Vacation From a Vacation..?

I stole most of the fair photos here from Sam, Ciara and Hillary on the crew page – thanks for actually documenting the fun ya’ll!

I’m also gonna preface this all with saying that I never should have left the trail. It was a mistake mentally and physically to go from the solitude and routine I had cultivated – back into the bustle of life off trail so soon and so abruptly. That being said, I’ll wash the taste of the heartache in that out with the many many joys of my three weeks off trail. Because despite a white knuckled grip on my sanity and wellbeing the whole ride, I had -so- much damn fun and I’m so happy for the time I got to share with everyone I saw! It’s important to me that I acknowledge that I made a mistake in thinking I could hold all of this though! And that’s alright. Just know if you’re out there reading this – it’s generally a TERRIBLE idea to leave trail for an extended period of time!!! It’s so hard!!!

ANYWAY!

I’ve been volunteering at Blazing salads for over a decade now. These folks have become my family quite literally and in my mind there was just no way I could miss this week long gathering.

Just look at this glorious, talented, shining, hardworking, beautiful bunch of folks I get to call my family!

When I got to Olympia I knew it would do my restless bones no good to sit around town. I got into the first caravan of folks headed down to the fairgrounds to set up the booth and figured it would help to acclimate being there as people slowly trickled in.

The week was full of hugs and laughter and and avocado dreamboats, as per usual.

Blazing Salads has been working towards collectivising for the last year and this year really challenged us to all take on a mantle of responsibility and thoughtfulness that has previously been shouldered by a much smaller group of folks.

I think we did brilliantly and it made me incredibly hopeful for the future. And incredibly grateful for everything everyone puts into this funny little big thing we do every year. We are inheriting a legacy and building a community that has a rich and colorful tapestry. I’m so proud and so grateful for it.

The sheer sensory overload of the event took its toll on me though and when Monday rolled around I was eager to put some space between myself and crowds.

My friend Nik came through with an offer of an escape to Guemes Island and I made my way up to Seattle to join him.

A few days of rest and beach combing was a welcome retreat from the crowds of Country Fair.

Rested and rejuvenated we headed back to Tukwila later that week and spent a day kayaking the Duwamish to Alki – a 10 mile trip that in the past would have whooped my butt.

Despite using muscles that have been completely neglected while hiking, I had developed a new to me and exciting resolve and ability to push through my own physical discomfort and fatigue. I’ve never in my life been an athletic person so it was honestly thrilling to experience and put to use some of the physical and mental learning and development I’ve gotten on trail in a new context.