Date: 2009-10-11
From: Going home. 

To: Going Home. Berry's Recap 
Miles today: 0.0

It has been several days since Bark and I left the trail now. We are still traveling back down south with my parents and having a great time. I thought that by now I would have lots to share and tell about my time personally on the trail. The strange thing is, I find myself almost speechless. How do you even begin to describe such a journey? I want to recap it all so I will try my best to find the words to share about the AT from my perspective.For the past six months I heard the same thing over and over, "It is about the journey, not the destination." I never realized how true that statement was until we reached the summit of Mt. Katahdin exactly six months from the day we left Springer.I remember very clearly the morning we were dropped off at the trailhead at Springer Mt., Georgia. All I could think was "Surely this is not happening- I am not ready for this! I have not even been camping more than twice in my whole life, what were we thinking?!" Wonderful friends were around us and so excited and encouraging. Bark was grinning ear to ear in anticipation of our adventure in the woods, and so I did what anyone would have done- I kept smiling too, all the way to the first white blaze on the top of the mountain. Little did I know what the trail had in store for Bark and me in the months to come.Looking back there really are only a few things that kept me going from day to day. Between the rain and blisters and the aching feet, there was most definitely a greater purpose to hiking the trail than just for the sake of experiencing nature. There were a few times I thought nature would kill us out there!First and most important, my daily motivation came from the Lord. On the most difficult of days I could rest in the knowlegde that the Lord "would never leave me nor forsake me." I knew that if I couldn't do it, He could and would. My prayers were for safety daily and then in thanksgiving for His provision and protection and love. God gave me purpose in every step, even when I put up a fight.On beautiful weather days it was easy to hike and enjoy the vistas and rocky cliffs. But, if you followed the weather at all over the past several months you would have noticed a very rainy pattern. A few states we hiked through experienced record rain fall- how perfect. Wet feet, soggy tents and saturated packs were only the start of some depressing and cloudy days. It's funny though because even on those days when you think you are at the end of your rope, the one thought that prevailed was "Tomorrow the sun will come out...tomorrow will be better." Bark and I found hope in the small things and confidence in the Lord to give us the strength we needed to make it through; after all if He wanted us out there, He would keep us there.From the get-go, meeting all the hikers and hearing their stories was great. I don't think that it ever got old for me to ask those familiar questions- Where are you from and why are you here? The people make the trail what it is. Nights at the shelter, bear stories, trail news that traveled north and south, the commradery you find because of a common bond- the relationships on the trail are unlike any I have experienced. I remember the first time hearing about a hiker that we knew who decided to leave the trail for good. It was so hard to hear...your heart just breaks because you feel like you have lost a member of your family. Bark and I have come away with some sweet friendships that will last a lifetime.Every morning Bark and I woke up and the same thought entered our minds. Without saying a word, we could look at each other and wonder "How are we going to do this again? Another 15 or 20 miles...here we go!" For the most part we were usually alone during the day while hiking. It gave us a great opportunity to talk, pray and really lean on one another when the hike got to us. We were married just a few days shy of a year when we started the trail and so doing this was such an eye opener. I got to know Bark in such a different way than I did before the trail. Things that excited him, frustrated him, motivated him and what he needed from me. All of those things were different out on the trail and I had a lot to learn and pay attention to. It was fun though and just another unexpected aspect to the whole adventure. When I met Bark a few years ago he made it clear that the AT was a dream of his and had been for years. I initially thought he was crazy and could not imagine somebody wanting to walk 2,000 miles for 6 months. But now that we have lived it and experienced it together, it is something I would never take back. What a memorable thing that as his wife I was there to watch him and support him in accomplishing his dream. I respect Bark and trust him in ways that I never would have before any of this. He was my best friend before the trail, and now I am seeing that he is the only one who understands everything I/we went through on the trail. We have grown in our marriage and our love for one another- what a sweet bonus to the adventure itself. Plus, somebody had to make sure that through all of his falls and stumbles, he didn't break anything or fall too hard!The trail and our experiences will forever be a part of our life. After being in the quiet woods for 6 months and having nothing to worry about except the next white blaze, it will be interesting to see how we have changed and how it has influenced us. We will forever have a love for the outdoors- the smells, the sounds, even the rain will trigger memories of times on the trail and the people we met. It's funny how quickly you forget the hard days and how humorous the tearful meltdowns become now. All that remains are the memories of beautiful days, sweet friendships, stunning views and climbs and the culmination of it all at the top of Mt. Katahdin.