Freedom of the road (trail)

Most posts like this begin with ‘it is with a heavy heart….or I am sad to say’ but not this one. Ahem.

Nope….I am HAPPY to say I am getting off the trail!! I’m not quitting, I’m just done. Honestly I’m just over it, for now, really. So grab a beverage and I’ll explain.

So hiking up Mt. Greylock (the highest peak in Massachusetts) I was moving at a snail’s pace. Not because I was tired or in pain, I just had zero desire or motivation. If you’ve read between the lines of my posts you might have picked up on this, or not. My last post took forever to write because I kept trying to put a positive spin on it. Question was who was I trying to convince?

Don’t get me wrong, this has been one heck of an adventure. Had such fun, in camp and in town….but on the trail, not so much. I met some real characters out there and learned some lessons. Like, it’s important for me to make decisions based on what I feel and need not based on what others think/believe I should do. It’s my journey after all.

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams…..but remember the map is not carved in stone.

The things I’ve seen and done on the AT I won’t soon forget. People showed so much kindness and generosity. The miles I’ve completed and memories are many. But I set out to conquer the AT, which no longer seems that important to me, at this time. Turns out life adventures aren’t all or nothing, you know.

On the PCT I wanted all that came with being a thru hiker, the good/bad, highs/lows. I was getting to Canada no-matter-what. See, to complete a thru hike you have to want it, from within. This time around, my want meter was at a strong meh.

Now, Kathadin is still waiting….. and I will get there, eventually. Things tend to happen as they should, right?

At the moment I’m on a train, headed west (what a novel way to see the country)….researching the CDT(Continental Divide Trail)!!!

Story is not over yet……stay tuned.