The first five days

Hello!

It’s my first time blogging amongst the logs. I’m currently wedged between two trees on top of a mountain lifting my phone up in the air for service.
Just kidding.

My new found friends and I have posted up for the night at Blood mountain Cabins and we are as happy as can be. I just took a shower, spent way too much money on some new gear(with intentions of calling companies for some refunds), got a pack shakedown, and got my laundry  done.

Oh, and I’m using wifi. That’s a really exciting part of this.

I’ve been updating pretty frequently on Facebook and Instagram so my friends and family know generally what’s going on, but to go along with my first five days on the trail, here are five thoughts from these past few days.

1. I am more prepared for this than I thought.

So far, even though it’s only been five days, i am realizing that I know a lot more than I thought. I’ve felt good and everything has gone RELATIVELY smoothly. I wake up everyday happy and feel physically tired but not as bad as I had expected. I am going a lot slower than a lot of people, averaging about eight miles a day this week, but there is a whole crew of us who are going slow and loving the stroll. The ascents and descents are hard, but not as brutally painful (yet) as I had expected. My legs are sore and I have a small blister, but otherwise I feel great!

2. Rain makes things less pleasant.

It rained yesterday and everything was soaked. Setting up camp with wet gear was unpleasant. Having wet socks was unpleasant. But HEY, this is what you sign up for. It could have been worse and it will be worse.

3. Having a good attitude about getting to Maine is important.

Ive noticed alot of thru-hikers are hesitant to say they’re going to Maine. A frequent response is “we will see what happens.” It sounds insane when a day hiker asks you when your in Georgia where you are going and you reply with  “Maine,” but I make a point to loudly and proudly say “TO MAINE!!!” I also staunchly affirm others when the topic comes up that quitting is not a thing we should ever talk about. It doesn’t exist.

4. We are all in the same boat.

Mostly every one here is a new hiker. This makes things so easy. We are all learning and I never feel hesitant to ask someone for help. We all are floating around aimlessly through the woods following white marks with no idea where we are most of the time, but it’s fun. Our days consist of slowly walking up and down hills, figuring out how and where to filter water, and where a good camping site is.

5. Having support from family and friends is key.

It seems that there is a direct correlation with support from family and friends and your attitude and positivity toward the whole journey. A lot of people had to tiptoe around their parents or their jobs to get here, and it seems like that can make the mental trials a little bit harder. I’m lucky to feel the support of my family and friends every step of the way.
Ok! This is short and not as eloquent as I’d like it to be, but I wanted to get a blog post out tonight while I have this wifi.

More to come soon! Onward and upward!