Oh, how quickly one’s mindset can change out here. Just hours ago I was genuinely excited to be back on the trail and hiking again. Somewhere along the 1.5 miles of progress, something snapped in my mind. I am done with my thru hike attempt. It’s a difficult decision and a difficult admission, but I am done.
I am not done with the trail, but I am done with my thru attempt. Right now I am back where I started today waiting to be picked up. I shall return home and try to figure out what this means. Once I do, I will elaborate further in an additional post. For now…
Retreating home…
Mojo
I’m sorry the journey didn’t turn out the way you expected. I know it’s incredibly difficult to make the decision you made. Regardless of the outcome, you made an incredibly awesome journey! In looking back over your first posts, one remark you made really stands out to me – that by living in cities there is energy between us and nature that goes missing. As far as finding your missing energy, I’d say mission accomplished. You have reconnected to nature in an intense way (physically AND mentally!) that most city-dwellers will never do and it will be a part of you for the rest of your life. By sharing this journey with us, you have helped put us in touch with some of our own missing energy, and showed us some beautiful country. If you continue hiking the AT at some point, please do keep blogging! You have a real talent for it.
I hope everyone who has followed along has been inspired as I have, to examine their own personal journey and figure out a way to reclaim their energy. We may never thru-hike the AT, but all of us thru-hike life. I love you and I’m proud of you!
Thanks Billye! Civilization, indeed, has isolated us from nature. The irony is, that for all of our modern day comforts, our long term survival as a species on this planet depends upon the very nature that we work so hard to isolate ourselves from. Interesting. And not to worry – I am not done with the trail or with life in general… I have enjoyed blogging and will continue to do so, regardless of the trail!
Doc P is right on. I have connected with the trail through your posts, and so much of what you have on this blog informed my own gear choices as I made backpacking purchases for the first time. Indeed I have a very hard time reading something that is not well written: your conversational style, humor, attention to detail have kept me coming back. Your journey up to this point is here for so many to read. Thanks for sharing it so far!
While I’m sorry to see you end the Thru, I’m happy to have followed your attempt. It was a great read. Thanks for sharing your experience!