I left the PCT in August of 2015 feeling pretty broken down but knowing I'd made the right decision. Almost immediately upon my return, I packed up my belongings and started driving west. I only took what I could fit in my little Kia Forte. I drove west. I visited amazing places all across the country. Virginia, Atlanta, Oklahoma, Austin, New Mexico, Grand Canyon, Zion, Escalante, Denver, Tetons, Yellowstone, Boise, Bend, Seattle, and so many other experiences I do not have time to get into here. I landed in a small mariner town called Gig Harbor, WA. I found a job. I found an apartment. I found another job. I quit the first job for a better job. I quit the second job for a better job. I quit that job for a way more fun job. I served beer. I sat at a desk. I sold shoes. I nanny-ed my boss's kids. I climbed rocks. I taught classes. I studied people's feet. I took classes. I got certifications. I answered phones. I applied to grad school. In short, I worked my ass off. It was interminably hard. I remember crying on the phone to a friend shortly after the move and my first job switch about how much easier life had been on the PCT. That's right. Walking a marathon a day was easier than being an adult and finding my way in life. At least on the PCT you know where you're going...
I worked harder than I've ever worked for a year and a half. And I made it. I got accepted to a graduate program; no, the perfect graduate program. Better still, I got them to pay for it. I couldn't believe my luck, and I am so proud of myself for how committed I was to getting here. And now, the next adventure begins.
I have quit my jobs (again). I have packed up my belongings and stored them away (again). I have said goodbye to all the wonderful people I have met in this new phase of my life (for now). I am boarding a plane to visit family in Virginia for a few weeks. When I fly home to Washington, I will dust off my PCT pack, hop on a train, and ride south for California. I will walk from where I left off on the PCT, near Mt. Shasta, until I reach the Canadian border (and incidentally, my new home!) 1,200 miles. 2 months. Alone. (But watch for surprise guest appearances from old friends this year!) I could not be more thrilled. I could not be more thankful. I could not be more stoked!
Round two starts.....NOW.
"What a wonderful adventure. If I could have planned my hike in perfect detail and prepared for every contingency, it wouldn't have been an adventure. Not knowing where I would sleep that night or how I would get there seemed like a positive thing now - an element of chance that opened my life to things I couldn't have planned." - quote from the Barefoot Sisters, a few heroes of mine
Some pictures from the past year and a half (in no particular order):
From my thru hike of the Enchantments, Leavenworth, WA
From my thru hike of the Wonderland Trail, circumnavigating Mt. Rainier
Thru hiking the Seven Lakes Basin on the Olympic Peninsula for 4th of July
Sea kayaking under the Tacoma Narrows Bridge
Surfing in La Push with friends
Rock climbing in Smith Rock, OR with dog and friends
Girl's rock climbing trip to Frenchman's Coulee, Vantage, WA
Avalanche training course at Paradise on Mt. Rainier
Family and friends climbing at the rock gym I worked for, Edgeworks Climbing Inc in Tacoma, WA
Road trip to Canada!
Multipitch climbing in Leavenworth, WA
Goofy belay friends in Vantage, WA
Cleaning an exposed route on a windy day in Vantage, WA
Summit pic with the team on Condorphamine Addiction, a 7 pitch sport climb in Leavenworth, WA
PCT Trail Days 2016 in Cascade Locks, OR
Happy feet. Happiest on trails.
