Well, it looks like we made it through the summer season (most of it, anyway). I’m not quite sure how we got to August so quickly, but it seems to go by much faster the older you get.
I’m not gonna lie, my month is off to a wild start.
August first was a day I’ll never forget. I was so excited because I was getting ready for my first solo trip. I’m not the kind of girl to do such things, but I had a wonderful opportunity to shoot a sunrise proposal at Brasstown Bald for a wonderful young couple.
If you didn’t know, Brasstown Bald is the highest point in the state of Georgia. Just look at the photos, and you’ll see that the view is spectacular, with all of these mountains and clouds below you. Sounds like the perfect place for an early morning hike.
So yes, I was eager to experience a view I’ve never seen before, but just as I was about to reach the park, things went south or should I say, downhill?
So now I’m writing this in the waiting area of Walmart’s tire shop in Blairesville.
You see where this is going, don’t you?
That morning I woke up at 4:30 to check out of my hotel, and at 5 am, I hit the road. My plan was simple: get there by 5:45 and hike up the mountain to scope out the perfect spot for my client to pop the question. I told him that once I found the spot and saw him, I would hit my water bottle against the rail and walk away to cue him to stand there and propose.
But just ten minutes away from the park, a sharp object greeted my car as I drove up the mountain. My car did not take that lightly.
So there I was in the mountains with a blown tire at 5:30 in the morning, all alone with little to no cell service. I hit that object so hard that my car gear shifted into neutral. Didn’t even know that was possible.
Being completely alone, my first response was to call 911. I sat there, trembling as I spoke, just praying I could get in touch with someone soon, and broke down sobbing as soon as I hung up. My parents always warned me about things like this happening, but I always told myself, “Luckily that won’t be me.” I eat my words now.
After a visit from a deputy and a not-so-cheap ride with a tow truck, I finally got my tire replaced. I ended up having to cancel the photoshoot, because there was no way I could do all of that and still hike up the mountain before sunrise.
It was quite a humbling experience to wait there in my car alone for 45 minutes, and see my bank account take a hit, alongside my tire. I was absolutely gutted that a plan I anticipated for weeks blew up in smoke, but also left that mountain with so much gratitude.
I encountered several wonderful people who offered to help me with my unfortunate accident, and the only thing I injured was my pride. My client was very understanding of the situation, and even tried to inflate the tire.
By experiencing that morning, I was reminded that life hardly ever goes according to plan. You can do everything in your power to prepare and pack all the safety gear for a long hike by yourself, yet doing so will not prevent accidents from happening.
That was probably also a reminder not to travel through the outdoors alone, even if it’s just for a short period of time, but hey, you live, and you learn, right?
I know God had a reason for all of this happening, but right now, I don’t understand why a seemingly perfect creative opportunity would unfold so poorly. Maybe he was protecting me from twisting my ankle on the hike, or getting chased down by a bear (highly unlikely, of course).
In the end, I went on with my day gutted, but grateful because I know I will have more opportunities in the future. It sure sucks to have a flat tire, but it’d be much worse to get hurt all alone, far from home, and with barely any service to call for help.
Here’s to more humbling experiences ahead, and hopefully an August without any car issues.