Lake Laura

Lake Laura Orkney Springs, VA

I forgot how small the Charlottesville Albemarle Airport is. The time is about 10am and I’m sitting here waiting for my flight to head back to Charleston. Already with three cups of coffee in I thought this would be a great time to write (and to help take my nerves off flying).

I am amazed how much nature can heal and strengthen a person. I’ve been so tired and truthfully burnt-out.  During my week at Orkney Springs, surrounded by the outdoors with the joy of getting to walk everywhere.  Waking up, seeing first thing the mountains, I wasn’t surprised how easy it was falling into "relax" mode. Yet, sitting in this airport, with my lists already made-up for this week (before 9am) of business goals, errands and chores I’ve caught myself feeling the worldly stress beginning to come back as quickly as it had left. What I wanted out of this week was to find patience. Patience for being where I am right now, as well as for what is to come. However, I find myself traveling back to Charleston with a sense of so much more – value.

On Thursday I had the opportunity to go on a run with a few other campers. Meeting at the entrance of Shrine Mont the five of us with our sneakers, water bottles and beach towels (for the swim across Lake Laura) we ran through the little town and out into the country. About ten minutes into our run we were met with a horse trail that followed the perimeter of Lake Laura. Running up and down the hills, scraping around the tight turns and balancing over loose rocks and tree roots gave me the kind of adrenaline rush I haven’t experienced in a very long time. With the view of Lake Laura never leaving us it was a peaceful-sweaty heart pumping experience. Through the middle of the run the heavy worry of leeches and snakes disappeared with the feeling of cool calm water. We swam across and back; treading water I stopped in awe of the view where I hiked North Mountain just the day before and where my group and I ate lunch. I remembered thinking how I thought a person could only feel small in an airplane. But there I was in the middle of this huge lake, deep in a valley with trees, sun and mountains looking up a few hundred miles.

John Hobbs talked about the importance of making memories. How we as people, need to make memories. We mold our stories from good and bad memories.  I was making a good memory that I’ll never forget. I am blessed to have experienced that awesome moment. Oh, and I am happy to say I am officially a member of the “Shrine Mont Run and Swim Club" Thank you and much love to you, Rick Cook.