Tough Choices and the Virginia Blues

Hello, my friends, it's been a while! I know that I've been really lazy with this whole "blog writing" thing, but I've been busy having fun and doing cool stuff. So get off my back, alright?!

 

Anyhow, I'm writing from Waynesboro, VA, where I'm taking a break from the fresh air and sunshine to lounge by the pool and work on evening out my tan. 

Spoilers: It's dirt

The hike's been going well, but I do have to admit that I've come down with a nasty case of the "Virginia Blues." This is a common phenomenon on the A.T., and it pretty much boils down to a change in perspective. You see, after hiking 7 or 800 miles up from Georgia, many people (myself included) can't help but to reevaluate their motivations and desires; to reshape their "hiker schema" to realign with the realities of coming so far on such a massive undertaking.  The truth of the matter is, that despite countless hours of internet research on things like wilderness first aid, blister care, gear reviews and general A.T. factoids, none of us really knew what we were getting ourselves into. Now we do. 

It's snakes. We've gotten ourselves into an endless sea of snakes.

The question, then, becomes, "what do we do with that knowledge?" (A secondary question being, "did I use the right number of commas in that sentence?") Without getting to deep into epistemological philosophy, it's my personal belief that knowledge isn't really good for much if we don't use it enrich ourselves and inform our choices. And the knowledge I've gained so far, about both myself and the trail, leads to me one conclusion: "You ain't getting to Maine this year, and that's OK." But that doesn't mean I'm quite finished yet!

 



Seriously, who's going to give up on this?!

I've decided to slow things down, to stop worrying about how many miles I need to make, and to start really enjoying every step of this awesome adventure. If that means I don't make it to the end, then I guess I won't make it.  I started this hike thinking that anything less than hiking all 2,185 miles of this trail would be a "failure," but I'm begging to see that that's not the case. Every day that I'm out here is a success; every sunset is a victory; every rolled ankle, busted kneecap, and sore muscle is a mark of pride, saying, "here I struggled, and here I conquered." I might not finish this hike, but I sure am loving every minute of it.

Wind Rock, VA

Late Afternoon@ Tinker Cliffs

Newly Dug Trail

The 200' Apple Orchard Falls