My plan for today was a road trip to Vermont, where I have always fantasized about going, and now it’s merely a 2 hour drive from Boston. I thought I would hit the road in plenty of time to take a short hike somewhere incredibly awestrikingly amazingly beautiful and wander around Brattleboro. But for some reason, I couldn’t fall asleep last night, finally succumbing at around 4:30 a.m. and then sleeping until 11:00 and not even hitting the road until 1:00–at which point I was in a very bad mood, upset with myself for my not very apt time management skills–and then trying to make up for lost time on the drive. But encountering mountain roads with hairpin turns and angry locals trying to pass me on these 1 lane roads. By the time I reached Vermont, I was spent.

I am not sure what is going on with me these days, but I have zero energy and wander around in a state of zombie fatigue. Perhaps it’s the sarcoidosis. Perhaps it’s just loneliness.

And then I spent about an hour searching for the Retreat Trails. I found signs and maps at what appeared to be the trailheads… but the paths themselves were unfindable. I am not quite sure what went wrong. Waze and Google Maps were useless even when I could get a cell signal, leading down roads that either did not exist or guided me to a golf course and a petting zoo.

I decided to abandon the search since it was getting dark, but I was able to find my way to the lovely town of Brattleboro, which was like a refuge. Everything you’d want in an New England town.