Autographs can be Arranged!

I’ve repeated this phrase a lot recently but “things are really starting to happen fast now”. Let’s kick this off with a video of <surprise> me. This is a gear review of everything I am taking on our trip. If you’re not into backpacking, this might not be the most action-packed type of video, but seeing what others have packed has really helped us as we’ve prepared over the years. Since there aren’t that many ladies gear reviews out there, I decided to put myself out there. At the very end of the video there is a VERY detailed list of everything in my pack including the weight of each item. Even if you don’t care about the details you might want to scroll to the end just for fun.

Getting Personal

Oh my goodness, only two weeks left! That fact is exciting and terrifying all at the same time.

The last couple of practice hikes have been long in distance at 20 miles and 18 miles with a challenging amount of elevation just to prove to ourselves we can do it. Or as the thought popped into my head, “we still got it”! Mind you it takes a lot longer to reach this physical point of preparation than I care to admit. Some of the earlier hikes this spring were discouraging mentally because I was not physically ready, yet. Honestly, the preparation hikes are some of my favorite times. A new local discovery of homemade ice cream and homemade waffle cones added a fun reward at the end of a couple of long hot hikes. Go check out Front Porch Creamery in Danbury, NC. I know I will be going again and again and again.

Rain, rain, and more rain was the theme this year during practice hikes. We are all well versed in grabbing our jackets and quickly slipping into them. The fear of what to do when shoes get soaked has also been conquered. That does not mean any of us enjoy soggy shoes. We have some good laughs when our water logged shoes start making funny sounds.  Sliding off those wet shoes at the end of the day is heavenly and drying out our wrinkly feet is quite important.

Very soon, all the preparation will be complete. And then the adventure will be here…the fun times as well as the challenging times. That statement applies both mentally and physically. I am looking forward to just moving, but know that there will be some humps in the road. From previous hikes, I know that I will miss my friends and family. So any questions or topics of conversation will be welcomed via this site.  And a scheduled call or two would be wonderful…just remember we will be six hours ahead of you. Looking forward to hearing from you!