Home Safely

Four months, two days, 2174 miles. That's what it took my brother, Daane, and my cousin, Chad, to complete the entire Appalachian trail. They're home now. They're safe. And they still have their scary beards, allowing the general populace to assume that they are mass murderers.

Yet appearances are truly deceiving. I have not in my life known men who care so much about others, who dedicate themselves to bettering people around them. As I am close family to these men, and especially because their hike was done to aid women, this accomplishment touches me in a way I cannot express. I am so infinitely proud to be a sister and cousin of men such as these.

Perhaps Chad can better sum their experience.

"Last night really turned me for a 180. For the last 4 months we have been anticipating the time when we would finish this trip and be able to stop hiking, but now I am feeling an emotion of sadness. It is going to be hard to leave the woods after spending that last 4 months enjoying the beauty and the simplicity of hiking. I will miss the ability to just be able to hike in the woods with only my thoughts and the beautiful nature. There is just something about living this simple life that just seems right. I haven’t been able to put my finger on just exactly what it is. You need to experience it for yourself before you can completely understand it.

"So anyways we hiked down to Amicola Falls State Park where we hiked through a stone gate: the symbolic end of our trip and return to the American society. We spent a few minutes just sitting and reflecting before we took the few steps trough the gate. Aunt Char and Jim (Daane’s mom and stepfather) greeted us at the park. It was great to see family and know this time we wouldn’t have to leave them and head back into the woods. They took us to get a shower we then hit the road and began our journey back to Michigan."

Chad will be leaving the States to join the Peace Corps in three months' time. He will be stationed in the West African country of Guinea, doing small enterprise development. Chad describes this as, "consulting small businesses, teaching business classes, empowering women to enter the business field and developing community-wide initiatives to promote business and economic growth."

Daane is home now. As it is winter, and apparently already snowing in Michigan, I would not be surprised if he's currently out on the ski slopes again. He will resume his college classes at the start of second semester in January.

I love you guys. I miss you.