I guess the only way to put into words why I did this is that once I started it and knew I COULD do it, I knew I HAD to do it or I would forever regret not following thru with something I started. I didn’t want to be haunted by that. Also, I love the mountains. Something always calls me back to them, so it was kind of a calling, I think. Another reason is that I think God puts you and others in places at certain times for a reason and I believe the friends I’ve made on the trail were supposed to be.

I may not have been the fastest or the wisest hiker, but I did “hike my own hike”. I hiked the trail many days and nights alone. I also met and hiked with some wonderful strangers who became great friends. I had the pleasure of having Danny join me for a few sections, as well as Jodi, my fabulous daughter-in-law, who joined me for a few days in VA. The days with them were super special and will always remain fresh in my mind.

As you know, Danny keeps asking me what I think about out there. Many days I really don’t even remember having thoughts. The omission of thoughts was quite nice. I did, however, occasionally have some random thoughts (obviously nothing knew for me, lol). Don’t know why, but from Day 1, every time I saw a butterfly, I thought of my granddaddy Thomas. It would always make me smile. I often looked at things like roots and rocks, which were an everyday occurrence and thought of family members. Danny is my rock–thought of him constantly. Roots reminded me of my parents–so firmly grounded and supportive. I could go on and on with the things I would see and relate to someone close to me (crazy, I know). But, things like this are really where your mind goes in the total quiet hours of alone time in the forest. I often saw beautiful moss covered forest floors and expected to see little Leprechauns hiking toward me, lol. You’d think you would have some very serious, profound thoughts once you found that quiet space, but I think your mind kind of takes a vacation and only thinks about what you’re doing at the moment, where you’re going, and as I said earlier, the comparing what you see to what you know. I really would try to focus my thoughts, but to no avail.

Just a few general notes:

I came to really appreciate very simple things, like how a good day would lift my spirits. If the sun and cool breeze were just right and the ground was soft under my feet, void of slippery or sharp things, I could move forward at a good pace and felt very productive and accomplished at the end of the day. Whereas, the opposite was true much of the time if the weather was wet and I had to muddle through a treacherous trail.

I appreciated having my nice, cozy tent to crawl into at night for comfort after a tiring day. It offered warmth after a wet and cold day and privacy and quietness from all the chatter, smelliness and snoring of the shelters. Retreating to my tent at night was like going home to a nice recliner after a long day of work.

I appreciated warm water for a shower when at a hostel. I appreciated cold water for a drink after drinking tepid creek water on hot days. I appreciated clean clothes every now and then, especially clean and dry socks. I appreciated seeing and learning about some of these little, I should say tiny, trail towns.

Most of all, I really came to appreciate the people I met on the trail and the people already in my life. Family, as well as friends, have been so amazingly supportive and kind. Trail friends were supportive and kind. I quickly learned, as Danny said in his post, that most people are genuinely good at heart. Out on the trail, we don’t even know one another’s real names. We don’t know what one another does for a living. Much of the time, we dont even know where others live. We are all the same, doing the same thing, striving for the same goal. No one judges another because of gender, age, size, religion, etc. We help one another attain the goal of getting safely to Katahdin or Springer. We share what we have, even though it isn’t much that we carry, if we see someone is in need of something, we gladly give it away. It’s very heartwarming and makes you want to carry that kindness over into every aspect of life. I often say, “If the whole world could be like the trail community, it would be a great place to live.”

It already feels strange not to have to think about gear or mileage. I’m definitely glad it’s done, but I’m also definitely going to miss it. If anyone wants to go out on the trail for a week or weekend, I’ll suggest a great spot or two and maybe even go with.

Every time I see a white rectangle somewhere, I’ll think it’s a white blaze. I’m not sure how I’ll find my way around now. It’s odd that I can walk through the woods all the way from Georgia to Maine without getting lost, but I have trouble getting to the grocery store without a map. Lol. I’ll probably slow down every time I pass a pond, too, and look for a moose. It will surely take a while to realize I’m really out of the woods.

This truly was the trek of a lifetime and I really will cherish the memories of it forever!!!!

Thank you all again for following along. It’s been fun!

Leaving you with a little piece of something I jotted down as I walked. I entitled it, “Take A Step”.

“Life is best enjoyed one step at a time.” Cherish each step. We’re not promised another step. Think. Feel. Breathe. Take a step. Don’t think. Don’t feel. Breathe. Take a step. Laugh. Cry. Breathe. Take a step. We’re one step and one breath away from the happiest, most rewarding time in our lives. We’re one step and one breath away from the sadest, most miserable time in our lives. We’re one step and one breath away from true living. We’re one step and one breath away from death. We can’t let the stresses of life take our breath away, hence stopping us in our tracks. No matter the age or social class, the breath of life is sweet. People love us. People need us. We love people. We need people. We breathe life into others and others breathe life into us, affording us the ability to take another step. Each step moves us forward. Sometimes taking the next step is difficult. It may not be a step at all, but a leap of faith. God is good all the time. He is the air we breathe and He forms the path our steps follow. He puts the right people in our path at the right time. He guides our way. He protects us. He allows things to happen that we don’t understand. He comforts us. He wraps His loving arms around us and holds us tight as a mother or father would do for a child. He gives us the courage and strength and the breath we need to take another step forward. One step at a time leads us to our summit. Some get there sooner. Some get there later. Once reached, though, the peace, joy, and fulfillment are suddenly worth all the falls and feelings of breathlessness we encounter on our journey forward. Take a step. Then another. And another. Breathe. Then, thank God for the blessings of life!