Breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts! Yum yum yum. Took the NOC shuttle back to the trailhead. Treated like celebrities again, but nice people. Shared the shuttle with Dr. Trailmix and listened to Herbie Hancock. Then we hiked with Dr. Trailmix a bit and talked with him at camp. Nice guy. Passed Charlie's Bunion! Finally got to the shelter and that same group of Boy Scouts was there! Overcrowded again. A lot of us are tenting. Anna and I are further back in the woods. Creepy owl is at it again tonight.
***
OK, so we were haunted by the Boy Scouts even after we took a day off... however, remember that father son trio I told you about? Well, when we parted ways a few days earlier, I immediately regretted not getting their contact information. They were so kind and encouraging to us and gave us lots of delicious hiker food that morning... and I knew we would probably never see them again because they were heading another direction. But while in Gatlinburg, I kept thinking about how cool it would be if we saw them. People were everywhere, though. So. Many. People. And after 24 hours of being in town I had accepted the fact that our paths wouldn't cross.
Literally 10 minutes before we had to get on our shuttle, they walk right into the lobby of the NOC. I was in disbelief. And so happy! We exchanged info and talked for a few minutes, and I shared with them how thankful I was for our first meeting and for this second reunion. And just before shaking hands and parting one final time, the father smiles and says, "Persevere, guys."
I will never forget that.
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| The Doss family. |
You should probably follow them on twitter.
This makes me smile. Thanks for sharing the story about the Doss family.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool story of unexpected reunion! And look at what you guys did, you did persevere, just like he encouraged you. :)
ReplyDeleteMicah... the other night, I was thinking about this AT journey of yours and all of the updates you'd post along the way, all the photos, all the celebration following the start, duration, and conclusion of the long hike, and I started to cry. I'm sorry if this makes you cry, too, but I considered how meaningful those 6 months must have been, and I believe that significance still carries weight today. You've had to get back into the swing of practical life off the trail, and such things are important... but they need not crowd out the memories, growth, and shared experience that the trail afforded you.
I imagine if you were to bump into Mr. Doss yet again, he'd tell you the same thing, to persevere.
Love you.