Final Reflections

A month has now passed since I got home, and I’m happy to report that returning to my “other” life has been much easier than anticipated. I’ve had a lot of time to reconnect with my wife and to think, both of which have been wonderful. Many people have inquired about my hike, and so this post will serve to respond to some of the deeper questions that people have asked.

What did you learn?

The PCT taught me that I was largely a risk-adverse person. I disguised my fear of risk with body art, rock climbing, and other activities typically associated with people who live in more risky ways. However, I worked diligently to manage the risk out of activities, relationships, and every so-called “adventure” I undertook. My wife (bless her!) brought this to my attention early in my hike when she told me “Honey, you tend to want all of the adventure with none of the risk.” Wow. That one smarted – but started me on a better path. In the process of hiking 2658 miles I learned to embrace the risk with the adventure rather than fleeing risk, and my PCT experience was much richer as a result.

I also learned the value of flexibility. One again I didn’t realize that I was an inflexible person until the myriad of uncontrollable circumstances that go hand-in-hand with a PCT thru-hike attempt forced me to either adapt or go crazy. I discovered that being a flexible person who is able to adapt to changing circumstances makes the whole experience much more enjoyable. In returning home I have found that little things such as running a few minutes late bother me much less than they would have before my hike. I have also found that I can peacefully coexist with unknowns rather than diligently seeking to stamp out every last variable.

What do you miss?

Surprisingly, I miss the trail much less than I anticipated. To be perfectly honest I was pretty tired of hiking by the time I reached Canada. However, I do strongly miss the community of thru-hikers. “Community” is a buzz word we throw around in our churches and board rooms, yet we live in fenced-off yards, we drive 20 minutes to see a friend across town while not knowing our neighbors, and we teach our kids about “stranger danger.” I don’t pretend to have an answer to this, but I can testify that the thru-hiking community has it figured out. Thru-hikers treat each other amazingly well regardless of race, gender, age, or socioeconomic status. I constantly felt valued, accepted, and cared for by people who I sometimes hardly knew. I believe that when God created humanity he designed us to live in community, and I think that a group of dirty thru-hikers all marching north is the closest thing I’ve ever experienced to what I imagine God’s concept of community to be.

In addition, I miss the simplicity of life of the trail. Thru-hiking was not easy by any stretch of the imagination, but it was simple. For five months every physical thing I was responsible for was on my back, and it was very freeing to not be concerned about anything I couldn’t see. Life was difficult, but each day I awoke knowing that my task for the day – as was my task yesterday and will be my task tomorrow – was only to get as close to Canada as possible. Returning to a life in the city with competing priorities, financial considerations, and property to care for has taken some getting used to.

What’s next?

In short, I don’t know. I do know that I focused way too much on work on the last few years, and while I do need employment and am looking forward to working again I definitely do not want to be consumed by a job. As my friend Cuidado stated, “Life can’t just be about work anymore. If it is, I’ll die.”

In terms of employment, I’m trying to balance my desire for my dream job with the reality of a tough job market. I will likely either pursue an independent business consulting practice focused on utilizing my gifts to serve clients or seek a full time position as a business analyst. I have been working on both, and my plan is to be flexible and see what happens in the next month.

In terms of life priorities, Amy and I are talking more about what it means for us to actively and intentionally seek and serve God as a couple and not just drift through life. I’m excited about this, but it’s scary at the same time.

Thank you once again to everyone who supported me and cheered for me on this hike. Before I started I said that if I took six months off and had a grand ol’ life adventure but didn’t return any different then the whole experience would be a bit of a waste. I do know that I have returned different, and your support has been a huge part of that.

Disco