Four years ago I thruhiked the Appalachian Trail. It changed my life! It changed the way I think about things and what I prioritize. After hiking for almost seven months and living out of my backpack I came home to a house full of stuff I didn’t need or care about anymore. I went to a job I no longer loved just to keep paying for a lifestyle I didn’t even want. It was hard. What made it so much harder was that my partner didn’t hike with me, he didn’t get it. He was great about it and when I had the idea to get a bus and drastically change our lifestyle he jumped in with two feet. We downsized our belongings as he worked on building the furniture to turn a short bus into a home. We didn’t have everything all figured out but adapted along the way. When we moved into the bus we had jobs regular jobs. We liked the paycheques but didn’t like being tied down to one spot. We wanted to travel! We saved up until we thought we had enough and started travelling. When money got low we stopped and worked for a bit. We crossed the country this year! Now we are starting to think about what’s next. The year and a half we have spent on the bus has taught us both so much about what we really want and what we need compared to what we had before. We both still want to travel more and we both realize that when we switch back to a brick and mortar home it will be a tiny home, not that much bigger than what we are living in now. Michael has missed having a workshop. He misses building, making and creating things. I’m hoping that staying here in one place where he has access to a big shop and his choice of jobs that will make all of the difference. For me, I miss the Trail. When we started this adventure I thought that travelling around on a short bus would be the perfect compromise for both of us but it hasn’t changed the fact that I’d love to be hiking. I miss the simplicity of living out of a backpack and living outside. I thought that living on a bus would be comparable but it’s not. Don’t get me wrong, I love living on the bus! But I think I need to take some time away and get back on a trail. That is why I have decided to hike the Pacific Crest Trail next year! It’s a big decision and there is so much to do in order to make it happen. But it all starts with a plan. I will be keeping a trail journal again and this is my first entry:
http://www.trailjournals.com/journal/entry/579717
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