you can't clip these wings.

freedom

hmm.
thoughts are somewhat jumbled.
they are so clear when i'm walking. i need a voice recorder.

ready to be reunited with the woods again. this break is killing me.
casey seems to be healed. ready to get back out there.

i was thinking today, about this law firm where i live. m****** and b****. in the past year or so, they built this ridiculously big and gaudy law firm....right at the corner of this really busy intersection. they have this awful glowing sign at the top of their ugly building that flashes,"INJURED? NEED HELP? CALL M_ _ _ _ _ _s & B_ _ _ h". thinking of this makes me throw up in my mouth. they also have large billboards with their faces on them displayed throughout the city. at christmas time they add santa claus hats to their heads. irks me. i don't know either of these men personally, but for some reason these guys popped into my head and their over-the-top antics to get clients...got me thinking.

i think so many people are stuck living in this artificial bubble that they have created for themselves, and the part that bothers me the most is that i don't think they realize it. none of it is real....really. i kind of wish i could throw everyone on the A.T. for 5-6 months...so you could be broken down, only to be built back up again.

money is NOT everything. money is NOT everything. money is NOT EVERYTHING!
 it's so true.

houses, cars, clothes, rings and things.

it is going to be so hard to integrate myself back into the "real world" when i've seen behind the magic curtain.

i remember when i first started this trip...i found myself thinking on the second day, "i have to filter my water this whole trip? this is ridiculous! i could be at home getting clean water by walking to the faucet....why am i out here?" that poor girl. even when that happened, i was well aware that there are many women all over the world, that have to walk miles and miles to fetch drinking water, every single day!!! i was well aware of that then, but i didn't care. now filtering water is nothing to me, just something i do. and by the way, freshly filtered spring water is the best drinking water, ever! tastes so good! i hate packing out town water!

i'm well aware that this post, like most of my posts, is somewhat chaotic.

apologies.

i'm turning 28 this monday. weird.
i'm super stoked that i'm spending the first few months of my 28th year on the appalachian freakin' trail. pretty awesome.

i think katahdin called out to me last night, in my dreams.
it was wondering if i was still coming.....i let the great mountain know that i was on my way.

i'm homeless.
i'm carless.
i'm jobless.
yet, i've never felt more free in my entire life!!

i love you, a.t.!

we'll be a little behind when we reunite with the trail....hopefully, we can buckle down and make some big miles...so we aren't hiking through maine in the snow! brrr.

practicing my katahdin poses.

i'm pretty sure god is a big fan of hiking the a.t., he has done amazing things to keep myself and others on our journey north!!

best journey, ever.

-journey