Date: 2005-06-27
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Miles today: 0.0

   As they say in the cartoons...that's all folks. After another trip to the doctor here in D.C. and yet another round of x-rays, it has been determined that this year's journey will come to a close and be given the title of GA-HF(Harpers Ferry). I have been sitting in complete silence and darkness for the past five days turning down any offers and attempts at food or water. My mind is focused and my center is balanced. I have repeated my mantra and discoversd my chi. I feel in my heart of hearts that I am now ready for the biggest mouse click of my life. A click that will seal my fate for years and years to come. The click over to "got off the trail".    Of course I'm joking around about all of this, with the exception of the getting of the trail part. I just wanted to sound all deep and dramatic like. The doctor said that the bone in the foot was still badly bruised as it was before I got into Waynesboro. He said that at this point it was up to me wheter or not I wanted to continue hiking. My diagnosis is that I can't hike for more than one to three days without then taking four to five days off to rest my foot. Now if you have a calculator neatby you do the math. This type of schedule doesn't really work out mileage wise to get me to Katahdin.    In all honesty though, while this was an easy decision to make concerning the future health of my foot, it was a very difficult one to make mentally. When I started this hike at Amicalola on March 19th I had no expectations. I was prepared to take in stride and make the most of anything that the trail had to offer me. Looking back and reflecting on the past three and a half months I feel that I was able to do that. I went through highs, lows and everything in between and I wouldn't trade any one of them for three months of "normalcy". Although I think hiking the AT is normal and everything else around it is off center.    I thank everyone around me for their support, love, and friendship. I could not have gone a single step without each and every one of you. Thank you for the talks, mailings, rooms, messages, and words of encouragement. I never knew how much a simple "good job, keep going, we're all behind you" would mean.    To all of those that I met on the trail; my family for the past three months. I consider myself fortunate and lucky to have come in contact with each one of you. It's not often that one gets to meet such a diverse group of people and have the time to actually get to know them. Thank you all for everything that you taught me about people.    As I sit here writing this final entry I'm not disapointed or depressed. While I will miss the trail terribly, I'm so fortunate that I got the opportunity to go after and tackle one of my dreams. It seems that so often in life people either can't or will not go after their dreams and goals. We get so set in our "routines" that anything outside of the box seems unreachable. It's not. If you told me four years ago when I read "A Walk in the Woods" that it would be the catalyst to my 1000 mile adventure on the AT I would have called you crazy. I take from the trail not a sense of defeat, but rather the knowledge that anything is attainable. At 25 years old my eyes are open wider than they ever have been and I can see so much more. I thank the AT for my new found vision. For all of those that remain don't ever forget to look back on what you have already accomplished up to this point and be proud. I am. -Oh ya, I nearly forgot to mention; Harpers Ferry to Katahdin...don't even think that you're off the hook, I'll be back for you someday!!!