We Ran Away to Allegheny National Forest

Hello friends,

There is nothing that makes my heart sing louder and brighter than a day in the woods with my sweetheart. The quiet of the forest, the gentle ramblings of the creek, the harmonic hum of the little bugs and the comfort of mother nature cradling you in her arms as you sprawl out along the creek bed are just some of the things that just tickle my soul.

Bryan and I walked along the trail for a while and finally settled down near the creek for lunch. And yes, that photo of my boot is from when I stepped ankle deep into a mud swamp. It was covered with brush and it looked solid on first looks, but the second I stepped on it, I sank in deep....literally screaming for Bry to help like I was the horse stuck in the mud in A Never Ending Story. We had packed a few sandwiches, blueberries, strawberries and a couple peaches. He and I sat there for a few hours talking and snuggling on our hiking blanket as we gazed up at the tall trees. We told each other what we loved about the area, spoke about future dreams and things that have been plaguing our minds with anxiety. I'm such a lucky lady to have fallen so deeply in love with my best friend.

This day was beautiful and just what we needed. He and I get so wrapped up in all the nonsense of the world and it can bog you down after a while. All of the crazy happening in the political world has been a huge focus for us lately and going on this little trip was a nice break from all of that. I'm proud that he and I are so politically educated and that we pay attention instead of digging in the sand, but it's nice to unplug every now and then. Bryan's birthday week was full of relaxing activities and this was our supreme relaxation end to a beautiful celebration of my beautiful man.

The Allegheny National Forest is about a 2 1/2 hour drive outside of the city, so it wasn't as close as most of our adventures have been. But, it was worth the drive. We plan to go back up eventually, definitely in the fall, and explore a few more adventure spots and take more photos. I can't wait!

xo. h.