We met early on Saturday morning, the first crisp morning of a Tennessee fall. He has the drawstring bag all prepared, complete with water bottle, inhaler, and small drinking cup for the dog. It’s only 7:30 a.m., but there’s already a buzz in the air. It’s going to be a good day.
We listen to Olivia Rodrigo’s new album on the drive to the trailhead, me exclaiming over her ballads, “isn’t that lyric SO GOOD?” and “this song is definitely about Taylor Swift.” He nods and smiles, enjoying that my mood seems to match the sun shining overhead.
The trail isn’t too busy yet, and Sam the dog is overjoyed to be back. He chaotically zigzags from left to right on the path, on the hunt for any and all new smells. Sam has the undeniable energy of a puppy; everyone is shocked when I tell them he is fully six years old. It’s impossible not to laugh when you see him “walking” toward you, dragging us along behind. Our fellow hikers smile at him first, and only then do their eyes make it up to meet ours for a cheerful “Good morning!”
We meander along our frequented path, recapping the workweek and our plans for the fall and what we’re making for dinner tonight. The leaves crunch under my feet and even though it’s too hot to wear my sweatshirt, I feel the illusion of autumn in the light breeze.
We hiked this same trail before every football Saturday last year—my compromise for sitting through hours of sports later in the day. It is my favorite reset at the end of a long workweek. That and the Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew that always follows the hike, of course.
I never grew up watching football, so this relationship has been a stretch for my aversion to the sport. Each weekend I plot a fun snack to prepare for us during the game, because let’s be real, snacks are the true point of football, right? I moan at the endless commercials and the slow pace of the game; I don’t understand the rules at all. But I do get just as excited at a touchdown as he does (well, almost).
I’m not the only one making sacrifices, though. Later this month, he’ll buckle down on a Thursday night to watch three hours of The Bachelor franchise with me, followed shortly by the new season of Love is Blind on Netflix. He’ll pretend not to be invested, just like I do, but will exclaim at the TV when a character inevitably says something wild, and he’ll remember token phrases from each season months after I’ve forgotten.
Sometimes we play Scrabble during the football games, sometimes I read a novel, my feet curled up in his lap. Sometimes he cooks dinner for us while The Bachelorette contestants go on yet another cringey group date—but we always have that time together. We both spend hours of our weeks watching something we would never choose to sit through alone, but even still, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
Olivia graduated from Calvin in May 2018 with a double major in business and writing. She now works as an editor in Nashville, Tennessee and is eating her way through the restaurants of her new town. She enjoys weekend trips with friends, petting other people’s dogs, and drinking coffee like a Gilmore Girl.
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I feel like I just spent the day with you two and I’m happier and less stressed for having done so
You are the sweetest – Sammy is certainly part of the joy, but often ends up barking at the football game – LOL
I’m sorry…you three! Sammy is part of the joy!