Erin- Cumberland- Day Two

Monday 14 Jan 2013:

Our first day of work! Unfortunately it is still raining… Tony found us a project that
needed to be done in the state park where we are staying. It is loosely connected to the
Cumberland trail, but I think we would really do anything that would help out. Everyone
is feeling slightly disheartened that we can’t work outside and explore the beautiful
outdoors of Tennessee but we are grateful that we do not have to be cooped up in our
cabin all day.

We spent the morning and afternoon painting a house that will be turned into a hostel for
hikers The house was located in a valley surrounded by mountains and will eventually be

a spot where the Cumberland Trail will be routed through, but the trail has not yet been
built in this area. More information on the trail: it will eventually be connected to other
trails to the north and south and will one day rival the Appalachian Trail. This means that
there will be many hikers that will take three to six moths to hike the trail and thus need
camping areas and hostels to stay in along the way.

The house we painted was fairly old, and very very dirty inside. It looked as though
no one had lived in it for years. The work was very calming—I love spending time
painting, having nice conversations with my painting neighbors. By this point in
our trip, everyone began to feel comfortable around each other. No longer were our
conversations forced or uncomfortable; we have really started to get to know each
other and could begin to express interest in the lives of one another. After painting,
our spirits were very high. We had spent the day laughing, getting to know each
other while being active. It is nice that everyone has stayed positive even though we
don’t know what is to come with the rain. I could not have asked for a better way to
start the workweek.