I would like to make memories now please.

I’m in this. I feel like I’m officially here putting up miles and claiming the hiking title. I am understanding the flow of coordination of shelters, transportation and food. I know exactly where everything in my backpack should go. I’m in this. It’s clicking.

But something I thought would work a little faster is creating a trail family. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve met dozens and dozens of FANTASTIC people here! Almost exclusively great people. The other day I walked into a brewery in town and recognized most of the hikers. Someone said «Who do you NOT know?!» Which is very similar to how I operate at home. I love meeting people and making connections. I once visited Detroit for a weekend and ran into the only person I knew who lived there. I love a small world!

Make friends through hiking

But just because I’m friendly with a lot of people or can make out a lot of faces and remember names, doesn’t mean I’ve found a group. I feel like I’m walking at a strange pace. When my dad stopped walking with me, I spent about four long days in a row without meaning to. Hiking is so weird because you have your hiking plan in your head and you’re like, «Oh, great! Everyone’s going to do the same thing! There’s going to be a lot of people!» But then everyone has their own ideas and agendas and you disperse and reconvene at random intervals. This ebb and flow and mystery of who is at your campsite tonight can be quite exciting and lead to unexpected reunions, but it can also be a gamble that leads to lonely nights spent camping in tents. It also means I’m several miles in and haven’t been around a group regularly enough to get a trail name. (It doesn’t help that my name is already unique enough that many people assume it’s the name of a trail! Maybe Perish? No thanks! Haha)

I’ve had some truly extraordinary days and nights here for an extrovert like me. The day after my dad left and I thought I would be hiking alone, I packed a section in North Georgia with three other hikers who happened to be dropped off to pack the same section at the same time. We became friends quickly. But we didn’t immediately become walking partners in the future. We crossed paths and spent some nights together, but not always.

The difference of a few more miles

I recognize that it is my decision to continue moving forward to cover a few more kilometers each day. Sometimes I’m glad I did it to get xyz mountain/hill/climb out of the way, but that can also make me feel pretty lonely during some stretches. I completed a good chunk of it in North Carolina knowing that the friends I had started to make were about a day behind me. Guess what? It kind of stunk! Before starting the tour, I kept saying that what I was most excited about was the people I would meet and the new friends I would make. So what am I doing?

I called a friend from home when I got into town and lamented that I felt a little lonely. Lihat juga f9JHds. My head tells me it’s still very early in the journey, but my extroverted, outgoing heart tells me I should have a group by now. I know these things take time. That’s how it was when I started stand-up comedy or studied abroad. It just takes a little time. But I feel impatient!

“This trail is all about people,” someone in town told me. «That’s so true!» I agreed, a little scared that I wasn’t doing a good job meeting people. I repeated to my friend on the phone something I had told him 9 years ago when I was studying abroad. By the end of the trip, he was everyone’s friend. But the first few weeks I was eager to see who would really be by my side. I don’t want to wait and see! I don’t want to waste time and feel alone! «I’d like to make memories now, please!» Show me who my people are that will help me get ahead!

That same night when I gave in to self-pity and frustration, I was sitting in a quiet hostel talking to new people (who are lovely and I hope to meet them again) when SURPRISE! A friend with whom I had shared that special snow day came into the shelter a day early! Just what I needed.

Do what you have to do to create the memories you want

I moved forward with my plans to pack alone the next day and finish more trails and was excited to get back to the hostel and enjoy not only their company, but also the company of some other amazing women who I knew would be staying the second night with me. But before I even got back to the hostel and was killing time before my shuttle picked me up, I ran into another hiker I had met early in Georgia who I thought was miles ahead of me. We were able to catch up and hang out and I loved being so off on each other’s beats! This day was a great mood booster. I also packed SOBO for the first time, which felt a little weird (we all have our own ideas about what makes a hike count and what doesn’t), but I’m so glad I did! I passed so many people I knew and continued north, which helped me see that I’m still surrounded by people I like, even if I don’t see them all the time.

Back at the hostel, meeting more new friends, I didn’t want to leave them! I made the decision to take a rest day so our hiking plans can align for the next leg and I feel fantastic. Friends! Hiking friends! Community! I can’t say for sure if this group and I will be together at every camp from here to Maine, but over the next week we will be together and I feel like I’m about to start making some memories. Happy hiking!

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