The Long Trail : Day 13 : Part 1 : 10/3/20 . It wasn’t supposed to be this way. It wasn’t supposed to rain. I wasn’t supposed to slip down the rope. I wasn’t supposed to hit my head. I wasn’t supposed to trip on a stick and pull my compression sleeves (both of them). And, I certainly wasn’t supposed to rip a hole in my brand new pack. . I was supposed to enjoy my coffee and breakfast at the inn then head to the trail with beautiful weather and perfect hiking conditions. Sometimes things don’t work out how you envision them. Sometimes the trail is slow and it beats you up and leaves you wondering what even happened, like trail whiplash. . But thru hiking, and life in general, means taking the good with the bad, the fun with the miserable, the pain with the triumph, and even the crappy, rainy weather along with the sunshine. Life hands us some real beautiful moments and some we’d rather not hold. Thru hiking, again, on a day like this one, has taught me the value of both. It’s the tedious, frustrating days that make the glorious moments shine brighter anyhow. The good moments are sweet because you fought and sometimes clawed or scooted your way through literal blood, sweat, and tears. You are brave and courageous and the mountaintop is all the more beautiful because of it.