Home state

Our journey finally brought us back to PA, and what a hectic couple weeks it has been. The return to familiar territory has been bittersweet. It has been awesome getting to see friends and family, but the the logistics part of that is very stressful for someone who normally needs to think about only sleeping, walking, and eating. The comforts of home made it very difficult to leave as well.

But we are back on course, only with another brief stop to visit Kat’s parents, getting off trail at Hamburg. I can’t emphasize enough how much it has meant to have so many amazing and generous people put us up and feed us.

PA is known as the rockiest state of the trail, and it is living up to its rep. While we are enjoying the more gradual elevation profile, our ankles and feet are paying for it with jagged uneven terrain.

I’ll end with the recent epiphany I came across. Part of my motivation for coming out here was feeling stuck in a rut, a daily and weekly grind, and wanting freedom from the constraints of living within day to day society. And freedom I have found. Heaps of it. The cost of which, I am realizing, is not being able to exercise the freedoms that living within society provides for. Fast and easy transportation, readily available food, showers, sanctuary from mosquitoes. A roof. This experience has shed a light on that which I have taken for granted. So be thankful, and reflect upon the wonder of being able to turn a knob and have clean running water flow from a pipe, without needing to hike .3 miles down and back up a steep hill, or spend 10 minutes filtering it.

It was great to see everybody, and I’m refreshed and pumped to crank out some more adventure. Another update to come soon.