Date: 2016-01-17
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Hello friends, I wanted to write a final entry to finally close this journal for good. I have already discussed the important technical aspects regarding preparation as well as the day-to-day Trail logistics. I have also touched upon a few of the difficulties I have lived through post-Trail. I suppose this final entry will be a (somewhat) disjointed musing of my AT story. I will definitely concede that the Trail ¢ or hiking the Trail for an extended period of time ¢ does have a transformative effect, though its repercussions appear to me as being quite subtle, inconspicuous even. I did not return from the Trail and decide to completely reformat my life. Most of my habits, values remain the same; the overarching theme that is my life is mostly unaltered. Yes, hiking the Trail was one of my greatest accomplishments, easily one of the most difficult. However, the uniqueness of the Trail is not merely the extended, intensive physical stress and mental challenge one must endure; it is the inherent social aspect which makes the AT a singular experience. I have never met such a diverse ¢ yet so homogenous in some aspects ¢ group of people. Statistically, most hikers are White American males, from a middle to lower social class. They are either students (or freshly graduated) or retired. There are quite a few international hikers and I hope that in the coming years the Trail will attract additional minority groups. Still, when you hike the Trail, you essentially live with these strangers, these people with whom you may have nothing in common except the desire to one day touch the plaque, on top of Katahdin, that reads ¢AT ¢ NORTHERN TERMINUS¢ (assuming you are travelling NOBO, of course.) It¢s so rare in life to have such a tangible, finite goal. With the exception of university diplomas, most of my life¢s goals have been somewhat vague ¢ getting in shape, trying new things, trying to be better, do better¢¦ having a mountain as a final objective is refreshing in the way that it is not only highly symbolic, but it is obtainable in a strictly binary sense: you get there or you don¢t. Katahdin is injected with so much meaning, so it is easy to see how Katahdin as a goal can foster a true sense of connectedness between would-be thru-hikers. There is also the fact that you necessarily share your experiences, joys, miseries and fears with those around you, your fellow hikers. Conversation flowed, unbridled; my default walls and personal restraints seemed to lessen and my once chronic social anxiety dissolved. It is a special bond the one between thru-hikers ¢ when does this openness ever spontaneously occur between colleagues or coworkers? I believe what struck me the most was that the AT¢s social life exemplified how each person is a complex being, capable of vivid thoughts and emotions with his own story, ambitions and fears. Every person you meet is the sum result of their past experiences, molded by their values (which are historically and culturally bound). These people came to the Trail for whatever reason and they appear, now, in your life. Maybe only for an evening, after which your lives will proceed, as two lines travelling along an infinite plain, never to intersect again. However brief, this meeting still holds a certain significance for you and has inevitably shaped you even if this impact is minute. While I lived on the Trail, I became hyper-aware that, in this exact moment, my friends were hiking as well. I would say ¢Oh! So-and-So passed by here, he SAW this viewpoint as well! I wonder what he thought of it or how difficult or easy he found the terrain or if he experienced rain during this period.¢ I love visualizing the human condition as this intricate web of interactions, weaving itself continually, tangled in an impossible, unpredictable way; it is beautifully chaotic and senseless albeit heartbreaking. Sometimes, I met a fellow hiker and we only spent a few hours together but something they did or said resonated with me in a truly positive way. Yet, because we never met again, that person never knew how important they were, how profoundly they helped another human being. The Trail has taught me to examine those around me in this light, that is, to always go beyond the superficial reading and assume that others are complex beings that mostly deserve to be approached with genuine kindness. It is a difficult process to learn to apply in real life¢¦ Another lesson from the Trail I have learned is acceptance. I have already discussed this numerous times, though this repetition just sediments how important this realization has been for me. Furthermore, it is important advice for any future thru-hiker: it is OK to struggle, to find the hike difficult, to be miserable at times, to doubt your abilities. It is even OK to not enjoy hiking at times. These are normal feelings that you may encounter. Do not succumb to them, but do not fear them either: accept that these are normal processes and that your personal development (as a thru-hiker or otherwise) necessitates these moments of introspections. Additional, self-care is instrumental in not falling prey to the inevitable waves of negativity and hardships. On the Trail, that means rest days are essential as well as shorter days where you dedicate a whole afternoon to basking in the sun, enjoying a particularly nice view. The Trail is NOT a race and to truly appreciate the AT, you need to slow down and examine the slight details because the AT¢s beauty is not always forceful or direct. The views and scenery can be monotonous, so you need to make a conscious effort to see the Trail from a novel angle. For me, photography and writing helped develop this perspective as it forced me to see all the small particularities of the Trail: the different insects and animals wandering about, the motifs of the clouds, the changes in the ambient light, the shape of the trees and the sound of the leaves. Individually, these observations mean nothing, but together they re-create the character of the AT. I want to conclude this entry with a final thank you to all my AT friends and Trail Angels who have helped me during my journey. Congratulations to all past thru-hikers: you have all accomplished an amazing feat of stamina and mental endurance. I also wish the best of luck to all future thru-hikers ¢ I hope that your adventure, no matter how long it ends up being, is amazing. And, I hope that you find what you are looking for. Justine/Axon