture, sure enough, those were my bees. I was going to give my bee dissertation, which would have been completely wrong because they weren’t the same bees!! Who knew??

However, in my life, I have been solitary, sometimes fat, and always perplexing. But I am walking the trail in order to be be sweeter. So I guess I am a bit of all of those. So it’s just Bee.

I am having the time of my life.

Bee

“Life is not what you alone make it. Life is the input of everyone who touched your life and every experience that entered it. We are all part of one another.” — Yuri Kochiyama