Well, this post is way over due, but I finally have the courage to write again. It has been almost two months since we left the Appalachian Trail and it has been nothing short of exciting, confusing, busy and fun.
I can still remember the day we left the AT like it was yesterday. I didn’t cry as we drove off, I just sat in the back of shuttle driver Gary Serra’s SUV and tried to stay calm.
For the people who know me personally, that is not my normal reaction to something so emotionally taxing. I can only say it was the Lord’s peace with me. He let me know I was doing the right thing.
Lately, I have been questioning whether I did the right thing , but thanks to Matt, a kind viewer, he reminded me that my hope and identity is in Jesus, not in finishing the Appalachian Trail. He encouraged me to continue with Hike and Tell posts, so here I am.
After we were dropped off in Blacksburg, Virginia, we spent a few hours with Jake’s family reminiscing and planning for our next adventure. Yes. I said another adventure.
I still had some time before I needed to be back at work, so we decided to close out our year of adventure with a US road trip! We only spent three days at home getting ready and we were off like a heard of wild turtles (Jake’s dad’s favorite saying).
We met up with all of our trail friends … Purple Mist, Optimist, Sunflower, Daniel Son, Burrito and Cupcake as we headed north to begin our trip. It had been weeks since we had seen them and it was such a treat to spend time with them again.
After visiting family in Maine, we headed west! No, we did not climb Katahdin or hike any sections of the trail, but we were able to see Katahdin in the distance on top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park.
We spent four weeks on the road and visited amazing US cities and landmarks. We explored Philadelphia, New York City, Martha’s Vineyard, Boston, Acadia National Park, Niagara Falls, Chicago, Mall of America, Mount Rushmore, Glacier National Park, Seattle, the Pacific Ocean, Redwood National Forest, San Francisco, Yosemite, Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon!
It was an experience that we will remember forever, just like our experience on the Appalachian Trail. We learned a lot on both of our adventures, and one thing is for sure, the Lord puts the right people and places in life at the right time.
After our month on the road, we decided it was time to find a new home and to grow our roots in a new city. We still live in South Carolina (we decided it was the best state of them all), but we live a lot closer to the mountains in Greenville!
I can’t wait to start hiking again and to continue sharing with you life’s best adventures.