Date: 2016-07-16
From: Home

To: Millinocket ME Appalachian Lodge & Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Today my brother drove me to Millinocket Maine where I am staying at The Appalachian Trail Lodge and Hostel. Tomorrow I will be hiking Mount Katahdin and then I will head south on the AT into the 100 mile Wilderness. I am very excited and so ready to be back on the trail. I have had two appointments with my foot doctor and have been giving the OK to start hiking. I am hopeful I can incorporate his advice as well. I need to do less miles, take more breaks, and take more zero days and if my feet start acting up I need to stop and rest them. I am hopeful being in Maine will help as well. It is much more remote here and this is what I truly love about hiking. The Mid Atlantic states are not very appealing to me and I was definitely going too fast because I wanted out of that part of the trail. I also have new boots that I am hopeful will work out. I do not know how far or how long I will hike. I am hopeful that I can make it all the way to New Jersey where I left off, but for now my goal is to summit Katahdin and make it through the 100 mile wilderness. I will have been off the trail for 18 days now. It has been tough. I have had to stay off my feet quite a bit and have felt very anxious. It was pretty clear from the time I got home that I was not ready to re enter the real world. The trail is where I belong and the trail is where I hope to be for the next few months. Being home was not all bad though. I ate a lot. I put on most of the weight that I had lost. I got to visit with most of my family and see some close friends. I made four trips to my brothers which meant I got to ride up and down I495 in my car four times with all my window down and sunroof open. I just love that with the music playing. Those rides were the most relaxing part of my few weeks off. I went shooting with my dad a few times. I got caught up on a few TV shows. I went to Newburyport and Plum Island one afternoon, which was really relaxing. I also spent a few days back at the hospital working to help train a new employee in Cat Scan. It was nice to see all my co workers. All the people at the hospital are so nice. I spent the July 4th with my sister, Kyle,and Bennett at Sunapee beach. That was so relaxing I fell asleep three times on the beach. I also took a bike ride out into the Quabin to one of my favorite spots. So all and all I did do some fun things, but through it all I still felt I was not really where I was suppose to be. So now I am here at the Hostel. It was really cool when I got here I was greeted by Duffy and Mighty Mouse who also greeted me at the Hostel in Dohlonega Georgia, which is the hostel I stayed at the night before my first day on the trail way back in March. I also went and talked to a few other hikers who were finishing up there northbound hike. Come Back Kid and Nowa in particular. Nowa is a 55 year old guy who left Georgia two weeks before me on March 14th and he finished today. That is crazy fast. We talked quite a bit about his journey. On a very sad note I learned earlier that a co worker of mine lost her mother in a bad accident. She has been in my thoughts all day and I am praying for her and her entire family. I am now sitting on a park bench as darkness is closing in. I hope I can sleep tonight. Tomorrow is going to be good day.