Day 18:

I ended staying up really late the night before talking on the phone with friends and family, so I had a bit of a late start on day 18. It was alright, though, because the next stop I wanted to make was Pine Creek Gorge, but it was about 3 ½ hours from Pittsburgh. I figured I would stop somewhere about halfway to stay for the night, but I wasn’t quite sure where yet, so I just started heading in the direction of Pine Creek. I made a couple of pit stops, but nothing too major. I did stop in a little town called Bellefonte, PA. It was like something out of a movie. You see in films those perfect little towns with immaculate yards, everyone is friendly and knows each other, people are carrying groceries for old ladies, and there are traffic officers stopping traffic so that school children can cross the street. Yeah, that’s what Bellefonte was. It didn’t feel real, yet here I was. There were so many gorgeous churches speckled throughout the town, but I’m awful, and I failed to get photos of them. They’re there though, I assure you.

Since I had gotten a late start, and I had made a few stops along the way, I wouldn’t have any time to do any hiking that day, so I decided to look for a coffee shop where I could do some work. In a town called Lock Haven, which wasn’t too far away, was a coffee house called Avenue 209. I decided I would head over there and do a bit of writing for the evening. It’s probably my favorite coffee shop I’ve visited on this trip so far. I had a fantastic chai latte while trying to get caught up on the writing I’ve let fall behind. After camping out for a couple of hours, I made my way to a Planet Fitness that was about a half an hour away. I sat in the parking lot for an extraordinarily long time on the phone with Joseph, but eventually I did make my way in for a workout and shower. So overall it was quite an uneventful day, but I wasn’t upset about that. It was probably the closest I’ve come to just having a normal routine since I left. I like spontaneity, but I also love a good routine, so I was perfectly alright with a slightly less exciting day.