Trail Days

I'm in Damascus, VA. Yeah, another state line! I just spent the past two days here at an AT festival called Trail Days. It was a lot of fun but I'll be happy to get back to the trail in a few hours. I'm overcome by a slight anxiety whenever I'm in town just sitting around. It's nice to get clean and get something to eat, but after a while you feel out of your element...you want to be moving. Trail Days consists of a lot of outdoor gear booths, fair food, and a parade of hikers down main street. The townies attacked us with water balloons and super-soakers but we were prepared to fight back. My great uncle Frank came out with his wife, Esther, to meet me. Because there was no cell service, he spent a few hours walking around Damascus with a sign that said "Nicole Blackbird Fields" before we finally found each other. We drove a few miles out of town and went to Cracker Barrel for dinner. Now its back to the trail. My feet are itching to hike!