Clean body, clean laundry, a belly full of matzoh ball soup, and no alarms. That’s the recipe for a good night’s rest. For me, beds are optional because I sleep just as good on my sleeping pad in my backpacking quilt as I do in a bed. It’s the impending alarm that really gives me anxiety about sleeping and keeps me from resting.

Today Lina and I are greeting her friend, Retura, who’s coming into town for their mutual friend’s wedding.

Today was spent helping Lina around her place, taking care of my gear, and eating some of her leftovers. Leftover Swedish pancakes are kind of amazing. They’re like crepes and can be made savory or sweet, and are perfect to throw at hikertrash.

Retura got there in the afternoon, and soon some of Lina’s other friends came for her weekly pancake dinner. She makes a boatload of Swedish pancakes and different savory and sweet options to fill them with.

It was really cool meeting her friends and having a communal dinner. I haven’t had one in a while. I was also excited to help make some pancakes while she took some time to make other things and be social. She made a mezcal cocktail called Naked and Famous which was incredible on all levels. It had sweet, smoky, and sour notes. There’s nothing like a mezcal cocktail.

Everyone except Retura and me left around 10. We cleaned up, talked a bit, and hit the hay. Tomorrow we’re going to explore some hot springs!