Asheville has been good to us…

What a luxurious break from our hike! We have loved seeing a bit of Asheville as well as meeting up with old friends and making new ones! With new hiking shoes and healed feet, we are ready to hit the trail again tomorrow. The gluttony involved in spoiling ourselves the last 5 days is catching up with us and though before our excuse was that we had just hiked 72 miles, now the glutton feels like the perfect excuse to push onward as a rewarding penance.

Seeing friends I haven’t seen in years makes me want to continue hiking but make an effort to stop at all my dear friends’ houses on the way, but all over the world! How fast time flies and before I know it, years have gone by since reconnecting with some but luckily picking up where we left off is just as easy as realizing we are in the same geographic location.
How sweet it is.

Chris making apple butter in Ruth and Tara’s kitchen

Meeting up with MK and Kevin at Barley’s in downtown Asheville (I worked with MK on the Regent Mariner cruise ship in the summer of 2009!) “Did we all just become best friends?”

Staying up with Ruth and Tara swapping stories and enjoying each others’ company

Certainly didn’t think I’d say this while in extreme pain at every step, but I’m so thankful we had an excellent excuse (and invitation) to spend so much time in Asheville. Thank you, friends.