Day 50 on the AT- Trail Legs and New Normals

Day 50, a quarter of the way there and I haven’t done an update since day 10. That’s a lot of ground to cover. In fact, it’s more than 450 miles to go. Discouraging. So I’m not going to go into too much detail, let’s just catch up.

A big part of the reason I’ve been struggling to write for the public is that nothing very notable seems to have happened. I walk 6 to 10 hours a day. That’s all. There’s your update.

But of course, that’s worth mentioning. Almost no one does that. I mean, I know a lot of people who do that now, but 50 days ago I didn’t! Then let’s chat. This is what has changed:

What I think:

At first it was just life stuff, the same old anxieties, just constant chatter. Then eventually that boiled down to more dream-like escapism. Long, winding thoughts about future trips, how I would decorate my future house, trying to remember precisely what it felt like to flip through an American doll catalog when I was 9, that kind of thing. Then, the thoughts became very sharp. How to lose weight in my backpack and what the hell I’m going to eat next time I’m in town. That was all I thought about for at least a week and a half: lighten and refuel. Luckily, that has eased. Now it’s kind of a mix of all these modes of thinking. Also, about a month later, I started throwing some podcasts and music into the mix.

What else is new?

I’m hungrier.

I am stronger.

I can notice on the climbs that my legs are different than when I started. Like belonging to a different person, something different. I think I have trail legs, but I’ll be honest, it’s not what I expected. It’s not like someone flipped a switch and I suddenly didn’t realize I was walking. I’m definitely still feeling the whole hike. Damn. But I no longer necessarily NEED to stop doing it due to exhaustion or fatigue.

Of course, this comes with the need for more fuel. What I think about all the time. This is the first time in my life that I can eat two full McDonald’s meals in a row with a McFlurry and STILL know I’ll need another meal later. The first Chinese buffet you see on the road should start sharpening your pitchforks. I’ll put them out of business.

Aside from the physical things, I’ve gained a lot of confidence in what I’m willing and unwilling to do and what I think I’m capable of. I go more with my instinct. I have no desire to be competitive in terms of miles or weight, but I get excited when I challenge myself and come out ahead. I don’t feel the need to impress others, but every day I am excited to share this experience with my tram.

And that’s really the most important one. My tram. Oh boy, I love them. Before the tour I was very curious to know what the “tramilia” would really be like. I’m pretty friendly, I thought I’d meet some people for a walk, but I couldn’t imagine what they would be like and what kind of dynamic we would have. My sweet tram is nothing I could have imagined.

There are approximately 12 of us, but we do not walk as a unit all at the same time. As if we were going up and down the trail, we traveled mainly alone during the day and grouped up in camps in groups of 2-4 at night, usually just a couple of miles apart from each other. I LOVE this setup. It means that we are constantly reorganizing and experimenting with different group dynamics, and we don’t have to be afraid to move forward or slow down because chances are, SOMEONE will be in our orbit very soon. We range in age from 21 to 50 and are split fairly evenly between men and women. They really feel like brothers, sisters, cousins ​​and uncles. They make every day so much more exciting.

Ok, that’s all I have for now. Thanks for following my walk. Talk again soon.

Love,

Lucky

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