My stay at Maria’s Place in Salisbury was good. Maria had been hosting hikers in her house for years and had sadly passed away in June. Her grandson was keeping the tradition alive and hosting hikers in the midst of everything.

Last night, it rained a bit, but this morning I awoke to blue skies and warm weather. On my agenda today was stopping into the town of Falls Village to eat a hot lunch and stopping by a roadside vending machine for a cold Coke.

Last night, I was so tired I didn’t even remember falling asleep. That last thing I recalled was turning on my meditation track and taking a few deep breaths; then I woke up. That’s the best kind of sleep!

The start of a new day meant a new state. Connecticut was on the horizon and I would walk my way into that state shortly. But first I had to get there.

Today was the day. Today was the day I would see if I could get back on trail and continue my thru hike.

Today was the start of my recovery period. I needed to rest as much as possible to be able to get back on trail and finish what I had set out to do. I took my time getting ready in the morning, in no rush because I knew I had a couple of long train rides ahead of me.

Today was the day. Could I continue on the trail or would I be forced off? Only time would tell, but first, I needed to get a massage.

Today was all about rest. I tried to sleep in, but only managed to stay asleep until about 6:30 am (hiker clock.) Still, I stayed in bed for most of the morning, but eventually got up to eat breakfast at the deli down the street.

This morning started like any other. And that was amazing because that meant that I’d had a music free night! Yes, last night I slept peacefully through the night, no musical disturbances were heard.

This morning when I woke up, I had something delicious to look forward to: a deli! Yes, I was in New York, so delis were around every corner on trail. As I packed up my things and fantasized about what I would get, a thru hiker walked by.