Left Behind – The Wife/Mom’s AT Perspective

What does it mean to be the one “left behind”?😊 We wanted our blog to show all sides of the adventure, so here’s mine! Leaving tomorrow from Michigan to make the initial trek down to Georgia!!

I love to be outdoors. I love camping, I actually love roughing it in the backcountry places most people don’t get to see, I love campfires, and I really love just sitting next to a stream listening to the water go by as it flows without a care in the world. That being said, I like to hike… in moderation. I like pretty hikes with pretty views and mild ups and downs. Not “pointless ups and downs” in the rain for 2200ish miles. Because I’m a wimp that way! And I’m well aware of this issue, so this thru-hike is not my adventure in that sense (because when all is said and done, I will probably have hiked maybe 100 miles of the trail over the course of their entire thru-hike), but it is my adventure too! While my husband and daughter hike their way northbound up the Appalachian Trail, I expect it will definitely be an adventure to be the one giving support, driving our truck camper on all those forest service roads on my own (and trying not to get lost along the way). I’ll try to find spots for boondocking or just parking overnight hopefully at the road crossings where I connect with Sunny and Wally, and be a trail angel for thru hikers when the opportunity presents itself. My plan is to be hitting the trail to support them 3-4 times throughout the hike, 1-2 weeks at a time, and then holding down the fort at home with our youngest son in the times between. It will allow them some slackpacking breaks, some times to sleep in a “real” bed, and enjoy some real, freshly grilled food from Mom. We’ll see how it all goes, but it will all be memorable!

           Grand Tetons – love this view across the Elk Refuge!

Epic Adventures Await!

This adventure is like none we’ve ever done. This coming from a family that has had a lot of adventures, spending a couple summers hosting National Forest campgrounds near the Grand Tetons, and taking our kids on what we affectionately call our “epic adventures” – whirlwind road trips across America to visit National Parks and other sights, plus a few international trips – both service-oriented and sight-seeing oriented, all in an effort to show our kids that there’s a great big world out there, so many amazing places created by God, and it’s all WORTH SEEING! Most of our trips have headed out West so this is the first epic adventure heading south and east from our home in Michigan. We will also hopefully get to cross off a few as-yet-unvisited states, getting me to 49 states! (leaving Hawaii for last…)

             Bryce Canyon last year

My Intro

So, a little about me. I’m a pediatric physical therapist and have owned a small clinic doing intensive physical therapy sessions for 15 years, after leaving acute care for greener pastures. My kids (clients) have lifelong conditions such as cerebral palsy and spina bifida, so we have spent a bunch of time together throughout their childhoods identifying trouble areas and doing what we can to strengthen, mobilize and prevent loss of function as they grow. I love what I do, and I have really loved being a small part of helping some really awesome kids grow into the best versions of themselves over the years.

“Letting” Them Go

I have gotten the “how can you let them go for that long?” question a few times. But I guess we have a different perspective than most. I don’t know that I “let” anyone do anything – I think we all talked about pros and cons and what was better or worse, and it became apparent that this was something worth actually taking on for all of us! I think it’s been a solid 20 years since Wally and I have been apart for more than about a month at a time, the last times being his combat deployments to Iraq while we were dating and newly married, so this feels somewhat familiar, and yet completely different, of course. (Add your kid to the mix and it changes even more!) I’d say our perspective on danger and risk is probably unique compared to most people after having to start our married life separated. 

          Honoring the fallen – each set of boots, rifle and helmet represents one man KIA from their battalion during Fallujah & Najaf fighting

We started out with him going to war, fighting in bloody battles and experiencing the loss of Marine brothers, for 6-9 months at a time while relying on old-school snail mail – each letter took about SIX WEEKS to reach their destination – along with the occasional old-school video chat to keep connected, so this adventure seems like a great (dare I say, somewhat tame?) way to spend this time over 20 years later! The technological advances we have available to us now to stay connected throughout the next 6 months don’t hurt either.

I will admit to a bit more hesitation letting my almost 18-year-old go on an adventure like this, but there’s no one I would rather she experience it with than her dad who has been on more “adventures” (and other shenanigans 😊) than nearly anyone else I know, and who is the best problem-solver I think I’ve ever met – it’s kind of unfair sometimes how quickly he figures out solutions to everything… 😉 The stories and adventures she will have by the end are things worth allowing her to experience before she heads off to college this fall!

Can’t wait to see what this, our most epic adventure to date, will bring!