Sixty days, sixty unbelievable days. I wish I had sixty hours to just go back and look at the pictures, add to the stories and write about all the voice notes that sit quietly on my phone. I’ll just have to do that later sometime. For now, we move on, through yet another day that promises to be beautiful.
Today was once again incredible, a perfect day to walk out of Morristown and up to Rogersville, yep, Tennessee. Sky was deep blue, contrasted by white clouds. Air was crisp(er), didn’t even make it to 80 degrees, and a nice breeze all day. I couldn’t ask for more, except perhaps a wider shoulder on the roads! As you know, I’ve avoided walking along the Interstates. Then there’s the old US highways, like my friend 70, and kin 70S and 70N. Attaching to those are the state roads, then county roads, and there are the little bitty things they call roads connecting the country roads… that’s where I was lucky enough to be today for about 4 hours. Thank you Google Maps. These are places you wouldn’t go unless you knew someone or were terribly lost. Or, you’re walking to Strawberry Fields, are completely flexible and trust your electronics and instincts. These from @walktothepark on Instagram…
And along these lovely roads I came to a realization today. I wish I could say it was an “aha moment”, but it was more of a “duh”. The last three days out of Knoxville have been absolutely beautiful; the mountains, the hills, the barns, the fields. This morning I was thinking “this goes on and on forever”, as I’d seen nothing but pretty for three days. Then my realization… I was thinking in “car hours” instead of my “walk hours”, about 17 accumulated in these three days. Seventeen hours for me is about 50 miles, so duh, it’s obvious things aren’t going to change all that much. And the change is gradual, so perhaps not as noticeable. Had I spent 17 hours in a car at posted speed limits, I could have been back in Austin!
Here are the walking hours… that’s a beautiful 50 or so miles through the Eastern Tennessee mountains… (would have taken about an hour and a few minutes in a car)
And here is what approximately 17 driving hours will achieve… (has taken me 60 days!)
I definitely like walking hours better. The last 17 have been incredible, have seen things I’ve never seen and will probably never see again, talked to some very nice people, breathed a lot of really nice mountain air, took hundreds of pictures. My lesson to be learned… when things are nice, warm, positive, it’s time to switch, to slow down, walk instead of speeding through, and take as long as you possibly can…
If you find one of these, you’re on the right track… :-)
And these, for reinforcement…
