Monson to Caratunk

The hike from Monson to Caratunk went so much better than I could've even dreamed!  The hike out of Monson gifted us with wild blueberries just ripe for the picking.  As soon as I saw them I sat my pack down beside the field and filled my hand with quite a few berries.  Once I popped that deliciousness into my mouth I was more than happy to bop on down the trail.

Wild blueberries!!!

The first day back on the trail was uncomfortable since my feet had to break in the new insoles that I had gotten in Monson, but since the insoles have been broken in I have been pain free!  I even didn't have to wear my knee brace :) I was practically skipping down the trail (which was pretty much flat the whole time) because I felt so darn good! I have even started trying to teach myself how to whistle. It's a nice thing to do while hiking in order to have some form of music around me. It's a bit funny to get a song stuck in my head because it's usually just a little piece of the song and I can't for the life of me remember the rest of it!  So, I'll just be walking down the trail singing the same thing over and over- I don't seem to tire of that little part, though, and I usually have enough space between myself and other hikers so that I don't have to worry about driving them nuts haha.  I have still been hiking with Faith, Mosey, French Fry, and Sticks and we had Snapshot & Blarney, Dirty, and Old School join us. I have been blessed with amazing company :)

Sticks at Moxie Bald Pond

A bit of Maine trail :)

At Pleasant Pond lean-to we all decided to have dinner together on the dock and I took a nice swim before I chowed down. I did have one little bother on the trail for this section- I got stung by a hornet (or yellow jacket?) and my arm has been swollen for a couple of days :/. It'll go away, though, so no big deal :)
There was one night where I just couldn't fall back to sleep at around 1 a.m., so I decided to move from the lean-to into my tent. While I was getting ready to pitch it, I noticed the stars and just laid my sleeping bag down on the ground and looked at them for quite some time. I have never seen stars more beautiful. There are absolutely no lights around here and the stars just dazzle in the sky like diamonds because of it.  I probably laid there for close to 3 hours just admiring them.
The day we went into Caratunk I had to be at the post office by 11:15 in order to pick up a food package that Bomber sent to me (so amazing!). I had around 6 miles to go and left the lean-to around 7:30. I was nervous that I wouldn't make it in time, so I just flew down the trail. It's such a cool thing to be able to turn on the speed hiking and just let it run wild.  I ended up getting there with an hour to spare! The package that Bomber had sent to me was more like opening a present on Christmas than a mere box of food. There were Cinnabon cinnamon rolls, tuna, chicken, Lipton sides, Snickers bars, and tons of other hiker goodness. Bomber also included a quote that is already starting to ring true for myself:
"After more than 2,000 miles on the Appalachian Trail, you can expect to undergo some personality changes. A heightened affinity for nature infiltrates your life. Greater inner peace. Enhanced self-esteem. A quiet confidence that if I could do that, I can do and should do whatever I really want to do. More appreciation for what you have and less desire to acquire what you don't. A childlike zest for living life to the fullest. A refusal to be embarrassed about having fun. A renewed faith in the essential goodness of humankind. And a determination to repay others for the many kindnesses you have received.
- Larry Luxenberg
This trail is beautiful :)