Feeling Accomplished- On and Off the PCT!

Darby and I both hit some exciting milestones today; his were obviously more literal and momentous, so I'll cover those highlights first.

 I knew he was set to hit the 100 mile mark yesterday, and - though I was not entirely sure I would hear from him again before he gets to Idyllwild early next week - I was cautiously optimistic that he might have some service or wifi in Warner Springs so I could congratulate him on this first big - literal - milestone. As luck would have it, he had wifi!  Darby even had a chance to update his blog today (darbyonthepct.blogspot.com) while stopped in town, so I won't get into too much detail here.

I treasured the FaceTime conversations we had while he was in town, and his beaming smile made it worth the wait. I also felt particularly special and warm and fuzzy inside when Darby told me he got up early and hiked alone to get to town as quickly as possible, so he would have extra time there to talk to me. Be still my heart.  I was a little bummed, though, when he informed me the package I sent last week to the Warner Springs Post Office hadn't arrived.  Fortunately, he said they'll send those forward to the next stop for free, and he wasn't remotely concerned.

Darby (or "Tommy Lee Jones", if we're using his trail name) is in great shape, continuing to make friends wherever he goes, and is having an overall incredible experience. With over 100 miles behind him now, I sincerely believe that Darby's positive outlook and the way he appreciates every challenge the trail throws at him (be it wind, rain, or snow, apparently) will carry him through to the end. I couldn't be happier for or prouder of him right now, even when he's over 2000 miles away (and 2600 trail-miles away from coming home).

At the end of our last conversation,  as he was on his way out of the town of Julian, Darby left me with the following images:
 
Picture number 1: (not Darby's blister! He's still blister-free) Another thru-hiker at his hotel had brutal blisters, and Darby did something completely indicative of his character: he put down his celebratory rum and left the social gathering in his room to be useful and helpful to a stranger. Looking at this image and hearing about his experience, I was reminded of something that happened the weekend before Darby left. He did something that, frankly, surprised me much more than it should have, knowing the kind of man Darby is. After we passed a car on the side of the road that had run out of gas, Darby told me to let him out of the car and wait for him at the station so he could get out and help these total strangers push their car up the road so they could fill up their tank.  I've seen people with flat tires or out of gas on the side of the road before, and - as I've sped past them in a self-imposed rush, to get to whatever super important destination I'm headed to- I've often wondered to myself what sort of person actually puts their life on hold to help a stranger in a predicament like that.  It was in this moment, watching Darby help those people with their car, that I realized I don't just know what sort of person is willing to perform such a gracious act; I get to call this sort of person my partner. As gross as this blister picture is, it served to motivate me to put extra effort into his care package this week. A man willing to treat blisters for strangers is certainly deserving of homemade jerky, trail mix, and baked goods to help him keep moving forward.
*Also, little handy side note to anyone suffering blisters (courtesy of mountain-man Darby): put a piece of thread through it so it can air out without bursting or worsening.*

Picture number 2: Darby posing with his gear, all cleaned up and well rested after a night in the hotel in Julian.
This one left me with a far simpler internal response: Darby looks awesome in trail gear. I need to join him on the trail ASAP. I seriously miss that smile. Must.Buy.Plane.Ticket.NOW.

These pictures from Darby got my butt in gear to accomplish a lot of important tasks the last couple days. First and foremost, I bought myself that plane ticket! I'm visiting Darby May 13-16, hopefully somewhere near enough to Ontario that we can even get a little tunnel flying in at the fancy-shmancy, super-fast iFly tunnel that recently opened there.  He sounded just as excited as I felt when I told him the good news today during our call.

The second big step that I took is definitely for the best, but it has left me with a lot of mixed emotions. For months, I have been brushing aside my family's concerns about my health and putting off further testing or treatment until after I finish out the school year. I don't think it makes sense to see a doctor for treatment here in West Palm Beach, only to move to Orlando in June and need a new doctor there.  I tried to comfort my family by promising them that I would deal with it after I finish the school year and move, citing a sense of duty and obligation to my students (particularly to get them through to the AP exam). After six years of chronic back and leg pain before finally getting a spinal fusion,  I got pretty good at sweeping health problems under the rug and turning chronic issues into a "new normal" until things got so bad they simply couldn't be ignored anymore.

