Coastal North Carolina

Since leaving the Outer Banks, I have taken to the roads, winding through picturesque saltwater marshes, scaring great blue herons, squishing through the spongy grass along the highway. And the not-so-picturesque - walking through some really poor neighborhoods (reminding me that living below my means is a privelage, not a legit lifestyle), soothing very territorial dogs whilst clutching my pepper spray, trying with increasing difficulty to explain to strangers why I don't just do something "normal" - get a job, a boyfriend, an apartment.

It hasn't all been peachy-keen. Thinking about the past the good always shines through, obscuring the tough parts. My face is totally windburnt - I look like a tomato. My lips are also windburnt, and peeling. Yesterday, I walked all day through the endless rain, trying to stay positive. At the end of the day, as I searched in the rainy incoming dark for the trailhead to enter the swamp, it stopped being fun. Today, I walked on roads to the river ferry, found a woman heading to New Bern, and got a ride into the city. I am taking the weekend off and plotting my next move.

Total MST miles: 127.8
Total trip miles: 154.9