One month later: life after PCT

Returning to the ‘real world’

Once we got home, Chowder drove off to Yakima to pick up our dog at Mama Chowder’s house, while I dropped my mom off at the port of Seattle, where she embarked on her own exciting adventure. My mom did a great job taking care of our house and our cat. Once Chowder and our dog returned home, we felt like everything was «back to normal» and we were finally able to relax and recover.

The first two weeks at home, Chowder and I were hungry. Hiker hunger followed us home and we were constantly hungry. We certainly indulged our first week back: we got our money’s worth at the local Indian lunch buffet, devoured huge plates of nachos, ate an entire gluten-free pizza from our local pizzeria in one sitting, an incredibly delicious burger with fries, and ate lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. I really missed baking and cooking on the road, so I spent quite a bit of time baking focaccia, scones, apple pie, and gluten-free cookies. We took some time off from working out, but now we’re back in the gym focusing on strength training and running. My feet still hurt sometimes, but I feel like my body is recovering from the immense physical stress it was under for five months.

My body has caught up on sleep too! The last month on the road I slept terribly, so it’s been wonderful to sleep for about 10 hours a night in my comfortable bed. While we’ve had a beautiful fall so far in Western Washington, it’s been a luxury to wake up dry in a warm bed on cold, rainy mornings, rather than in a cold tent covered in condensation.

During our first week home, we got to hang out with PDF, Stretch, Silver Lining, and Dark Aardvark (who hiked the first part of the desert trail with us!) in Seattle before everyone flew home. It was wonderful to have one last hurray with them. We’ve also spent a lot of time with friends and family at home. We have felt nothing but love from our friends and family, especially the ones who put up with us constantly talking about the PCT.

As far as work goes, Chowder was able to get a great job in his field almost a week after we returned home. I work part-time at a major outdoor retailer (hint: green vests). I would eventually like to get a full-time position, but I want any full-time job I find to be a good fit for me. So far, working at an outdoor store has helped me with the post-trail transition. I can continue to relive the journey while helping customers and using my personal PCT experience to give product suggestions. I also enjoy standing and moving around at work instead of sitting all day – that’s a plus!

What’s next?

I have no idea what’s next, but my dog ​​is happy we’re home!

To be honest, I don’t know! And for a Type A planner like me, this has been an adjustment for me. The PCT was our goal for three years and we spent a lot of time planning, saving, training, and then completing the trail. While it’s tempting to start planning another hike, I really don’t know if I want to do it now. Despite my little existential crisis of not knowing what I’ll do next, I feel a lot of gratitude for what I have now. By having the luxury of taking my time to live life in the present, this space and freedom to explore and be intentional about what I want to achieve next feels like a gift, which living in an advanced capitalist society often doesn’t allow.

Would I walk another long path?

Absolutely! While I’m not planning any major breakthroughs at this time, I had a life-changing experience on the PCT. The long trails on my bucket list are Te Araroa, Colorado Trail, Arizona Trail and Hexatrek! Maybe I’ll write for the hike again and blog a future hike, and you can follow along.

Thank you!

Since this is my last blog on the PCT, thank you very much for following my journey from Mexico to Canada. Your feedback and support helped me keep going, especially when times were tough along the way! Your comments made me smile, laugh, and even cry (usually they were happy tears). I hope my blog has inspired you to go out or plan an adventure, small or large.

Also, big thanks to The Trek, especially Jess and Zach. Writing a blog for Trek was the cherry on top of my PCT sundae. For me it was the best way to document my hike, share it with my loved ones, and have it as a resource for future hikers.

Greetings and happy trails!

Sister (ter) Bliss (ter)

PS: If you want to follow our future adventures, see what gluten-free treats I’m baking, or cute dog photos, follow me on Instagram @annachristineadventures.

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