OMG! Are we not walking… hiking… climbing… or fording any rivers today?
Are we leaving the dirt… the rocks… the roots… and the boulders for concrete and asphalt?
Tell me it isn’t so!
We board the plane in Bangor, Maine at 7:00 am and land in Atlanta, Georgia at 11:56 (after a 41 minute layover in Detroit, Michigan)! What took us 6 months to walk to and thru has taken us only 4 hours to return to! What’s up with that?
Walking thru the Atlanta Airport is nowhere near the beauty… peace… and tranquility of walking through the 14 states that we have just experienced, and the culture shock is more than we can bear.
Our stress level elevates beyond our comfort level and our anxiousness increases beyond our capacity to hold it as tears begin to flow down both of our cheeks and we stop in the midst of thousands of people to assure one another that we will be HOME SWEET HOME in just a little while.
As we approach Baggage Claim (to pick up our less than 30lb packs that have carried our entire livelihood for the past 6 months) the sight of awaiting family (my son, daughter-in-love, and grandchildren) is enough to cheer and celebrate our recent accomplishment for the few moments that we are together.
A quick lunch at “The Varsity” (an iconic Burger & Hotdog Restaurant in Atlanta) with my son and his family is priceless, and a stop to visit with my mother and dear family friend is precious.
The automobile drive thru Atlanta traffic is horrible… horrific… and hell! Simply put… I hate it!
The closer we get to the North Georgia Mountains… the further away we get from the Atlanta traffic and throngs of people… the nearer we are to HOME SWEET HOME… the anxiety, stress and mental fatigue begin to melt and fade away as we arrive to HOME SWEET HOME with an amazing “Welcome” and “Congratulatins” from the best friends anyone could have!
As we drive (I know… that both sounds and feels kinda wierd) thru these mountains with HOME SWEET HOME in sight, our smiles turn to tears yet again as we are greeted by the thoughtfulness of so many people in the signs, banners, balloons, beverages and food that we have been craving for so long!
Champagne… wine… desserts… a refrigerator full of food… and personal cards written from the heart, will be consumed as cheerfully as the celebratory welcome from our awesome and amazing friends.
HOME SWEET HOME is “sweet” because of the love, thoughtfulness and ever memorable “Welcome” that we have come home to.
Thank you to all who have followed (and are following) our “continued” journey! As I mentioned in a previous Blog (KATAHDIN… THE FINISH OR IS IT JUST THE BEGINNING?), we will soon begin the experience of embarking on the next chapter… the next trek… the next section… the next trail of our journey.
Please continue to follow us and know that it is people like you who truly make HOME SWEET HOME for us.
We love YOU!
