Date: 2010-09-27
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Miles today: 0.0

So here marks two weeks from Katahdin. A lot has happened and I am more sure of my near future then ever before. Vacation was a wonderful way to wind down from the trail. A night in Portland, ME then two nights and too many Pina Coladas in Ocean City, MD, and three nights playing in the surf of the Outer Banks. Rocknrolls dad was waiting for us at the Katahdin Springs Campground after our descent, and we started our journey back home. After vacation I (momentarily) said my goodbyes to Rocknroll and was reunited with my Kelly dog who was very happy to see me. Kelly seemed a little unsure when I first approached her, as if she couldn't quite believe that who she was seeing was really me. Once she realized it really was me, she gave me some sympathetic licks and showed her excitement. It seemed as if she was letting me know she very happy to see me, but not thrilled that I left her for so long.I went back to Danette's in Elk Park, NC for a few more days until we could figure out how to get Kelly back to Washington with me. It wasn't two days back before I found myself hiking the Appalachian Trail once again. I was dropped off near the Overmountain Shelter and hiked over Little Hump and Hump Mountain and over the beautiful and scenic Roan highlands. The scenery was much different than earlier that Spring; the once grassy bald was now overgrown with flowers and an abundance of poison ivy. The first frost had already hit the highlands so the brush was dying, but I still managed to brush against enough poison oak to compliment the abundance of unavoidable poison oak that I had come across at Baxter, ahhh, I love the Appalachian Trail! Kelly also seemed happy to be back on the trail and the ten miles was still nothing for her. It was so nice to be back with her, but we still had to figure out how to get home. Our last result was a flight to Spokane. Well, we got the reservations for myself situated and I called about Kelly and was informed that the airlines I had booked with did not accept dogs in cargo. Well, what most of you don't know is i'm moving to Kentucky with Rocknroll, so I knew I would be back soon. Turned out that the best option was unfortunately to leave Kelly with Danette for a couple more weeks until I was able to drive back out and pick her up.Right now i'm back in Spokane, i'm anxious to get moving and i'll be leaving a week from Tuesday. It's been difficult being away from Kelly, Jeff, and the trail. Although I feel as if i'm adjusting fairly well, I already feel the need to get my pack out for a couple days of hiking (maybe tomorrow?). Most of my gear is still in North Carolina, but I can improvise. As much as I think about the trail,I have been fairly unactive since arriving home. Once I get to Kentucky though I plan to train for a half marathon next Spring; perhaps it will give me another goal to work towards and help ease the homesickness I feel for the AT.This whole trip has been absolutely amazing and an eye opener. It's hard to believe the difference in myself from the moment I climbed Springer, my first mountain to when I touched the sign at Katahdin.I came out on this trail for myself, perhaps to get away from what I thought was an awful world full of horrible people. Perhaps this was the first skewed perception on life that needed to be changed. From before the first day on the trail to my summit on Katahdin six months later I have met more amazing people than I could ever have thought existed. John and Jane offered help to me before I had even begun my hike- two complete strangers willing to drive up to the Great Smokey Mountains to pick up a shy little dog for a week. They took better care of her than I could have ever hoped for and repeatedly came to visit and provide trail magic all the way through Northern Virginia.With my real mom across the country, Danette stepped in and took over the role for the Summer. I had never intended to stop in Elk Park that one day, but if I hadn't I would have missed out on an amazing person who would play a huge role in helping me finish my hike. Little did I know as I walked passed her house that one day that she would drive eight hours without hesitation to pick up my Kelly, spoil her with cheeseburgers, frosty paws, and give her a vacation in the North Carolina mountains for three months. I'm not entirely convinced Kelly WANTS to come home with me, she has it so good over there! Danette helped me get home and has been extremely generous.There has also been an abundance of people who have offered their homes to us, fed us, let us wash our clothes and take a shower. People who spent their weekends cooking for other hikers on the trail just to hear their stories; former thruhikers cherishing the times they spent on the AT by giving back generously as they were given to. Even the cooler with a small can of soda on a hot day by the side of the road made a huge impact on my hike. Of course, the encouragement I have received through this journal has been astounding and I feel as though it provided me with a lot of motivation. Thanks to all of you who have followed me through this hike.Needless to say, my perception on life, the world, and the people in it has changed. I see less judgement in myself, and have opened my eyes to see that no matter how miserable I may be at one moment in time, things will turn out just fine. I realized everything happens for a reason and i'm still finding out reasons why I did this hike. I realized I can live without deodorant and that the three second rule doesn't exist- food on the ground is free food that no one else wants! I'm no longer a picky eater although i'm still the vegetarian that started with a dog.I was also amazed at the encouragement and selflessness of the other hikers around me, and despite having so little, they shared what they had and what they were given. Of course, I was lucky to meet Rocknroll who helped get me (and put up with me) through a lot of rough patches on the trail, I guess persistency does pay off in the end? I¢m very excited to be going over to Kentucky with him and feel lucky to have someone who understands the strange habits I have picked up on the trail. After four months of hiking together I¢m pretty sure we both know each other better then we know ourselves.Overall, the AT has by far, been the experience of a lifetime- and adventure I¢ll never forget. It may be the end of my hike, but it¢s really only a beginning to a new life and way of living. I don¢t know if there¢s another AT thruhike in the near future, but i¢m hoping to hike the Pacific Crest Trail someday down the road , but after hiking 2,179 miles in six months, I know I can achieve anything.