Date: 2009-08-08
To: Post Hike # 4
Miles today: 0.0

OG notesWhen a thru-hiker leaves the trail he or she may have Post Traumatic Trail Syndrome. This is true of anyone who has spent months on the trail, whether they hiked the entire trail or not. The hiker is totally immersed in hiking and living as a hiker for so long it becomes their life. We are now going through a period of feeling lost. We have re-entered our lives where we left them last March, but somehow it doesn't feel the same. The trail is constantly on our minds and in our hearts. Something will happen or be said, and our minds will snap back to thinking like we're on the trail. We were reluctant to reenter our lives and face the fact that we were done for the year. Our house was shut down while we were gone, water heater shut off, refrigerator empty, cleaned, unplugged, and door propped open. When we arrived home we had to go shopping to refill the fridge. We only bought a few days supplies. I think we were wishfully thinking we'd go back and hike, even though we knew we couldn't. We were going through separation anxiety from the trail life we knew.When we arrived home we were weak and exhausted and didn't want to do much of anything. Our house was so angry at us for being away so long that it welcomed us home with a leaking shower and kitchen faucet. I had to replace the kitchen faucet and repair the shower valve. Within a few days the shower door started to slide hard, and within a few days I found ball bearings on the floor. The house has settled down with its getting back at us for leaving and life is more normal once again.We spent the second week at our son's house. We played with two of our grandsons for a few days. Luckily we did get to see them three times during our hike, but this time was different because we were in street clothes and not hiking clothes. Incidentally, I would refer to non hikers on the trail as "Cotton wearing people," hikers mostly wear synthetic clothing.While we were at our son's house I received a phone call asking me if I would like to work at the job I left last spring. My former employer had one of their employees hurt her back and will be out for the next month, the month almost everyone is taking vacations. So as of this Monday I'm back at work. I drive at least 100 miles per day at the job, my body almost travels the amount of miles we need to complete the trail each week. It's ironic that I'm still thinking with the trail always on my mind. We are already thinking of how and when we will complete the trail. We are thinking about starting in Massachusetts next June. We will estimate how long it will take us to reach the White Mountains in New Hampshire and the opening of the Huts there. We will have to start with small mile days and work up from there. In the meantime we rejoined the YMCA and started our workout routines again. We know we have to be in better shape than we were last March and I also have to keep the extra weight off.Incidentally we have both visited our doctors and don't seem to be in bad shape. C6 is feeling pains in her joints and had blood drawn to see if it is Lyme Disease or her arthritis, I think we'll hear if it's Lyme Disease and probably nothing if it's the arthritis. We'll update how we're doing as time goes on.Thanks for all words of encouragement we are receiving in our guest book. We are proud of what we accomplished and know it was something we can be proud of. It really is the journey that counts, and not the destination. We have collected so many smiles on our hike, both ours and those of the friends we made. So many people shared their lives with us through their acts of kindness. That made everything so special and the hike so great.Old Goat & Check Six