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Ah Internet, it’s been a while! I’m currently in Roanoke, VA after getting off the trail for about a week because I developed Peroneal Tendonitis. The good news? I get back on the trail Friday, and even if the tendonitis comes back, the doctor says I won’t do any long term damage by hiking on it… I’ll just be in immense amounts of pain :p

The bad news? I’m missing the trail between Bland, VA and mike 707 or so because I had Lil Santa keep hiking so my injury wouldn’t force him off the trail too. I’ll join up with him right before Mcafee’s Knob and make up the miles in between sometime in the future.

Of course, it hasn’t been all bad. I’ve been staying with my aunt and uncle and they are spoiling me rotten. It just so happens that I finally caved and saw a doctor in just about the most perfect location on the trail where help was nearby and freely given! I’ve been eating a lot of pineapple (my favorite food) and other amazing goodies. I’ve been wearing around a “boot” courtesy of the podiatrist and diligently taking my anti-inflammatory medication. One of my college friends suggested I see a chiropractor as well but I think I’ll hold off on that unless the tendonitis comes back.

All in all I’m feeling pretty lucky that my injury is one that will allow me to continue hiking because gosh darn it… I miss it.

Here is a short list that sums up my experience so far  (and sorry some of the photos are weirdly rotated, I’ll try to fix it better when I’m not bloggin’ from my phone!)

Thru hiking is:

-so freaking hard like all the time

-dirty, muddy, humid, wet clothes pretty much every day

-pasta sides and  packing out box wine and frosting to eat as dessert

– pooping in weird and uncomfortable places on a regular basis. Hoping you don’t run out of toilet paper before you get to town.

-carrying way too much food out of town and yet somehow still running out the day you’re supposed to resupply

-a lot of sweat

-not brushing your teeth because you already bear bagged your toothpaste and you can just brush them twice in the morning or something

– regularly beautiful

-regularly slippery

 

-regularly falling on your butt and sometimes even hitting your head and hoping that you didn’t hit it too hard because you’re at least a day from the next road crossing and yikes that would be scarey

-laughing a lot at things that are probably only funny to other people who smell as badly as you do (farts. I’m talking about farts. The worst smelling farts that fill up the tent and good god Little Santa what is happening in your large intestine that can’t be healthy)

-the best way to meet the coolest people in the world and I just want to collect their beautiful, brave, hilarious, kind, important souls like Ursula in the Little Mermaid cause I want to keep them to myself and please don’t hike more miles/day than me because I low-key love you and can’t live without you even though we only met like yesterday or a week ago or 400 miles ago it honestly doesn’t matter because everyone is amazin!

-did I mention how amazing the people are?

-beer-o days which are even better than zero days or nearo days

-smiles for miles

-a lot of crying too let’s be honest

– mostly smiles though

– feeling like you’re a part of a great and beautiful and amazing tribe and how am I so lucky and you all accepted my Facebook friend requests but it’s confusing because I don’t actually know anyone’s real name. So like how can I tag you in my sweet photo?  the struggle is real.

– sometimes the foggy views are satisfying because there is no way you would have climbed that terrible mountain on a day with this shitty weather if you WEREN’T thru hiking so doesn’t that make it a unique AT experience?

-the days with views are better though let’s be honest

-especially the days with views that are at great napping/snacking locations

-napping everywhere

-above all else though. Be it a shitty day of an amazing day, thru hiking is the best things I’ve ever set my heart on.

I can’t wait to get back on the trail!