Eye Warming, Heart Opening: My Experience in Boone, NC

For something to be eye-warming and heart-opening sounds like twisted speech, doesn’t it? It didn’t make sense to me either, but I trusted my soul during a Thursday morning meditation when it spoke these words. What does that mean? I smiled, could have laughed, in this moment of peace and presence. Surely I had mixed up the phrasing as I was focusing on stillness and deep breaths. But I don’t think I did. The more I grounded into the space of myself, centering my senses in the present moment, a visualization came to mind. The nature I’ll get to admire will be appealing to the eye, bringing comfort and awe. My heart is easily warmed, so the experiences to come will aid in the opening of it instead. Everything I see in nature is a reflection of myself, for we are all nature, too.

The morning I hit the road to visit Boone, NC is when I experienced this meditation. Starting the trip with gratitude, new curiosity, and this perspective of eye-warming and heart-opening, I was excited to see what this trip had in store. I stayed two nights and planned to explore the outdoors as much as I could. Refreshed and inspired, my first stop was Grandfather Mountain in Linville, NC. What a place! Little ways past Boone and daily admission between $10-28, Grandfather Mountain was full of serenity and beauty. Once checked in at the entrance, my admission purchase came with a CD that explained the history and descriptions of Grandfather Mountain. From infamous rocks and Forrest Gump scenes to wildlife and fun hikes, this little park “warmed” my eyes in many ways. After hiking the Black Rock trail to get to the mile high bridge, I encountered a woman who asked me to take her picture. She was determined to prove to her family she could walk across this bridge. She was also there to say goodbye to her late husband, whose ashes she brought to sprinkle over the bridge per his request. I admired her dedication, along with all the excitement that foreign tourists embodied, everyone posing for silly pictures on top of the rocks. When I walked across the bridge and made it to the other side where there were rocks to sit on and views to see, I was struck by the wholeness of the planet. All these different people around me, the wind brushing my hair, and the bed of trees making a spongy pattern of warm colors beneath me. It all felt overwhelmingly loving. The piece of Earth I was looking at was so beautiful, and it was only one fraction of this entire planet that holds billions. Being the crying type anyways, I allowed the view to carry my tears away and open my heart in a new way.

After hiking back down and eating lunch at Coyote Kitchen, it was time to fly. In other words, I was booked for zip-lining in the afternoon. Being the only one signed up may sound intimidating, but I can’t begin to describe the amount of fun I had with just two instructors who showed me how to properly brake and steer. College graduates and aspiring to be in different jobs eventually, they were best friends who met in college and that day they were generous enough to include me in their banter and share their joy. It turns out that zip-lining only takes 30 minutes when you’re by yourself and after shared laughs, I grabbed a chai latte at the Local Lion. My Air BnB was nice enough for a night in, but I enjoyed driving through Boone at night after journaling in the coffee shop and sipping my warm drink. The lights, atmosphere, and my indie bluegrass music playing in the background managed to make me linger on the roads a little longer before turning in for the night.

Now, we’ve made it to Friday morning. I was scheduled to bike the Virginia Creeper Trail in the afternoon, but since a storm was heading that way at that time, I managed to catch a shuttle ride that left in the morning instead. Dressed in three layers, waterproof leggings, gloves, a helmet, and a backpack full of more layers and food and water, I spent the shuttle ride up speaking with another lovely stranger-turned-friend. She called our meeting serendipitous as we discussed our similar interests and passions for Ayurvedic healing and yoga. The trail was similar to free falling and seeing bursts of color on your way down. Damp and freeing with the light rain, I laughed the whole first ten miles. For the last seven, the storm decided to come early. Biking through hail, lightning, thunder, and pouring rain was definitely an adventure that wasn’t ideal, but nonetheless through my worry and prayers, I can look back and laugh at the memory of it all. Through every layer of clothes, I was drenched in mud and freezing cold rain. The cash in my backpack had even gotten soaked. Sometimes, trust in the Earth, your inner strength, and perseverance is all you need to get through a storm. Once again, eye-warming and heart-opening. I rewarded myself with a hot shower, shopping in downtown Boone, and vegan pizza from Mellow Mushroom.

The last morning consisted of winds that the weather channel said felt like 35 degrees Fahrenheit. I faced the cold for the sake of the local farmer’s market, where I bought locally grown mushrooms that tasted phenomenal. It was time for yet another hot drink. Immediately. So I made my way to Hatchet, described online as a hot spot for coffee lovers in Boone, NC. I was determined to see what the excitement was about. In line, I waited thirty minutes to order a chai tea. I connected with the people in line, one woman who annually visited Boone with her husband to see local friends, and one millennial man who lived in an RV with a home base in Vermont. He was a nomadic farmer, and the three of us seemed to light each other up in curious, open-hearted ways. We bid our goodbyes before I traveled back home, passing the beautiful blue ridge mountains and reminiscing over my time, thinking it to be extra special that I unexpectedly got to drive down the Blue Ridge Parkway as well during my stay.

Overall, my trip to Boone was eye-warming and heart-opening indeed. In many ways. From connecting to the beauty all around me and within me to holding space for community and spreading light throughout my adventures. I learned trust, perspective, beauty, and the nature of Earth and people. I was asked by a friend if I got lonely going on these adventures alone sometimes. I admit, sleeping and eating alone in particular can feel lonely at times. But being open to connecting deeply with yourself, the world around you, and the new people you may cross paths with doesn’t bring loneliness at all. It brings faith, love, and ignites that burning flame of adventure inside each of us. I am grateful for my time in Boone, NC, and for all the ways this trip opened my heart. I am ecstatic to visit again.