I went swimming yesterday with a buddy of mine and he and his friend whipped out some bio-friendly hippie soap and that, my friends, is how people from West Virginia clean themselves. They kindly offered me some soap, but I declined for the fact that I have a perfectly good shower at the Belafonte. Then I remembered that these fellas don't really have a home. They live in tents in the wilderness. I don't know if they don't want to pay rent, or they love camping or something, but there's a lil group of dudes that live in army tents. So I guess I can't blame them for bathing in the river. Just as we were drying off and getting ready to leave, two deer came up to the river for a drink. They were on the other side, but even though we were talking fairly loudly, the deer weren't spooked and stuck around for a while. I thought that was pretty cool. I've totally lost count of how many deer I've seen here.
I've also lost count of how many times I've heard live music. Everyone here plays an instrument. Most play guitar, but there are also mandolin players, banjo players, and bass players. And they play together ALL.THE.TIME. Seriously. I heard music Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. I need to learn an instrument. I think I'm gonna chose the guitar because it's easiest, but I might be getting pressured into learning mandolin because there are way too many guitars up here.
Saturday night, I hung out with my buddies Andrew, Josh, and Clay at Grannys. Andrew and Josh play guitar, Josh also plays the harmonica, and Clay plays the mandolin. Dave, who lives at Grannys, plays the bass. So I want to you use your imagination on this one. The guys are all playing their instruments and singing, there's a bonfire blazing behind them, behind that is the mountain ridge and the sun is just setting over the mountains with pink clouds painting the sky. The only word I can think of that accurately describes it is magical. Un-freaking-believable, right?! Jesus. This is my life! It's like living in a freaking postcard, or a movie. If I didn't witness it myself, I wouldn't have believed it. Later that night, we stopped by the Hefner home. The family is part of the Black Mountain Bluegrass Boys, who are local legends, I've been told. And man can one of them freakin pick a banjo. I've never heard or seen anything like it. It was mesmerizing.
Sunday afternoon, the boys (Andrew, Josh, Clay) invited me to go fishing with them. I'm not a fisherman myself, but I thought (like I normally do these days) why the hell not? Josh comes barreling up my drive in his truck and of course none of them have shirts on. I then come to the conclusion that this is just gonna be one of those days...We pile into the truck and drive to the Mon Forest and find a perfect spot to stop. We unload a couple things and take a dip in the river (it's always good to swim in the river before you fish. You want to make sure to rile up the fish and make them know you're their so they know to look for the fishing line). Of course they caught no fish, although Clay did find a super nasty leech. Then, as always, the three of them pulled out their instruments and started playing right there by the river. Again, totally picturesque and totally stereotypical West Virginia.
Sunday nights are usually host to a music night at Phil's, an old hippie who is one of the sweetest people I've ever met. You all may laugh when I say hippie, but I mean it. This guy doesn't have a running toilet. He showed me the "bathroom": there was a curtain for a door and after I peed, I had to throw sawdust on top. I literally laughed out loud as I did it. Anyways, there were 7 guys playing guitar and Clay playing the mandolin. It was awesome. One of the guitarists was easily the best guitarist I've ever heard. Easily. He was totally badass. But it was a cool experience because everyone who played was pretty good and could catch on to other people's songs. Everyone was singing. Everyone was either making requests or would just start playing a song. Everyone sounded so together, yet you could pick out each guitar at the same time. I think it would definitely be a great environment to learn guitar in because no one would hear me if I screwed up and they play a million songs and they all help each other to make everything sound better.
Monday, I mowed the rest of my lawn, which took under an hour (much better than the four hours last week). Then I tried to tan and of course ended up getting burnt. Then I went to the Cranberry Glades for a hike and of course got rained on. Although it sounds like a crappy waste of a day, I could not be happier. I realized that today at the Glades.
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| entering bog forest |
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| where the north meets the south |
The wind caught up with me and the storms clouds came over a ridge and everything went still and silent and it hit me. This is exactly where I'm supposed to be. This is exactly who I'm supposed to be. There's a quote from one of my favorite movies, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind:
"I could die right now, Clem. I'm just... happy. I've never felt that before. I'm just exactly where I want to be." That is exactly how I've felt lately. For so long I've been at neutral or or even less than that. It's as if I've been struggling to swim for so long, just trying to reach the shore, and now I've finally gotten there. I've never felt this level of happiness before. I often find myself just smiling. At nothing. Just smiling. People are gonna start to think I'm crazy, and I don't even care! I've found myself more outgoing, more adventurous, more of the person that I always wished I was. I've found myself. Which is a really weird concept, but the truth.
The first few weeks that I moved here, I wanted friends and family to come visit me so I wouldn't be lonely. Now I want everyone to come visit me so I can show them this! This wonderful, amazing, breathtaking, lovely place that I love. And not only the geographic place of West Virginia, but the mental place of West Virginia where I've found this peace in myself.
My parents are coming next week and Bethanne just called to let me know she's coming in the second week in July. I'm so excited to plan everything to show them and to do and to hear and to eat. My name is Megan and I'll be your tour guide for the week. If you turn to your right, you will notice the mountains of the Monongehela National Forest.
The idea of returning to Georgia makes my stomach turn. Maybe this new adventurous me will take yet another adventure in the winter...
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