He also suggested some possible trail names for me, including "Butt Cheeks" (in reference to my explaining to our Swiss friends the difference between face cheeks and rear cheeks) and "Frito Farts" (I had mentioned that my sleeping bag smells like frito chips). He also summed up thru-hiking in one sentence: "Eat, drink, fart, piss, shit and then there's walkin'." I made sure to pay close attention to what he was saying so I could write it down tonight.

Cecilia had in me in tears twice on her massage table. The first time was because my calves were so tight when she was working out the kinks. I was squirming and almost whimpering at one point. It makes sense that my ankles have been hurting with such ridiculously tight calves. The second thing that made me cry was hearing about the magic that happened when she adopted her two children. She shared such a beautiful story with me. She also shared that it was her birthday about 2/3 into the massage. I was so honored that she took my appointment on her birthday and gave me such a terrific massage. I felt so grateful to have gotten to meet her.

When we got off the bus the driver said "Thanks very much, I admire what you're doing!" I paused and said "Thank you, I admire what you're doing." I've often thought that bus drivers are the unsung heroes of communities. They're saying hello and interacting with all walks of life and helping folks get where they need to be. I could tell this driver really loved what he did and saw his riders as his neighbors and friends.

I tried a new mantra today as I walked since my ankles felt so good. When I stepped down I would say "thank you" in my head. The beat of my stepping aligned with the two words perfectly. I called them my "thank you steps." Sometimes the thanks was for my legs or Will, the beautiful scenery, or the bright colorful flowers. It became my walking meditation and helped quite a bit!