Well, my hike of the Appalachian Trail is officially over. I have arrived back in Traverse City, Michigan, and I am spending most of my time dealing with the fact that it is over.

I spent a few days in Maine after the trail, living a low-expense life and saying goodbye to other hikers as they left town. It was an odd experience. Usually, we say something like “see you down the trail” with quite a bit of confidence. And I usually did see them again soon after. This time was different. Sure, I know I will see some hikers again, especially those I became close with, but others I might not. It happened quickly.

I spent the rest of my time watching Water World in the hotel, walking around town, and looking at various blogs on the internet. One blog talked about minimalism and ways to live without many possessions. I liked this idea, since I had about twelve possessions when I read it. The blog made me want to continue my own blog, and also to think about how my life will be back home. I get to start fresh. Who knows? I may get rid of all my clothing, all my furniture. It is something I will figure out.

I wanted to spend the last bit of time eating, as it was such an important part of the trail, so we did the local ice cream challenge:

14 scoops of ice cream, banana, donut, snickers bar, and a few other various toppings. Not bad for a final hiker meal.

And since we were in Maine, we had to get lobster. It was great to see my sister and mother after so long and also great to be home bound.

What next? I don’t know yet, but I will figure I out, and I’ll let you know when I do.