A lot of you followed my blog while I was on trail and know of some of the trials I went through.  You also have now seen the film and have a whole new understanding for why I undertook this journey in the first place.  The past few days have presented a new kind of journey, an emotional roller coaster.  I began to recount the past that led me to the A.T. and it has weighed on my soul.  I firmly believe, like on the trail, the only way to move is forward.  Reflection is necessary upon occasion  but, too much of it, leads to backtracking and stagnation. Countless times while I was backtracking to go home to heal the trench foot, I proclaimed,  I am NOT a southbounder! I was so caught up in moving in literal backward steps that I didn’t realize that my ability to recognize a dangerous situation was really forward momentum.  Yes, I walked south in order to go home and heal, but, in an odd moment, on the way to be picked up I found a whole blaze that had fallen off a tree. The symbol of my constant forward momentum was lying there, for me to take….and I took it.  It is now framed right next to my pack and my wolfpack hiking stick. Sometimes we need to pause to heal and it doesn’t always mean we are being stagnant. Forward momentum doesn’t always move at Rocket speed. Sometimes it is slow and time consuming.  It is never constant.  On other days, its 26 miles in 8 hours, and it feels amazing.

Today was a slow momentum day.  The mountain was huge and as of right now, I didn’t make it all the way up….I have decided to quit for the day and wake early to begin the climb again.  Perhaps tomorrow will be faster, or slower, but, I can say, with absolute certainty it will offer a new view, a new challenge and it will be full of metaphorical blazes.  Yes, this is how I incorporate the lessons I learned.  This is how I take the trail with me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Facebook Event Link

And now, I want to share it with you!  The film is in its final stages of editing, but, the premiere date is set!  It will premiere May 9th in Boston, MA.

Please follow this link to the public facebook event – seating is first come first serve and not all the details are up yet, but, more information will be available soon.

Happy Trails!

I made a full weekend of it, and it was much needed. I turn 29 tomorrow…yikes! And this was my birthday present to myself.  On the way down, I stopped and saw Sunkist, a fellow 2012 hiker.  It was great to catch up and meet her family.  They were so warm and welcoming.  The next morning was a short drive (2 hours) to Bear’s Den where fellow hikers Nokey, Testament and Sprinkles were already enjoying the atmosphere of the ruck.  It was so amazing that for a day, I got to sit around with fellow thru-hikers, reminisce about the trail and be called by my trail name.  I met hikers from year’s past and imparted a little bit of advice to a young woman setting out in 2013.  I hate to admit it, but, I also ate like a thru-hiker for the evening…the spread was amazing! For those of you thinking about hiking the Appalachian Trail in the future, a gathering like this is a great way to get more information on what you might be able to expect. At the same time, I must say, take it all with a grain of salt.  The great thing about hiking the trail is there is absolutely no right way to do it.  What worked for one thru-hiker may not work for another one and it doesn’t guarantee success.  The biggest guarantee is your mind.  The only sound advice I can give is to tell you to read Zach Davis’ Appalachian Trials. This book forgets the similar suggestions everyone else gives about gear and food and terrain.  It instead focuses on the mind, which can make or break a thru-hike.

Back from my unsolicited advice….and back to my weekend, I got to see my good friend and fellow Wolfpack member Cheeks on my way home.  She saw the first 40 minutes of the rough cut and offered some great advice on how things are coming along. That’s right folks, it is at 40 minutes, and I am not even halfway done with the story! Looking forward to sharing it with you all when it is done. In the meantime, enjoy these photo’s from last weekend at the ruck!

I can’t even begin to imagine facing life without one of the senses the majority of us are lucky enough to possess. When I was younger, I was made fun of for the silliest of things. I was a tomboy, when girls were learning about nail polish and boys I was too busy beating them up on the soccer field. I was upset about being made fun of for that and when it happened it would often result in negative violent behavior. It took me a long time to learn the value of self-perception.

