My potential future...back to Alohaland!

I'm ready to be active again - like really active. An unexpected turn of events had left me confused about my future (rejection is never fun), but I have concluded that I actually will be in Salt Lake City for the winter and plan on taking full advantage of what the chilly season has to offer and hanging out with family and friends. I also really really REALLY want to do a winter Xterra race, and there is one in Utah in March!!

By springtime, I should be ready for a good long thaw and plan to move back to my favorite home ever, Hawaii. My main goal is to re-establish residency again and make myself a worthy candidate for nursing school. Yup, another degree at UH Manoa is in the works. I can't wait!

I had met so many different types of nurses throughout my trail journey. I never really gave nursing much of a thought, but through discussion and research, I have concluded the profession has so much to offer for the lifestyle I would like to live. I still have more research to do and plenty of questions because I really had no idea there were so many different avenues for nursing. But it does feel good to finally have that direction. And I won't have to work a 9-5 day after day, week after week, year after year! Excellent!

Those who know me well know not to believe me entirely when I tell them plans about my future. I understand that because I do change my mind often. But I would go nuts if I didn't. I definitely take to heart this quote by Leland Thomas:

"At every crossroad, follow your dreams. It is courageous to let your heart lead the way."

I first saw this on a card I received for my high school graduation and it rings through my brain whenever I am in a transitional place in my life. Often, it is rather difficult to decipher the messages of my heart, but enough digging and I usually can figure it out. I know when I have made the right decision when I feel like 400 pounds of weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and when my mind is no longer is a state of confusion.

Right now, I'm at peace. An hour/day/week/month/year from now, I may not be at peace with my choices and I have to go through the process all over again. And that's perfectly fine with me.

Appalachian Trail via wheels!!

It's for real this time. Officially official. I am done living out of a bag officially for a few weeks, at least. My mom, sister and I arrived back in Suwanee, GA after nearly 2 weeks on the road from Maine. From Maine til about New York, we were more or less traveling the trail again. Except southbound, and by motor, and wheels. A little faster and perhaps just a bit more pain free. Just a tad bit.

We stopped by the White Mountains and I got to check out Pinkham Notch again. We walked the trail a bit so my momma could hike the AT in New Hampshire. Unfortunately, Mt. Washington was clouded over, but not so much that we couldn't see the SNOW that dusted the lower half of the mountains. Geez, it was a beautiful sight mixed in with the glorious northeastern fall foliage. I'm so looking forward to another fall in GA...awesome two falls in one season. excellent!!

We also stopped by Harper's Ferry again before heading to NY to visit my sister, Katy. She took the train from Brooklyn for the night and we got to go to the hugest apple festival ever in an itty bitty town. I ate some Polish fried mashed potatoes and cheese. I forget what they are called. (And for the record, my appetite is slowly dying down, but I would probably still eat a bus if you put it in front of me). I probably shouldn't be eating fried mashed potatoes much longer. (and they aren't french fries..it's more like an empanada, but the polish version). yummy.

We went apple picking after the very big, busy, brain stimulating festival. Katy, the visiting sister, is gonna bake a couple apple pies with her newly picked goods.

Another stop we made to the ATC headquarters in Harpers Ferry and they were able to process my "2000 miler" patch and certificate. So I guess that makes it officially official that I hiked the entire length of the AT. Like a wacko. Not that I need a certificate to prove anything. But it is pretty.

I was super pleased to visit a covered bridge. There's loads in the northeast, yet I never took the opportunity to see one on the trail. I felt like I was time-traveled back to the olden days with monstrous dresses and horse 'n buggies. not really. I felt like I was in the present looking at a cool old bridge, actually. But it was built in horse in buggy days.

We also visited a pretty gorge in Quechee, NH (I think), and ate at the Delaware Water Gap diner again in PA.

More of the southern half coming soon...

I'm done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've officially ended my journey, as most of y'all know. We summited on the 28th of September on a gloriously foggy day in Maine. Not the ideal blue sky Katahdin pic, but it was beautiful all the same. There were ten thru-hikers total who summited on Sept. 28th. Lunchbox, Holdout, Hatchet, Hot Feet, Chewy, Goose, Creep, Ketchup, Pyrofly, and me.

Oddly enough, I don't feel like I'm able to fully comprehend that I've actually walked from GA to ME and lived on the trail for an entire 6+ months. Maybe it's not so odd. It almost feels like I was on a 2 week vacation. But then I have moments where it hits me and then I can't comprehend why on earth I'd want to do such a thing. An odd goal, really.

This is me at the summit - officially done with the thru-hike, 2178 miles. But I'm not really done because I still have to hike the 5 miles back down the mountain.

Pyrofly and me at the summit...the sign is a blowin' in the wind. It says "Pyrofly & Lucky Star Rocked the AT March-Sept 2009." Pyro's parents had the sign made which was totally awesome. Both his and my parent's (all of them) came to support us at the end. That was incredible.

This is the view we were offered once the fog lifted from the mountain later in the afternoon. The entire mountain was fogged over on our way up so we had no idea what the surrounding, incredibly difficult terrain looked like. We left the summit around 2 pm (still fogged over), and this view was probably about 1/3 the way down. The summit finally did clear by the time we reached the parking lot, but that was waaay to late to start descending at 5pm.

I guess I'm just gonna have to go back - although I won't be walking from GA again. That's not the plan, anyway. But who knows... :)

Chances are, I'll be posting more photos and entries about the hike itself, and about post-hike life. It's only the beginning regarding post-hike life and I'm curious to see how I've changed, developed, grown...

And over a week of not hiking, my feet still hurt. I hope they don't take a whole six months to heal!