Rituals
Rituals
are important for Jess and I. Little things make a world of
difference when you’re putting you head down in a
different place every night. We take an inflatable pink
flamingo along on every trip. Flo the Guard Flamingo
watches out for us when we’re stuck in the middle of
some kind of maelstrom or another. We haven’t died
yet so I guess she’s doing her job.
Another ritual is unwrapping of a peppermint patty to
finish each day. That’s not to say that I won’t
unwrap those tasty treats any other time—I’d
eat the whole bag if I knew I wouldn’t be sick as a
dog. During my thru-hike I’d have to ration the
patties out carefully because I could only carry so many. I
would sit on a cold log somewhere and gently peel back the
wrapper, savoring the pepperminty scent as it wafted in the
air. Slowly, I would eat away those delicious chocolaty
edges then woof down the core. No matter how crappy things
have been, everything’s all right as long as
there’s a patty waiting for me. There’s some
serious mojo packed into those things.
Setting up the tent the same way each night is another part
of our routine. My watch and headlamp are always wrapped
around a water bottle. That bottle gets put next to my
sandals. Jess puts her book and glasses in the gear loft
and her headlamp stays in the mesh pocket by her head. I
sleep on the right side of the tent. She sleeps on the
left. This feels all nice and homey, but more importantly
it helps to know where your headlamp is when you’ve
got to pee in the middle of the night.