48 Hours After Finishing...

I wasn't gonna do any more posts but since the last one was immediately after finishing this will be more aftermath related.  To be honest there is a void in me now.  The trail, my home for 111 days is gone.  I long for the pitter patter of rain drops falling on a shelter roof, for the sweet smell of Christmas trees in Maine's alpine environment, for the daily routine of gathering water from cold mountain springs, for the sound of coyote's howling in the night, for the taste of wild succulent blueberries and apples, for the comradery and friendships among fellow hikers, for the freedom to take a leak wherever and whenever, for the rustling of leaves in a gentle mountain breeze, for the feeling of self sufficiency when surviving on so little, for the reward of an incredible view from a mountain top after working so hard to get there, for being able to eat 3 meals a day in different locations with different scenery, for the cozy warmth of my sleeping bag on a cool fall night, for the chance to go swimming in the frigid waters of Maine's back country, for the isolation from most of the bad stuff going on in the world today, and for the feeling of living on "trail time" by not having a clue what day of the week or month it is.

These things i all miss.  With time the void will fill as i readjust to my home off the trail.  The trail may be a love/hate relationship but it became a part of me.  I see why there are people that get sucked into trail life and just hike it year after year after year.  Even though i have hiked the entire AT and can identify every view in every picture i feel as though i have barely scratched the surface.  I very well might do another AT thru hike eventually; however if i did another it would be a NOBO so i could see it from a different perspective.  Right now everyone that sees me asks all these questions about my hike and i really enjoy telling stories about both the good and bad times.  But with every story the longing to get back out on the trail increases; it's one of the top things i think about.  Eventually this will pass as people will have heard the stories and this thru hike will become a thing of the past.  Its a long road of recovery but i will succeed and turn out just fine.