dirty, sweaty, stinky beauty
beautiful people everyone!
hi :)
typing this from haven's budget motel in franklin, north carolina....100 miles and 1 state down....2,076 miles and 13 states to go. as every moment passes i become more and more convinced that this is something i can, perhaps, actually do. it has only been a week and a half, but i am coming along nicely on my walkabout.
i can't type much...and i apologize that these posts are so sparce. i must admit, even after a week, it feels weird and stupid to be spending time in front of a computer when i could be outside in the glorious NC nighttime heat, laying on the sidewalk in front of the hotel rooms talking to a group of friends i have just made and feel closer to than i ever have with anyone before. strange, i know.
the woods are beautiful. sometimes i can hardly believe it. my friend sarah started crying the other day when we topped Albert mountain---our first 5,000 footer---and, i must say, our tears were common. the view was insane. it was a strange moment--for the first time i was looking out at something so much huger than me, so much more important, so much grander and so overwhelming, and, this time, i didn't feel insignificant. i didn't feel lost and i didn't feel pointless; as i stood atop the mountain with a group of strangers bonded together by a common drive to do something extraordinary, as i felt the dirt and grime on my legs, the sweat on my back and bruises on my hips, as i realized i'd been wearign the same outfit for four days in a row and i'd forgotten to brush my teeth for two, as i was aware of all these things and all this beauty all at once, i looked out at the world and felt, for the first time, as if i was truly part of something.
guys, i love you. and i miss you. and i will see you soon. you should take a walk somewhere. apparently, its good for your soul.
oh, my gosh, thank you all so much for the messages/comments! you don't know how much they mean to me....i wish i could write yoyu all individually....i wish i could hug you all...i love you. thank you.
wishing you happiness,
beck
"i look out over the mountains and i feel....full"
--Sarge, 3 time AT thru-hiker
posted by beck @ 6:26 PM
13 Comments:
Ah dear Becka,
Thanks for your note in the package, today's e-mail and this incredible posting. I love you too! You are an incredible writer - those of us who are experiencing this hike vicariously through the tales you share will be changed forever, as are you. The Smoky Mountains lie before you - from what I've read, when you make it through them, you will be a lean, mean hiking machine, a strong woman warrior of the woods - so courage, dear girl! Keep up your strength. don't be afraid to rest like you are today. You will catch up with your new friends further on down the road. We are grateful to Adam, your new companion, for sticking by you. Love - Liz
Whoso walketh in solitude,
And inhabiteth the wood,
Choosing light, wave, rock, and bird,
Before the money-loving herd,
Into that forester shall pass,
From these companions, power and grace.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
i can't think of poetic things to say, so i steal them from other people. i love you! :)
Beckster, I've been up all night working on a shitty, pointless paper that's mostly about space ships. It's exam time and I hate where I am at. I read your blog I was powerfully jealous. A jealousy that inspires. You are a phenomenal person and I will continue to live vicariously through you.
beck, WOW. your words provide such neat mental images. i would wish you luck on the rest of your journey, but i don't feel that you need it as i'm sure you will accomplish would you have set out to do. instead i will wish you good health, strong non-achey limbs, and peace.
*dana
i second what daniel says. minus the spaceships. every day things here get harder and the matt randomly pops up, excited that you seem happy and you've updated, and i experience a few sacred moments of freedom while i read about your experiences. i miss you, i love you dearly, and you give me hope that every person is strong enough to make things better for themselves, if they trust themselves and let go of the things that have kept them grounded but never really mattered. i'm glad you're flying, becka. i'll see you up there one day, i hope.
Becka,
please enjoy the beauty of nature for me. I will do my best from where I am. Miss you,
Hey Becka from Aunt T (not sure I figured out how to show my name for my comment)Good to hear from you - I wanted to read a bit of what you see.Thanks!
Almost May Day and we're looking for thousands of immigrants (and immigrant supporters) to rally and boycott and make a difference May 1. (Just to let you know there are a few good things happening out in the modern world.)
I biked today and think this spring has been as pretty a one we've had in ages. As I rode by Rock Creek Park and saw flowering trees besides the creek I wondered about all the incredible small and large natural sights you're seeing, what a gift.
I know you are working hard, stay strong and enjoy the challenge, the fun and your new friends. Love ya, Aunt T
Hi Becca,
I have so enjoyed your writing! Your words remind me of myself when I was 20 and having incredible wilderness adventures! No matter what happens next in your life, you will always remember life lessons and you will draw strength from them.
I think of you, and your father :), daily.
Fondly,
Laurie
hey kid! thanks for the writting you did to tell us the way you happily live in now. it is marvelous! then people were able to leave 'comments' to you. it was very nice to read them. you have a wonderful area to be in and a great bundle of friends. life is good to be enjoyed.
love you, becka, paula
A thru hike is one of my life goals. I'm jealous. I have some free time here before June 20 something. I think I know how to solve a small piece of each of those. Where will you be in late may/ early June? Can I tag along for a few days? Enjoy your time. It sounds awesome!
Anonymous said...
Into the Smokies! Becka left Fontana Dam this morning, may 2, and all is well. Her blisters almost healed (she has champion feet, you know), knees not too bad, still loving the trail and looking forward to all the beauty of the Great Smokey Mountains. Since the AT does not lend itself to email and cellphones, I encourage all to send her an old-fashioned yet wonderfully fulfilling letter...send to Becka Rankin, C/0 General Delivery, Hot Springs, NC, 28743, with notation "hold for AT hiker". She's got 108 miles to go to get to Hot Springs, so I'm figuring her arrival around may 8. I have addresses of all her stops, so write me if you want something a little further down the trail..someplace to send a box. wrankin@radford.edu. dad-face
hi becka..........
thinking of you. your mom has to be out of that place tomorrow. weird to think of it. you guys are doing such things i can't very think i understand. deserts and woods...... very different!
how's it going for the woods lady? we have ucky rainy days. when the sun comes out... it is lovely. Clear... not clear.....he asked, 'To be or not to be.... that is the question.... willian Shakespeare.
have a wonderful day..... love you, Poo
hi becka..........
thinking of you. your mom has to be out of that place tomorrow. weird to think of it. you guys are doing such things i can't very think i understand. deserts and woods...... very different!
how's it going for the woods lady? we have ucky rainy days. when the sun comes out... it is lovely. Clear... not clear.....he asked, 'To be or not to be.... that is the question.... willian Shakespeare.
have a wonderful day..... love you, Poo
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