2008 in Review

Wow-what a year. Didn't think it could get any crazier than 2007 but I think 2008 proved me wrong! Here's a little insight into how it went!

January-James came up with the idea to hike the Appalachian Trail and easily convinced me that we could do it! We spent the month discussing all the details of being gone for 5 1/2 months.

February-This month was packed with planning for the actual trip. Dehydrating over 150 meals (dinner, breakfast, snacks). Planning our itinerary for the trail-how long it would take us to get done, how many miles in between mail drops, researching gear, and reading all things Appalachian Trail.

March-Like February, every day was filled with planning. Jessica came out the last week of March to help with food preparation. It was great to have her out and for her to see all the work that went into our food drops. As the end of March approached we weren't sure if we were ready for an April 1st start, but we kept working every day until March 30. To top off planning for the trip, we packed and moved out all of our furniture and stuff from my dad's and moved it into storage.

April-By the 1st we were ready to be out in the woods finally doing what we had planned for. April 1st we started out at Springer Mountain, the terminus for the A.T., with much anticipation for what was ahead. We weren't sure if we were going to be able to do the whole trail but we decided all we could do was take one day at a time. The first month was by far the most exhilarating time on the trail. I remember calling my friend, Natalie, at Neels Gap (only 30 miles in) and telling her that I would thru-hike the trail with her whenever if she wanted to in the future. We didn't comprehend how far Georgia to Maine really was at that time...but it's a good thing!

May thru September- was all time on the trail. We went thru 14 states and saw so much of the country you would miss by driving in a car. We met so many wonderful people-people who helped restore my confidence in the goodness of humanity. We were in tune with nature-the smells-of evergreen woods with such subtle sweetness, of dayhikers who had the strong scent of clean laundry, of wildflowers, of super smelly thru-hikers. Sounds-the quietness of the woods, of the trees creaking as if they were opening their doors welcoming us into their home, of rustling wildlife in search of food, of birds singing their songs, and of cars which sounded so loud to our ears, when entering trail towns from the reasonable quiet of the woods. Of taste- the taste of clean cool spring water, of town food with such flavor, of wild berries & ramps. Of sight-the pictures of course capture snapshots of life on the trail. I have never seen such beauty-in early spring, the wildflowers were gorgeous. Summer approached and the forest with all of its leaves shaded us from the hot sun. New England was coming into fall as we ended-with incredible hues of red orange calling to close our hike. It was absolutely stunning! Physically our bodies felt the effects of hiking for 5 months. They became very lean and strong-muscles and balance became greater. When we didn't have our pack on we felt a bit "off-balance". We craved sugars and fat and did our best to eat as much as we could while in town. We weren't ever sick on the trail; although we were physically tired after each day from hiking so much-our minds were never tired. We always felt good getting up and getting back out into the woods. Our minds were allowed so much time to be free-free from the usual worries of the day and free to not have to think about anything at all. It was a beautiful experience-one that awakened all of our senses and made us happy to be alive. Made us sad that we are still ruining the planet by our over consumption. The experience moved us to stand up for the forest who continues to lose a vast amount of trees due to acid rain/smog and air pollution. We came to appreciate the natural world in ways we hadn't before and made us grateful that this experience exists for those who seek it.

September-December-We finished on the 14th of September and made our way home with a ride from a fellow thru-hiker from Maryland. We returned to VA with much excitement as well as sadness-that we were done with the hike. We came back to VA with the intent to live and work on a dairy farm, and to possibly start gardening for a CSA. Unfortunately, these plans didn't end up working out & we had to decide what we were going to do. It was a difficult decision but we ended up packing up our car & our 2 doggies and driving out to Tempe AZ. We are here "regrouping" and doing our best to take the next step. We miss the trail, the country life and friends, but are enjoying our time with all of my family & friends. I learned a few things on the trail but one I can't forget is the idea of being "flexible". So I try-I am learning to bend without breaking. Learning to see things through different lens & accepting the things I can't change.

Peace-Holly