August 21, 2017
7:42 PM
Total Miles: 2074
Day 142
Hiking Thoughts:
I hope everyone gets to say they have lived their dream.
Whether for a long time or a short time, I hope each and every person gets to experience their own wild dreams of traveling to Italy, being a drummer in a band, or climbing Mt. Everest…
Whatever the dream, whatever the duration, I hope everyone can say the phrase
” I am living my dream”.
I have been an avid journal writer for years, I write every night before bed back in “real life”.
(I think it is why keeping a daily blog has been easy for me.)
Thinking back to multiple journal entries I have written, I can vividly remember quite a few stating that all I wanted to do is read, write, and run.
I would additionally put in entries where I was wishing I could spend more time outside. That I was never getting enough time outside.
Both of these wishes have been satisfied in the last five months (minus the running but hiking, close enough😉)
I am living my dream you guys.
No more itching to be outside, no more going to work wishing I could be somewhere reading or writing.
I am outside 24/7 being active during the day and enjoying my hobbies at night.
Yeah some days are better than others, some days I am more motivated than others but it’s still the lifestyle I have always wanted.
The simplicity, the freedom, the nature, the dream.
I couldn’t ask for anything better.
-Brown Sugar
Day 142
Free all you can eat breakfast is my all time favorite. The Sterling Inn is by far one of the best places I have stayed at.
I ate an insane amount of cereal, bagels, muffins, I was in heaven.
Once filled to the brim we headed back out to the trail via a free shuttle from the hotel.
I was not looking forward to hiking today. Just tired and wanted the trail to be flat. No incline or decline just flat.
We had two smaller mountains that led us to some stellar views.
Views that always turn my mood around.
With the clear skies we thought we might have seen Katadhin in the distance.
Holy crap.
The end is so close…
What??
Anywho, We made the 18 miles to shelter by another lake.
It is a quiet, beautiful, and peaceful.. I love it. Absolutely love it.
I am going to miss this. The people, the simplicity, the nature day in and day out.
Day 143
Woke up this morning to a pink sky bouncing off the lake and filling the sky.
Ahhhhh.
Today we had planned a 17 mile day to Monson, Maine but the terrain was to be flat.
Yes!
But Tired and cranky I felt today since I didn’t sleep the best the night before or last night.
Planner and I also tried to hike fast because we all had a resupply box at the post office. Which closed at 4.
Around 14 miles we hit trail magic! How so very expected. The guys names were limping eagle and lucky and as we approached them lucky came up to us with beers in hand.
It was great but unfortunately we couldn’t hang out for long since we need to get to town.
The town of Monson is small and cute.
We hit the post office and the woman working it had some solar eclipse glasses that she let us borrow as she was outside looking at the solar eclipse.
How neat it was! We definitely did not have the area go dark but…we still were able to see the moon in front of the sun.
SO COOL.
We hit up Petes place and resupplied and ordered some food.
They had one cinnamon roll left.
I naturally had to get it since it has been a theme along the trail.
It was quite delicious but not the best on trail. Ha!
We were told about a cheap hostel from the guys at trail magic so we decided to give it a go.
We weren’t sure about the place but were instantly happy we decided to stay.
We arrived and The woman was adorable and let us have our own little area in the back. We were able to do laundry and shower and could of had a meal if we hadn’t just eaten.
All for 10 bucks.
She told us to make ourselves feel at home.
Amazing kindness.
I wanted to give her a big bear hug. She just radiated peace and kindness.
After a while Woodpile and I headed back to town and grabbed some beers to watch the sunset.
Quiet little town of Monson.
Iz and Oz
Izzy + Ozzy 
Wow. This is incredible. You’ve come so far. I think of you out there all the time. I was gearing up to send you something today to–haha–Monson, but I guess I didn’t realize you’d get through Maine so fast and I was apparently way behind. So I think instead I’ll focus on being a support to you when you come off the trail and back into the other existence. After I got off the trail I had daily flashbacks of pictures in my head of places on the trail for two years. It was really hard coming out of an experience like that and into a world of people that hadn’t just experienced something so life altering. You’ll find the world has changed–but no–not really–just that you have, and your perception will be different. So please know that I will be here for you when you want to tell stories and when it feels hard as you grieve the life you left. Any maybe you’ll do more–there’s so much to explore! ❤️️ I hope you enjoy the 100 mile wilderness to the fullest. I feel like it’s kind of like a prelude and a final preparation of your heart for the moment you stand at the base of your last mountain. May the wilderness hold you and cradle you and whisper to you the difference you have made in the world by saying yes to your dream. I’m beaming with pride for you and I barely know you, but I do know what you’ve been through and how incredible that is. And you know what I think? That thing everyone calls the “real world?” What of the real world is right where you are. What if what’s real is a life of saying yes and living your dreams. That to me is more real a world than any we’ve numbed out and collectively created. You’re in the real world now. And I hope you fully enjoy these final days. So much love to you. Feel free to reach out when you’re done if you need support. We’re here! ❤️️
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