2 Week Notice: How I Managed to Stay on Track

Hello, penguin!

It’s been a while since I published a blog post about my trip on the AT. I left them all hanging there for a while, and at a crucial moment. My plan was to write about my two-week notice period, day by day, and allow progression through it to show how life is on track when you’re not sure you want to stay that way. And I guess many of you thought I left the trail during this period since no new blogs have appeared for a while. However, neither of those things is as it turned out.

My AT hike survived my two weeks notice.

I am very happy with how I have faced the mental challenge that the AT posed to me. Coming to terms with myself to stay on track for two weeks after acknowledging contrary feelings served its purpose. It allowed me to really consider my decision and all of its nuances. Likewise, it allowed me to let the big emotions at play settle. It’s not often in life that emotions can stay with you for two weeks. Then, as emotions often do, they calmed down before I made my decision.

I also got to experience a lot more trails during those weeks. Some small things and some big. I found a surprise toilet in the middle of the forest at just the right time. My zero spent at Woods Hole Hostel was a great reset button for me and gave me a much needed break. I laughed at myself at the invention of a “stone step,” a concept that completely failed and left my shoes soaked. I lay in a smelly shelter, watching the sunset, appreciating how things can be a little bad but also amazing at the same time. I got my hammock back, allowing me to sleep better on the trail so far. I was fortunate to meet several Trail Angels, who showed kindness and generosity for which I will always be grateful. I got my first taste of summer heat and had some great water hauls over the Virginia ridges.

The list goes on and on. And, in truth, at the end of the two-week notice, I had stopped counting the days altogether. Once, during this period, I stepped on a sharp rock on a ridge. He pushed against my left foot and my plantar fasciitis triggered a sharp stabbing pain. My gut reaction when this happened was «Oh no! I hope I didn’t get hurt! I hope I don’t have to come home!» The reaction stayed with me for the rest of the night and the following days. I am very grateful for that horrible rock. It was the beginning of the turning point for me and I began to appreciate the trail and my place on it once again.

My experiment worked. Amazing friends, trail angels, and trail experiences kept giving, and my mind began to realize that the AT was where I wanted to be.

So, Penguin, why haven’t you blogged and updated us?

A lot has happened since my two weeks notice. It has been a beautiful and challenging time, as the AT usually is. New obstacles have arisen and new solutions and resolutions have followed. Over hundreds of miles and many weeks of adventure.

After long consideration, I decided that turning my hike into a LASH (Long Ass Section Hike) was the right decision for me.

I will be back to do the second part of the AT, but it won’t be this fall. For now, I’ve gotten what I needed from the journey and learned a lot about myself and what I’m capable of doing. There is a lot to unpack mentally and the decision was multi-factorial. The biggest moment, though, was a moment I had right before the Shenandoahs, which was a huge turning point for me personally. Getting to Harpers Ferry was another big milestone for me. And, since I had made the decision, it is the place where I decided to end this part of my trip and consequently be the beginning of my second half of the AT.

Come home and have new dreams.

Yes, I actually ended up leaving the AT before reaching Kathadin. And I agree with that. What I never thought it would be. But I really am. There is a story behind all of this, and a great personal journey in addition to the physical one. I will spend the next few days and weeks unpacking everything for myself and transitioning back to “normal” life.

Right now, on the 6th^th June, I write to you from Norway. I just got back and got over my jetlag. I think I might still be in shock from all of this. Although the decision has been made for some time, and I am sure it was the right one, it is a bit of a shock to both the senses and the mind to go through the transition. Here nature is different, people speak a different language, food tastes different and even the air I breathe has a different feel. I’m struggling to stay as active as I’ve become, but I’m happy to be back in the pool, doing yoga, and feeling the strength in my legs on familiar hills and mountains.

I’m also trying to organize my blogs, the diary I kept along the way, the photos and memories that come up. The dream of writing everything down and telling all the stories of the trail in book format is still alive. It will take some time and a steep learning curve. However, I’m looking forward to experiencing it all once again through the keyboard.

LASH – part 2 is coming

I think I will always be grateful for the lessons learned in the OT. The community, the people, the trail and the time have given me more than I could ever dream of. I have laughed, cried, explored, loved and cried. On the AT I felt truly alive and embraced the adventure it offered me. That is a spirit I want to take with me on my journey. I’m also excited for the second half of my Appalachian Trail adventure. It will surely look very different than the first half. The people, the road and I will all be different. I’ll be able to walk around Rocksylvania, Deliblaze in New York, learn new phrases while fighting white bias. I will spend more nights in camps, hostels and restaurants trying to eat as much as possible. There will be moments of tranquility, some of passion and others of heartbreak. I will once again be in a place where I will feel free to be myself fully and completely. Hopefully, it will all be with new (and maybe some old) friends. For the grand finale, I will finally arrive at Katahdin. Hopefully I can make it happen next year, or the year after at the latest. But for now very different adventures await him in Norway.

Thank you!

I’m not really sure where this blog goes from here. Maybe I’ll share some stories from the trail as I write them up for my book. I might decide to end it here. Or I could write about being home and dealing with everything that comes up after the trip. Or something else I haven’t thought of. I’m just not sure yet. Right now, a lot of things are up in the air and I’m trying to give myself grace until I find my new path.

Before I finish, I would like to thank you for following my journey. The encouragement they gave me through difficult times really helped me get through them. The applause during the good times made him feel even better. And the feedback I’ve received along the way has been invaluable! I love that I was able to share part of my journey with you and knowing that there were people cheering me on through the blog has meant more than I had expressed before.

Writing while on the road has been a challenge. It takes a lot of time and effort, but it has also given me the motivation I needed to document my journey. As someone with a notoriously bad memory, the blog and journal will be very valuable to me in the future, as the stories and moments of the OT begin to fade from my mind. And, if it hadn’t been for the blog and sharing my story with all of you, I’m sure I wouldn’t have been able to write and take notes half as well as I do.

Thanks for being here along the way!

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