We spent the first four days of the RV trip to Alabama in DeSoto State Park, which had an unusual number of water falls and canyons in and surrounding it. We enjoyed hiking, visiting the Space Center in Huntsville (along with the Galaxy of Lights light show), and eating vegan meals. We had some family visit us and it was great to see them and learn more about their lives with great conversations and fun card games.
I enjoyed the hiking especially--I hadn't (haven't) been running as much as I would like, and the hiking provided some physical exertion that I have been lacking. I also found myself thoroughly enjoying the quietness and near-wilderness of it all. I hadn't escaped society much the past semester with Jack being away in Chile, so getting away from cars and streets and buildings was incredibly relaxing and welcome. It was good to learn how much I appreciate a more wild surroundings.
I had a particularly unhappy stomach the first couple days that returned a week later, but other than that and a few annoyances with my parents, I felt very relaxed and zen. I didn't do as much reading as I planned, but I did more than enough other activities to make up for it.
We then went to Tugaloo State Park in Georgia that had a gorgeous lake. There, some other relatives met up with us that I hadn't seen in a long time (and they continued on back to Fort Mill with us for Christmas) and it was a pleasure to catch up with them as well. We did some more walking, had a fire, watched a gorgeous moon rise over the lake, and went to Tullulah Gorge, where we climbed down 700 stairs into the gorge and then back up them. I want to return with Jack and do some rock climbing there. After Tullulah Gorge, we went to this restaurant called the Copper Pot in a nearby town where we enjoyed some good food--it was a nice, local find.
Overall, the weather was cold, but after some hiking, a light sweatshirt was easily comfortable, and I was rarely uncomfortable due to the cold. It did get below freezing during many of the nights we were there, but what is one to expect when it is December?
I'm looking forward to spending more time in wooded areas, or at least unpopulated ones, in the future and next semester. The week on the RV was great, but at times I would have even preferred more primitive living situations.
