​Today’s Miles: 31.8

Total Miles: 1,886.6

Kråksjön – September 26, 2016

I stayed too long in town. I knew it even as I sat in the library watching the clock, parcelling out two hours of comfort in ten minute pieces. I stayed too long and now it is almost dark and I am miles away from a trail, walking in a ditch as trucks blaze past on the highway.

I turn down a dirt road that crosses a trail four miles away.

“And what then,” I think. “Some miserable camp on some miserable piece of ground that I’ll have to find in the dark.”

I sigh, the air and my spirits sinking out of my chest. I could have left an hour ago. I could have reached the trail in the light when I could have easily seen some nice, flat piece of ground.

But sitting felt so easy and time moved so fast.

I catch myself and push the thoughts away. It is not real, all these what ifs. Only the road is real, the night, the walk in front of me. I take out my headlamp, but leave it off, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness as I walk the empty road.

The air turns crisp and the clouds begin to disappear, fading away as a thousand stars light the darkness behind them. The road splits dark shadow of the forest in half, opening up the heavens above. I walk and stare up and pick out constellations in the sky. 

A burst of light explodes across the night, a smoking, burning, fireball of a meteor. It arcs overhead, yellow and green, a smoke trail fading into the night behind it. Onward it streaks, on and on, burning in the darkness. I watch it until it disappears in a last, bright flash of light.

I don’t make a wish. I don’t need to. I just stare up at the sky, not moving, my eyes lost in wonder. All I want in that moment is there, the night and her thousand stars.