There was this family that I met while I was traveling in Virginia. I originally went there to go drive along Blue Ridge Parkway. I'd been a few years since I have been there and I thought that it would be relaxing to put the windows down and just cruise for miles along this road. I had checked into the campground I was staying in the night before, I had partied with my neighbors who were also camping, and then the next day I set out on this adventure that I had been excited for, for months. Starting on the parkway I rolled down the windows, I blasted some upbeat music and just drove. For a bit I thought that I was just going to keep going for miles and miles. After all, it was a cloudy kind of day and just cruising on a road where no one seemed to exist was all I wanted. Yet it seemed that fate had other plans.
As I drove down this road heading in the direction of North Carolina a sign popped up on the side of the road. It read that "pikes trail" and without a minute of hesitation I pulled onto the road that lead to the trail. Interested and also wanting to check it out I drove down, parked my vehicle, and went to the sign that was at the beginning of the trail. 4 miles all around, plenty doable and also great practice with my new gear. I went back to my car, packed up my water, camera gear, and grabbed a snack. I locked the car and I headed out on the trail. It wasn’t very long, it wasn’t steep maybe a little hilly but nothing like the trail I did at the Grand Canyon last year. Easy, and quick.
Walking the trail I came across some wildlife and I even stopped and posed for some pictures so that the people back home had something to ogle at. I took my time, clocked how long it took me, and enjoyed the nice shade the trees provided. As I walked and took in my surroundings I came to taking off my second shirt since the sun came out and made it quickly rise in temperature. Then I was off once more. Not too long after my last photo I stopped to look at the creek down below and took some pictures. In the middle of doing that two figures appeared on the trail. Being courteous I stepped aside and let them pass. They said hello and at first seemed shy to say much else. Smiling to myself I gathered my stuff, slung my backpacking gear on my back and quickly caught up. Soon conversation started and I was immediately part of this conversation. They had a new puppy that had never hiked before. So they had decided to see how she would do and brought her out to let her try the new hiking idea. Turns out that this pup was more then happy to be apart of the trip. A little on the warm side but still happy and content.
Marching along in a single file we came across the stream and following my instincts I followed the two to the other side of the creek where a bench was present. Without hesitation they started asking me the usual questions. Where are you from? Are you by yourself? Do you hike often? What kind of gear is that? Etc. It was a nice little conversation that had started and I found myself interested in them. A mother and daughter hiking together. One a novice in the hiking community and the other friends with experienced hikers. What a great family they seemed. It reminded me of my father and I and for an instant I felt nostalgia. In between or conversations I got to pet their new addition to the family; Sally; and even got to learn that they were only a few minutes from my campground. Soon I was invited to dinner. Caught off guard and unsure of what to do in this situation I made sure to be aware of the fact that anything I do say or not say could make them uncomfortable. I am a stranger after all and this was new territory for me. A few back and forth words and I had an address, a phone number, and a happy smile from someone who didn’t even know me.
For the rest of the hike they chatted and I listened. It seemed that they were a good family. Good people. Happy, friendly, and full of love. I didn’t get one trace of malicious or hesitation about me being there. Sure I didn’t say much but sometimes you don’t need to say words to be a part of something. As we hiked the rest of the trail I took in the moment with them and really felt light. I was a part of the world and they invited me into their little section of it.
When the hike was over we said our goodbyes, had a few smiles, and then we went separate ways. For a few hours I focused on doing what I wanted to do. I drove more on the parkway, went back to my campsite and took a nap, and when I woke up I left my campground fifteen minutes before the appointed time. Quickly it became apparent that this family was a real solid family. Driving to their house I had to go up the side of this mountain. Lots of land, smiles and waves from the neighbors, cows, dogs, and lots of beautiful sky to tie it all together. Once I arrived at the house I got ambushed by the animals who wanted all of the love and petting. Next came the people. I met the family that was there on the land and then got told about their history. The next generation to get the house was the FOURTH Generation. To me that is huge. Everyone was within walking or tractor distance. All of their buildings were built by hand. The animals were rescues. The food was homemade none of that factory **** we eat. Smiles. Happiness. Company. Friends. It was all there on this little mountain in Virginia. It was beautiful. It was everything you would want in a home. Sure I was a stranger but by sitting at their table, being blessed with the food, chatting, and just being a witness to it all was such a big impact for me. Not many people invite strangers to sit at their table let alone go inside their house. They opened their arms to me and I was instantly welcome. I am STILL welcome.
Through it all we had many exchanges of words and such good heart warming food to go along with it. Once we were all full and smiling I then got invited to get a tour of the area. Obviously I wasn’t gonna put down an invitation for adventure. I grabbed my camera, we got in this tiny gold cart/ tractor type vehicle and off we went. First stop was at the top of this massive hill. We go up and up and up and once you get to the top it levels out to more land in front of you and to the side.....a view that says everything you need to know about why the people love where they live.
It was their version of being On Top Of The World.
A place where everything was locally owned. A place where family was within walking distance. A place where generations of your family stayed. A place where the sunset was perfect and vibrant. It made time stop for me for a second and made me really see that everywhere is different. My whole life I have seen sunsets on the water and those are most of the time beautiful but seeing something like this made an impact on my heart. It was different, it was beautiful, it was so....harmonizing. People forget that everyone sees different things. That everywhere in the world the sunrise and sunset is different. Different colors, different setting, different people with you. I got to share that moment with this family.
Once we were back exploring this small community I got welcomed back inside for some delicious Tea that they made. Some of the best iced tea I have ever had by the way. We had long conversations about exploration, hiking, camping, and what we want to do. That day I made new friends. That day I became an inspiration to a small number of people. That day I got to see something magnificent through their eyes. Even when I left I felt this high coming off my skin. A high that said what I needed to know. They made me so happy and they treated me like a real person, not a stranger.
Sometimes you can inspire somebody and in return they show you something you won’t forget. For them it was sharing their Top of the World.
Thank you. Thank you for that. We will meet again soon my friends.
