I slept SO WELL last night!  It’s amazing how much of a difference it makes to be clean and have soft pillows.

We slept in but managed to make it to the hotel breakfast before they closed at 9.  We sat with Juniper and Gump, another couple on the trail.  It’s always fun to share trail stories and it’s really fun to meet other couples.

The best thing about today, though, was getting a care package from our good friends Betty and Mike!  They stuffed it with amazing snacks - bags of dried apples (one with cinnamon, arguably my favorite spice); dried coconut (why I haven’t thought to carry this before is beyond me, it’s wonderful); tons of Oreos (Betty made sure to let me know she packed them before she saw the post with Nick eating Oreos in the hot spring - they really do share a food bond); and, most delicious of all, some of Betty’s homemade banana bread (for those of you who don’t know, Betty is a fantastic baker (and cook) and everything she makes is amazing - @b3Mauka https://instagram.com/b3mauka?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

I feel a little sore but it’s the best kind of sore so I’m fine.  My ankle annoyance returned after the ibuprofen wore off, although it’s better than it was. The only truly painful ailment is the new heel blister (this time on the inside of my foot) that somehow developed underneath a callus.  I’ve attempted to pop it but have not yet been able to because of the callus.  I gave up working on it today, maybe I’ll try again tomorrow.

Most of the day was spent in the room.  I napped quite a bit, but I was also semi-productive and took the time to clean all my gear.  I washed off my sleeping mat, I got as much dirt and debris out of my pack as possible, and I re-organized a little.  I’m fully aware it will be dirty again soon but it feels good to have clean(ish) things again.

I only ventured outside twice - once to go to Walgreens to get a few essentials, such as body lotion and more Aquaphor, and a second time to eat at the Asian Buffet with Nick.  Walking both places was a little rough because of the new blister, but I managed.  

Oh!  And our REI delivery of shoes made it!

I’m excited to walk in new shoes again.  It’s crazy to compare the new shoes with the old - we both ordered the exact same shoe as before and i can’t believe how beat up the old ones look (and my old ones only had about 300 miles on them!)

It’s 8pm - time for more sleeping.  :)