Update

I figured it was time to post again and let everyone know what's been going on since we got home. It's been a few months now, and it's been nice to be home - I got to go to my brother's graduation and celebrate my birthday with my family. Gadget is working at his farm, getting it back into shape, and I'm sorting out my next four years in college!

That's my most exciting news. A week or two after I got off the trail I found out that I was indeed accepted to the college of my dreams - Prescott College in Prescott, Arizona. I even got a few scholarships totaling 10 grand! It's a huge relocation, and Gadget is moving there too, so there's a lot to be done. The school is amazing. I'm majoring in Adventure Education and minoring in Writing. Adventure Education pretty much means when I graduate, I'll be qualified to do things like run an adventure based tourism business, lead expeditions, work at a place like Outward Bound, or a myriad of other outdoor oriented careers. Ideally, I'd like to combine it with writing and write something like trail guides, travel bios, articles for Backpacker etc., or even outdoor themed novels. I've also got some other interesting ideas floating around in my head - we'll see what happens. I'm very eager to start my classes. I'll be getting credits for rafting down the Colorado, climbing Mt. Shasta, trekking through the desert... playing in the wilderness!

Obviously, this changes things a lot. We had planned on starting back up on the trail in March, but now I'll be in school. There is a possibility that we could hike some during summer break, which is usually sometime in May to August. However,Gadget might be holding a steady job that he wants to keep for the four years we're there. Honestly, I'm not sure if he's so interested in finishing. Which is fine - he keeps saying he's gotten what he needs out of it - but I desperately want to be back out there, so it might just be me.

I thought that thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail was the hardest thing I'd ever do. Now I know I was wrong. The hardest thing I've ever done, by far and away, was leaving the trail, especially unfinished. We've been home a few months now, and every day I miss the trail. Some mornings I still wake up expecting to be in my tent, fumbling for my sleeping bag zipper. I go to bed at night thinking what a luxury it is to be in a bed and not the hard ground for once - and yet, I've been in a bed almost every day for months. I haven't adjusted yet, which is good, because I don't ever want to go back to taking things for granted. It's hard though - hard to read friends trail journals, hard to look at our pictures, hard to hang out on whiteblaze. You go to this amazing place, to the trail, and your faith in humanity is restored. Every day you meet wonderful people, every night you go to sleep with an innate sense of accomplishment. Then you hurt yourself, and go home, and suddenly it's... where are the angels? What did I do to be proud of today? Wait- what happened?

Gadget and I have long said that whenever on of us feels one way, the other feels the opposite. My ankles are healed. I'm fine. But Gadget isn't. We've gone backpacking several times lately - once we set out for a weekend, once a week, and a couple long day hikes or overnights. Every time we've had to turn back because Gadget is having serious problems with his knee. We don't know whats wrong - he's going to the doctor soon - but he can't hike for more than a few miles without it hurting excruciatingly. I'm worried about him. Hopefully we'll get it all straightened out soon.

I guess that's all for now. To everyone we met along the way who made our journey that much more enjoyable, and to all our trail-mates, thank you. My time on the trail was the best time of my life, and that's all due in little bits to all of you. God bless, stay safe, and keep the dream.

Take a hike!

-Scribe