Date: 2011-10-10
To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

*Written over two days several weeks apart*Well I am not home yet and I am missing the trail already! Driving around Maine trying to watch what I eat and getting no exercise. The trail was simple eat when I was hungry, sleep when I was tired. I am sure I experienced everything I mentioned early on in one of my journal entries. Everyone starts off with their prior experiences and I cant say if it is the same who did it for their second time or more, but the trail starts with so many new experiences, meeting people, resupplying, and such. I wouldn't change a thing from it. Now that isnt to say I want the same for my next trip. Yes there will be another, when I cant say but this is just a truly amazing experience and journey. I wont begin to say I knew I would finish. I had my doubts about the physical and mental aspects. Mentally I think was actually the easier of the two, very few times did I want or better said have a certain reason I would want to leave the trail for, except for at the end when time began playing a factor. Physically on the other hand is a different story. The injuries just caused mental fatigue and were disheartening. That first shin splint episode was the toughest. Having walked with that first group the entire time, I had built up a comfort zone of sorts. I would then have to start over, which looking back just helped me grow and actually made the experience all the better. As you know I spent the next couple weeks catching up which was an experience in its own right. After the second shin splints and parting from them the second time it wasn't so hard and that is when I decided to just take what is given to me by the trail. I still caught them later on but wasn't so much aiming for that goal as it just happened. I meet so many people and it was just a fraction of those around. I didn't know when I started that the people would be such a huge part of the experience, but that is going to be what I miss the most. After I was done that part alone made me reconsider hiking the AT again versus hiking the PCT. But what will make me end up hiking the PCT will be the unknown. What I mean is the AT was an unknown and that is what under lying thing made this journey so special. I left the comforts of what I have been accustomed to, and to hike the AT again would just be going back to that. No two hikes will be the same but first before I hike the AT again I want to try the PCT.As I read many times before the trip, the trail changes your outlook on the world. There is so much to see and experience and you just have to do what you want when you have the chance or make that opportunity happen. You live with so little out on the trail and you really don't need that much when you come home. I sold my vehicle before leaving and I don't want to buy another so just riding my bike around where ever I may need to go. I get some exercise and don't have to worry about the extra hassle. Going to attempt to go for an entire year with out driving at the minimum. I also must start looking for a job this week and begin making some money to finance another trip. I just want to be able to do some labor and not have to deal with politics of the job and with out a car maybe I wont need such a high paying job. The truly memorable moments just happen no matter what you do and there is no need to try and make things happen. You end up just stressing out if you do go looking for it, just stay positive and enjoy the moment and laugh every chance you get. Take lots of pictures because they are priceless in the end, every one reminds me of some point and though I knew I should take lots of pictures of people I still didn't take as many as I would have liked of others. That is not to say don't take pictures of scenery because there are always a few gems of pictures with great views. I have uploaded a portion of pictures here and will begin labeling them over time when I have a chance but that is just a ton of work so will take quite a while. There were so many people that helped me along the trail or places I stayed and I want to thank all of them but here on the journal just doesn't seem to really do it justice. Thank you all for reading my journal and writing to me, I truly have appreciated it and maybe in the future (hopefully next year) there will be another journey and journal.p.s. Will do at least one more journal entry talking about gear and maybe others if I come up with something inspiring.