things i learned in west virginia

1. i can't dive. yes, i will jump off big rocks into the water. but i don't get any points for grace or form. and i lose points because i will sometimes randomly shriek in midair. i get major points, though, for conquering my fears with the scary 25 footer into the lake. and the small 15 footer that paulix made me do.

2. appropriate footwear is key. i tried to hike to the lake in watersocks... not so much fun. i thought i could get away wearing running shoes on the hike to the river... would have been better off wearing my flip flops... which anna marie did (i'm impressed and smitten.)

3. camping is really all about food. the other stuff (hiking, climbing, swimming), is what you do between meals to work up an appetite. the first night, we started cooking our six course meal at 10pm... a steak appetizer, corn-on-the-cob, grilled chicken, roasted garlic, indian curry with rice, and s'mores of course. the next night, we roughed it and went out to fayetteville, wv, to an incredibly amazing pizza joint, pies and pints. quite possibly the best pizza i've had in the longest time. and root beer on tap... can't beat that.

4. it is more satisfying to find hidden treasures, like secluded riverfront beaches, when you spend the morning being lost in your car, and you decide not to settle on some rocky shore, and instead commit to spending the afternoon looking for better land. chances are, you'll find it, and it'll feel oh-so-good.

5. river yoga. warrior poses on a rock overlooking the rushing waters. doesn't get more zen than that, folks.

6. gee whiz trivia: daddy long legs spiders are rumored to have deadly poison, but mouths too small to penetrate human flesh. i don't know if this is true or not (wikipedia says it's not), but what i do know is that, in the woods, a spider can nuzzle my neck and i will calmly (but assertively) flick it away. on the car ride home, however, a daddy long legs on my knee will elicit a very different response. a very girly, loud, shrieky response.

7. showering daily is overrated. i like smelling like sweat and riverwater. but, i will use deoderant.

8. favorite wombo: gomer + kmart = gomart... and they have gomarts all over west virginia. this was a thrilling moment for all of us... i'll add the photo when i get it from paulix.

9. best camping cocktail: jim beam + trader joes mango lemonade + firepit = chilaxin. oh, and you can also never have too many bud lites.