Trail Days

Two years removed from my Appalachian Trail thru-hike, I am still struck by how firmly that experience is etched into my psyche and weaved into my existence. It is rare the conversation where I don't have some related anecdote I could share from the hike. Rare is the day that ends when I haven't thought of someone I met on the trail. I can't hear the wind in the trees, watch an incoming storm, listen to the rain, sit outside, hear songbirds, owls, watch birds in flight, hear "Hey Jude," see a reference to Hannah Montana, or spend time in the woods without remembrance. Sometimes those moments feel like slipping into a warm bath, sometimes I just smile with knowing. On good days, my heart opens up with gratitude and love for the experience and I'm no longer haunted by the question "what's next."