#(( i chose to focus on weepy since there are were less asks for him

[just-bendy]

how are Tippy and Weepy? We haven't seen them since their intros

... wh-where's Brute...? Have y-you seen him...?

[wellesleyunderground]

Reflections: Three Months Later by Allison Broadwater ‘09 and AJ

We’ve been home now since October 25- exactly 89 days. The first about 20 of those days were spent practically comatose; throbbing, swollen feet propped up, setting a record for how quickly we could gain weight. We then refused to talk about the trail for about a month while we recovered physically and emotionally, and then spent the next month and a half settling in to our rose-colored glasses and celebrating what we accomplished- and that it’s over.

We just sent out thank you cards, which for me was a huge way to relive and appreciate the magic of the Appalachian Trail. 150 cards gave us the chance to think about the individual contributions of so many people and places and the overwhelming emotion with which we are overcome when we think about the trail is gratitude. We are so, so grateful for the chance to live this ridiculous dream and for the literal hundreds of people who made that dream possible. I started this final post on our last night on the trail but needed some distance before posting it. Now, three months later, one last reflection and thank you both for you and for us.

Our last night on the trail was a mix of emotions, largely relief. While I have treasured our time on the trail- it’s not often you get to take a 7-month vacation- I am more than ready to go home. But we hiked this B, and that is truly official.

The last 6 1/2 months have been full. We climbed and climbed and climbed; we went more than a mile high some days, either in one huge push or countless little ups and downs. We climbed with our quads, our poles, our hands and our knees. I joked that my top lesson from the AT is that the hill is never over. But we also climbed down, sometimes slid down; we also bouldered, hand over hand; we also twisted back and forth; we swerved, ducked, jumped, and clawed; we even had the occasional flat stretch for a few feet at a time. We hiked up mountains, along highways, through fields and pastures, and through towns and cities. We hiked anywhere from 0.25 miles/hour to upward of 3 miles/hour. We had days where we maxed out at 7 miles and others where we hit almost 20. We hiked through 14 states from the south to the mid-Atlantic to New England. We hiked as winter turned to spring and then summer through fall. We slept in shelters, at campsites, on rock faces, directly on the trail, in parking lots, in fields, and on the sides of mountains. We hiked and camped through freezing temperatures, boiling humidity, fierce storms, howling wind, endless rain, sleet, and swarming insects. We suffered from blisters, sunburns, shin splints, masses of mosquito bites, enormous unidentified bites, plantar fasciitis, a broken toe, cramps, and endlessly sore feet, legs, backs, arms, and shoulders. We hiked over rocks, sand, dirt, gravel, boulders, roots, and entire trees. We hiked until my hair quadrupled in length.

I wept. I cried on pretty much every part of the trail. I cried out of frustration, pain, anger, and often relief. I cried at the sight of coffee once. We were invested in the trail, heart and soul. I’ll probably cry remembering it.

Along the way, we saw bears, every type of snake, every possible insect, deer, owls, bats, loons, herons, moose, turkey, and plenty of turtles. I was impressed, terrified, amazed, horrified, and entranced by our surroundings, both natural and unnatural. We met fabulous, interesting, brilliant people and less-than-fabulous souls. We were helped in every possible way by strangers, with encouraging words on the trail, welcoming hostels and homes to stay in, anonymous trail magic at a road crossing, or a beer when we least expected it. We were carried, loved, supported, fed, and entertained by you all at home. We never, ever felt alone.

We Hiked Our Own Hike. I think it is safe to say no other hike was like ours. We met people that we loved but chose to focus on each other before worrying about keeping anyone else happy. We rested when we needed to, slowed down when everyone else sped up, pushed through when so many around us quit. We joyfully went into debt to eat actual food in town. We never lost sight of the fact that we were so privileged to have this opportunity and would likely never have another like this again. We savored every moment, even the worst ones. I cried at the top of Katahdin and then cried with relief when we finally headed home.

And I fell completely, madly in love. I loved AJ before; I’ve loved him for a long time and have always known I would continue to. I knew he loved me. But I never realized how much he cares for me. He puts my own safety and comfort before his own. He is delightfully forgetful of his own things but never forgets a single detail of anything I ask for. He will be run down with exhaustion but when he sees I’m in need will spring into action and anticipate any need. He takes risks and loves adventure but stays calm and conservative when I’m there or for my sake. I trust his judgement completely because I know he is foremost thinking about us. He plans 3 steps ahead but adapts immediately if I ask him to. He rarely asks me to do anything just for him. I have learned to treasure his few simple requests. I am eager to hear his opinion on the smallest matter. I appreciate his perspective and he truly prioritizes mine. He makes me laugh at something new every single day. After 195 days of just the two of us, that is a spectacular feat. And he still chooses to stay with me, no matter how stinky, hairy, cranky or weepy I am. It is amazing. I am amazed and so grateful.

We have so much good to put out to thank the universe and all of you for all the good that we’ve received over the past year. For now, we’re serving pizza and planning for the future, soaking up being at home and paying off credit cards and we prepare to move forward and upward. If anyone didn’t receive a thank you card, please comment and send us your address- we have so much more gratitude to share! And once again, thank you for your love and encouragement and support. We have been given the gift of a lifetime and will never be able to repay it- but will always continue to try.

Love forever,

Allison (& AJ!)

Reposted, with permission, from Allison Broadwater’s blog. For context, be sure to read the origin story of this trip.