Daily story, July 4, 2025

The walk was supposed to take four days, but we saw the hostel peeking over the brow of the hill after two hours. We were there before lunch, packs unopened, not a whisker to be seen on the face I shaved that morning. A few set out on a circular hike, just to get what they came for; the rest of us sat by the fire and tried to pretend we had earned it. The whole world had turned very small.