Return to normal: day by day

The last months of the journey were the most difficult for me. My arthritis had completely flared up and I was in pain all the time. Quitters never win and winners never give up, so I refused to give up. And I’m glad I didn’t, although I’m still recovering. To move forward, Bill kept me focused on what I was really looking forward to: getting back to the boat. We listen to podcasts about navigation. We listen to Joshua Slocum’s autobiography that tells the stories of his solo sailing around the world. We talked about all our boat projects and planned the next year of our life on board.

Another way Bill helped me keep moving toward Katahdin was to talk about what I wanted to write about when I got home. I have children’s books, an autobiography, and a musical comedy in the works—all on the trail. Our friends and family had been an integral part of my survival on this trip and we planned to see them too. After the summit on September 24, I was exhausted in all aspects of the world. We took a few days to relax at a hotel on Canandaigua Lake, where Bill had done a lot of sailing in the early 2000s. Being on the water and showering every day refreshed me and I got to watch him compete in RC sailboats.

We flew back to Florida on October 1st and rented an RV to live in while we worked in Avemar. It was much bigger than a tent and we had hot running water every day. Living the life of LUXURY!!

In between boat projects, I was able to visit my friends and family in Florida and really began to recharge my emotional batteries. My sister, a nurse, spontaneously gave me a foot massage when I visited her and I cried (not only because I was in pain but also because it was a loving gesture that I hadn’t had in a long time). Everyone had followed us on YouTube, but everyone wanted to know “the rest of the story.”

The rest of the story is that I never could have imagined how high the highs would be and how low the lows would be. I have spent years in therapy working on old wounds and gained clarity and understanding along the way that allowed them to finally begin to fully heal. I was finally able to stop hiding and be my true self. Surprisingly, this led to deep friendships. My body is still broken, but my mind, soul and spirit are finally whole. I know my body will catch up. So while becoming a 2000 Miler on the AT was a physical feat, for me it was also a spiritual pilgrimage.

Finally, Avemar was ready to splash and we could move HOME! On October 8 we began to return to Avemar. It took a few days, but when we returned the RV on October 12th we were thrilled to be living on the water again.

The next month flew by. We returned to our normal routines much more easily once we got home. Breakfast and coffee on deck while you read the news. Daily cleaning, boat maintenance and getting back to work were the order of the day. It was a slow return, but normalcy feels amazing. And now we can share our Trail Tales with all our friends when they come to visit us.

We look forward to the next chapters of our lives, discussing where we will travel and walk. Our next hike will be the end-day hike on the Foothills Trail from Oconee to Table Rock. It can’t come soon enough.

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