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’ 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 the unwrapping of a peppermint
patty to finish the 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.