This week, I had a couple wake up calls that caused me to change my tune about this and to finally make a change that gave some comfort to my family. My health has gotten to the point that it isn't just uncomfortable at best, painful at worst, and inconvenient on a regular basis; now, I'm starting to see that my digestive issues have gone beyond a day-to-day hassle to plan around, and have become a legitimate health concern. This past week's extreme flare up, with nearly constant nausea and the inability to consume and tolerate more than one small meal a day, has made me feel pretty weak and malnourished. It doesn't feel sustainable and manageable anymore to just call this health status my "new normal." The extra incentive to be more proactive about finding a solution to my health problems came from all of my day-dreaming about camping and hiking for a week or two at a time this summer with Darby. I can't imagine handling the trail without being able to consume more than 500 calories a day, and don't get me started on the unpleasantries of 10-12 daily "bathroom breaks" in the woods. No thanks; hard pass. Ulcerative colitis isn't exactly a walk in the park (see what I did there?), and it's time to finally nip this in the bud so I can have a more "normal" existence and hopefully make it out onto the trail later this summer.

So with all of this in mind, I resolved to make a change sooner rather than later. I gave notice at work that my last day will be the day after my students finish their AP exam. I will help my students get through their dreaded AP World History test (I'm obviously not telling them until after the exam, to keep them focused and distraction-free), then I visit Darby for a brief weekend visit, and then I have my first appointment with the Center for Digestive Health in Orlando. Baby steps.

My third big step(/accomplishment?) in line with my goals Off the PCT this week required a significant amount of time, effort, and TLC: creating a perfect care package for Darby, to be waiting for him at mile 179ish in Idyllwild. I made good use of my dehydrator, first with tangerines to add to a homemade trail mix, then with ground beef for him to rehydrate and add to meals for dinner, and of course lastly with my first attempt at beef jerky (which I've honestly never even tried before because it just seemed way too much like dog treats for me to get enthusiastic or even curious about). I also baked him enough of his favorite cookies (brown sugar chocolate chip cookies, extra gooey and soft just the way he likes them) so he can share and spread some trail magic with friends. To top it off, I went to the dollar store and picked up some extra things I know he likes (and some things that seemed just weird/gross enough that I imagine he would enjoy trying them out on the trail). Lastly, I  threw in some stamps, paper and envelopes (because, you know, I'm subtle like that). I may have gone a little overboard... Here are some pictures of the goodies that will be waiting for him in Idyllwild:

 

 

 

I really did have fun experimenting with the dehydrator, and I'm excited to try out some new things to send for his next big resupply.  Preparing things to send him and imagining his experience opening the package, knowing how cared for and supported he is, and then sharing the love with friends and fellow-hikers...I loved every second of it. It made the time fly by this week, and I felt incredibly close to Darby, despite not being able to communicate and having so much physical distance between us. I'm actually looking forward to the next package and trying to come up with ways to top this one. I can't wait for him to get to Idyllwild Monday or Tuesday to open it and see all the fun surprises inside! I'm also super-excited for him to get to Idyllwild because, after today's talk, I probably won't get to hear from him until he lands in Idyllwild in the next 4 or 5 days. Walk fast, Tommy Lee Jones! Patience isn't exactly my strong suit. 

That about sums up the big developments for the week, on and off the trail. I'll update further when there's more to share :)


p.s.  something fun to share- I was reading the trail blog of a couple who is about a half day behind "Tommy Lee Jones", just landing in Warner Springs late yesterday (though they are staying and taking a zero day there, I think, so they probably won't run into  him until after he takes a weekend off to see me :). This couple (blog found here http://teeheepct.blogspot.com/2016/04/day-9-april-28th.html) is the same couple that posted about a "Daniel" leaving the trail on day 3 when I was worried and hadn't heard from him. Here they are, pictured with two of the people Darby stayed with when he overnighted in Julian! It's Chips and Brianna (who now has the trail name "Guac", because Chips and Guac go well together!) