As I see my plans for Madrid take on a more and more definite form, I like to step back and remember to live in the moment. This summer I decided to stay at my parents’ house and enjoy time with family before my journey abroad. As a short break from city life, My brother Ford and I took a short trip up to my college town to enjoy the outdoors and each others’ company.
Immediately upon arrival we picked up my friends Sam and Hurst and went kayaking on the New River up in Crumpler, North Carolina. It’s been quite rainy up in the mountains so the river was running pretty quickly! We took turns standing up on our kayaks and getting stuck between big rocks in the water.
No images in the galleryThe next day Ford and I took our time getting up and making breakfast (you can never go wrong with eggs and home fries, am I right?) before hiking under the newly-renovated Linn Cove Viaduct. After four grueling months without access to the viaduct, I was so happy to drive and hike as I pleased along the Blue Ridge Parkway. We played around in a stream, leisurely hiked for a while, and sat at one of my favorite spots for an hour or so. (The rock we’re standing on in the photos is visible in the first photo– about halfway between the two twists of the viaduct.)
We took a small detour to Camp Coffee Roasters and picked up a snack from the grocery store during a short rainstorm. Once the rain let up, the remainder of our afternoon was spent relaxing in hammocks while listening to the sounds of Trash Can Falls and enjoying the cooling air.
No images in the galleryI’m so happy that my brother and I have as good a friendship as we have– I’m going to miss seeing him while I’m abroad, but it’s going to be awesome to relive my experiences with him when I get back.