My first convertible

pants, that is, and other things I never thought I'd do or wear on this trip...

• Get convertible pants. My first pair of hiking pants were great, but although my weight has stayed pretty consistent, I've got more leg muscle, as is typical for women hiking the trail, so they were getting a little snug in the legs and not comfortable for hiking. I picked up a pair of convertible hiking pants (zip off legs to convert to shorts) at my most recent town stop and love them!
• Eat as much ice cream as I have. MediumRare was right! Almost every town stop includes at least one serving of ice cream. Some hostels have pints of Ben & Jerry's on hand, and that's always a factor in choosing a place to stay. While waiting for the bus after grocery shopping in Dalton, Journey & I shared a pint of Ben & Jerry's in the parking lot. Awesome.
• Wear crocs. Fake ones, that is. The Smokies taught me that I needed a pair of camp shoes to give my feet a break from wet, soggy hiking shoes. I tried flip flops in Hot Springs, but my feet kept sliding out of them and it's hard to wear them with socks. So, in Damascus, I relented and got a pair of fake crocs. I've always thought crocs were kinda ugly, and considered them a gateway shoe to Birkenstocks and all they represent. But I am now a convert. Best $5 I've spent on the trail. My "crocs" are incredibly comfortable, awesome camp shoes, and the reality is, I am becoming more of a crunchy granola-eating, Birkenstock-wearing, tree-hugging hippie all the time, I might as well accept it and embrace it.
• Go this long without a haircut. I anticipated cutting my hair somewhere around the halfway point, but I haven't yet, so I might as well wait until the finish.
• Wear shorts over my long underwear. This started in the Smokies in the interest of having something warm and dry to wear in the evening around camp. Comfort and functionality trump looks.
  
• Miss family and friends as much as I have. The biggest of them all. I am so grateful for the community I am a part of, the support and love I receive, and am glad to know I have a home to return to. Not much more I can say about that.
  

There are probably more, but that's all I can think of right now. We'll be hitting New Hampshire in the next week, which means more challenging climbs and weather (as if the relentless rain has not been challenging enough), and probably less internet access at hostel/town stops. I'm getting excited about the terrain ahead, but also realizing that my initial schedule was far too ambitious. I'm officially two weeks behind that schedule, and will probably add at least 5-10 days to that over the next several weeks. And that's ok with me. Gracie is doing great and looking great. She had a good swim at Stratton Pond a few days ago. There were river otters in the pond and one swam within 50 feet of her to check her out. Thankfully Gracie was fully engaged in fetching a stick and didn't see the otter. I'm pretty tired and footsore at the end of each day, but still (mostly) motivated to hike each morning. The morning miles go by pretty fast, and the afternoon miles go slowly. The last two miles always seem to be the longest, no matter how few or many miles I've hiked each day, but some days I'm able to savor them instead of constantly wondering "are we there yet?" Until next time...