Heading Home

“East, West, home is best”

I have decided to head home. My midlife crisis was short and cost a lot less money than a new BMW!

I have heard it said that in order to successfully thruhike the AT you need to want that thruhike more than anything else that summer. I thought I did, but evidently I really didn’t. There were risks I wasn’t willing to take, annoyances I wasn’t willing to tolerate, frustrations I wasn’t willing to let go.

I loved the hiking, the scenery, the challenge, the exhilaration of seeing what was around the next corner. But —

I missed my husband, my friends, and my community. Unlike many on the trail, I was hiking for adventure, not to leave or search for anyone or anything. Like Bilbo, I missed my hobbit hole. I missed nice food, indoor plumbing, and refrigeration.

Many of the people I met on trail seemed root-less – they were single, had no career, weren’t part of a community. I have deep roots, and I have a much better appreciation for how wonderful it is to have roots anchoring you in family and community.

So I am at the end of my midlife crisis! I like my life too much to leave it for six months! I am returning to Williamsburg tomorrow.

I do want to thank all of the many, many people who have supported me as I have planned and started this adventure. So many of you have rallied around me, encouraging me and supporting me as I prepared for my hike. I am deeply grateful to each and every one of you.

 I especially want to thank my ever-patient and ever-loving husband Jim. He spent many hours figuring out how to make things easier for me on trail. He helped me learn to tie knots for my bear bag, he configured my electronics system, he listened to my midnight worries, and he did it all with a smile. You are the best, and I am so incredibly blessed that you are my husband!

My kids are awesome. They may not have understood why their mother wanted to spend six months in the woods, but they supported me with love and great tolerance. I want to give a special thank you to my amazing daughter Lauren, who not only maintained this blog but also asked many times when I was on trail, “Do you want to talk?”

I want to thank my dad, who has hiked many miles on the AT and the Long Trail. He never doubted that I could do it, he listened to my concerns, and he provided much-needed encouragement. You are awesome!

 I also want to give a special shout-out to my friend ML, who also has provided so much encouragement as I planned for my great adventure. You listened to my worries, and you believed that I could do it. I thank you for your faith in me.

And I still cannot believe how awesome my friends Gary and Catherine have been. I am so blessed to have friends who will drive four hours in the middle of the night over mountain roads to rescue a friend in need. I am very grateful that you opened your home to an unexpected guest for several days. I appreciate your patience, encouragement, great food, and open hospitality. You are such a blessing in my life!

I’m also truly grateful to my hiking friend Matt who wrote me the words, “Your life is wonderful and learning how wonderful it is is truly a wonderful thing.” I needed to hear those wise words.

And I thank all of you who prayed for me and my safety. I appreciated your prayers, and I am so thankful you cared!

Do I feel a bit silly at the moment? Of course. Do I feel like I failed? A bit.

But I am heading home with a new appreciation for how wonderful my life is. I have a loving husband, an awesome family, great friends, and a wonderful supportive community. Life is good. I am profoundly grateful to God and to each and every one of you.

I am planning on doing some short backpack trips once the weather warms up slightly. After all, I am 100% geared up, I am in great shape, and I have a ridiculously large amount of backpacking food that I need to use! But my adventures will be small-scale and will always involve heading back to my wonderful hobbit hole, my family, my friends, and my community.

“There is no place like home. “