Almost Heaven: Pennsylvania & West Virginia

I was told it always rains in Pennsylvania, but luck—or maybe something bigger—was on my side. The skies stayed clear, the temperatures were perfect, and Ohiopyle State Park opened its arms to me like it had been waiting.

The hike I chose wasn’t easy. It wasn’t just a walking trail—it was inclines, boulders, rock scrambles, and a few places where others turned back. I probably should have too. But something in me said, keep going. So I did.

By the time I reached Cucumber Falls, the last stop before climbing out of the river gorge to my truck, I was tired and exhilarated all at once. The waterfall was stunning, tumbling into the gorge in a way that felt effortless yet powerful. I stood there for a long time, mist cooling my skin, letting the sound of rushing water quiet everything else. Even when a snake crossed my path, I didn’t panic. I watched him move gracefully across the trail and reminded myself: this is his home too.

I felt proud of myself for pushing through. I felt blessed to be there. And I couldn’t help wishing that everyone I love could feel what I was feeling—this deep, grounded peace that only comes when you’ve earned it with every step.

But as beautiful as Pennsylvania was, it was West Virginia that stole my heart.

“Almost heaven” doesn’t even begin to cover it. As I wound my way through the Appalachian Mountains, each turn seemed to outdo the last. Rolling green hills stretched forever, cliffs dropped dramatically into wild rivers, and the air felt softer somehow—like it belonged to another world.

West Virginia made me feel both small and infinite. It was breathtaking in every sense. And while I was deeply grateful to be there, there was an ache too. I thought about how much sweeter it would have been to share it with someone who could see it the way I did. Someone who would stand silently beside me and just feel it.

But maybe that was the gift of West Virginia—it reminded me how much I long to share my heart and adventures, yet also how strong and whole I can be standing there alone, soaking it all in.

Maybe that’s the thing about trips like this. You start out chasing waterfalls and mountain views, but somewhere along the way you end up finding pieces of yourself you didn’t even know were missing. I thought I needed someone else to share these moments with, but West Virginia showed me I was already enough. Strong enough to climb, brave enough to keep going when the path got hard, and open enough to let beauty break me wide open. Almost heaven? No. It was heaven. And I carried it with me when I left.