Today I sat down to look at the past two weeks (it’s been three weeks now since I finished the trail!), reflect, and try to bring some focus to the coming month.

A very brief trail recap for some context: My two months on trail in Arizona were filled with much joy, calm, sunshine, gratitude, connection with nature, face-to-face connection with humans, and daily journaling. I gained confidence, inner strength, and physical strength. I finished the trail a different person from the young woman who began hiking in March.

I stayed very much in the present throughout the hike, so it was a shock to the system to return to the midwest on May 15. Read more