Days 7 & 8 - Week one done..are we there yet?

  No journey is complete without that feeling of "are we there yet" or "how much further". For me it's been "I wonder if home for the night will be around this corner" or "are those trees up ahead or some buildings far off in the distance?".
 It's been 2 long days of paddling, totaling close to 60 miles or so in just the past 2 days. Conditions haven't exactly been favorable as the winds pick up in the afternoon, but I've enjoyed calm and cool mornings. Sunday was incredibly slow as I passed by seemingly never changing scenery and had to watch the high rise condos of Panama City slowly get bigger every stroke from over 20 miles out. You can imagine that the miles pass by quite slowly. Luckily I was greeted by FCT Trail Angel Fred Borg, who gave me a ride, a hot meal, a bed, and anything else I could've needed. Thanks again Fred!




  Monday marked a week since I've been paddling, and it sure feels like it's already been a month! Never the less I was excited to be getting away from the busy waters of Panama City and onto the untouched beaches off Tyndal Airforce base. I took some time to explore beachside pine forests and sandy shores that probably rarely see any human activity. This long stretch reminded me of long hiking trips where you hope to see your car or campsite around the next corner, but instead you just see miles of more trail (but in this case beach). I was beginning to grow frustrated later in the afternoon, but then the St. Joe Peninsula came into view, and I couldn't help but let out a little cheer!
 I finished off my paddle and couldn't find a campsite, so I decided to splurge on a  motel right on the beach in Mexico City where I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to take on Week 2 of my trip from Pensacola to the Florida Keys.


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