Summer
I have this Vietnamese rum we can soak it in
Shit, it’s a French dessert. We can soak it in champagne
But I’m broke. New plan. Skip the dessert and head straight to rum
I choked on a watery laugh. I was being silly. I had the best friends in the world, and my moms, while chaotic, loved me so much.
Lucy
I love you. But I’m already in my nest and ready to sleep.
Summer
Do you really want a solo trip? I can come with you
The fact that she even offered when she was just weeks away from her bakery’s grand opening made me want to burst into tears again.
Lucy
Have you seen that monstrosity you made?? The bakery needs your focus!
Summer
You always have my focus if you need it
Lucy
I know. I just need a little time for myself and then I’ll be back and ready to help you with the grand opening! Felix’s outfit is going to be spectacular
I chewed my lip, wondering if I should tell her about my camping plans. But my moms’ laughter echoing through my mind made me hesitate. I didn’t want anyone else second-guessing my plans. I would take my trip, have a spiritual awakening, and return a new person.
I flipped back to the hiking videos I’d saved and started making a list of the supplies I’d need.
6
Lucy
HoroscopePisces
Saturn’s return offers the gift of transition. Everything you have been working toward is within reach if you’re brave enough to grab it. Be willing to release what’s holding you back.
So. Camping.
What a magical experience of connecting with nature and my inner self. I’d never felt so centered and confident.
Ha. What an absolute fucking lie.
The second I had an internet connection again, I was going to send ascathingmessage to that omega backpacker.
Not really. I could never do that, but I was thinking it.
The incredible spiritual experience I’d envisioned, the one that would allow me to return home with a sense of certainty of who I was and what I should do with my life, had ended up being slow, clumsy, and muddy. I’d hiked half the distance I’d planned, the fading light forcing me to stop at a random flat area off the trail. My skinned hands and knees stung as I struggled for over an hour to set up my brand-new tent.
The alpha at the outdoor supply store had said this tent was a breeze to set up. He would also be the recipient of a vicious negative review I would never post. Although, he had warned me that my sneakers weren’t sturdy enough for the hike I was planning, and since said sneakers were currently completely soaked through, he might have had a point.
My visions of starting a campfire and making s’mores beforewriting in my new journal were replaced with cold, hard reality—huddling in my wonky tent, freezing as I shoved raw marshmallows into my mouth.