There are two people I look at right now, whom have the most amazing self-perception, that fill me with complete awe. One is a blind thru-hiker and another is a blind young woman with aspergers who is trying to make a name for herself in this world. Both offer such infinite wisdom, it is hard to ignore their message.

Bill Irwin, a blind man who thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, completed a feat that some would call impossible and yet he states on his website: “Let no one kill your impossible dreams”.

Michelle Smith, a young blind woman who is the subject of the documentary THREE DAYS TO SEE, was recently quoted in an article saying: “Whoever you are, you should always be yourself. The only thing more dangerous than lying to others is lying to yourself.” Wise words from a young woman who just graduated high school and faces challenges in the work force.

I became involved in THREE DAYS TO SEE as their digital outreach person. Currently, they are funding the film on kickstarter and have only 10 days left to raise enough money to pay an editor to complete a rough cut.  The reasons for my involvement are completely selfish. They are selfish because I look at this young woman, I look at Irwin, and I am inspired. I am motivated to continue to try and complete things that may seem impossible. I am working on this project because it reminds me of what I experienced last year: beauty. It’s everywhere. Take a moment, and really LOOK at it. You’ll be astounded by what you see.

If you would like to help with the campaign, please click here to donate or spread the word.

Wanted to share a few more screengrabs, these are definitely in the rough cut…will they make it into the final cut? (…I sound like a host for American Idol….) You never know! But, for now, enjoy

I am editing right now, waiting for some footage to convert, and all I can think about are the people that I met on a very long footpath. Allow me to be so corny as to say, I love them all. I made friends with so many different individuals, with their own unique ideas and personalities. If anything can be learned from the trail it can be this: It doesn’t matter your race, your political affiliations, your religion (or lack their of), or your economic class – if you are a thru-hiker, you are family. Instant camaraderie.

Not everyone saw the kindness I was lucky enough to see. The woman that went out of her way to drive me to a dollar general, just so I wouldn’t have to walk an extra 15 miles on painful concrete. The guy who shared one of his dinners with me when a mouse decided to eat and poop over the remainder of my rocket fuel (food=energy=rocket fuel). Or the family that took me in for a few days while I waited for a new pair of trail runners. The list goes on.

There was the other side of it too, it wasn’t always peaches and roses….(is that how that saying goes?).  I had cars speed by, nearly running me over as I was trying to hitch a ride. I saw a woman lose her life in a grocery store plaza.  I narrowly escaped an angry racist. I had to result to begging for water when the water was so contaminated due to fracking, or dried up due to global warming.  However, what I learned transcended good moments and bad moments. Every good moment was a complete blessing and one that I carried with me, for miles. Every “bad” moment became a good learning experience, a time to reflect or a time to thank my lucky stars.

I miss that. I miss seeing things in simple terms. Not caring if my new trail friend went to college, whether they had a job, whether they were democrat or republican.  I don’t look at things superficially anymore. I feel open to meeting anyone. I say hi to strangers, or I smile if they make eye contact. I don’t dodge their eyeline or get angry when people don’t respond.

At this moment. A year after so very many of you gave so much to me, so I could fulfill a dream, I have to say, I kinda love you guys too! You read my blog, funded my film, sent me care packages. You were so kind, despite our differences. You may not be blood family, you may not be trail family, but you are my support system. You give me hope that when this film is finished, it will be more than just a film about this journey. It will inspire you to let go of baggage you don’t need to carry  and maybe even, restore your faith in humanity. In case you lost it

The Nortshore Magazine wrote a very nice article about my journey this past year. Please take a look at it! On Page 40.

Trail Tale

If you want to get a taste of his genius you should definitely check out this promo for his series that hits the web on December 30th.

Click HERE for The Bachelor Party

Hope everyone has had a wonderful December….it is amazing another year has passed…and I am so eternally grateful for all that it has brought. I apologize for my lack of blogging recently. But, I will be back at it weekly now!

-Rocket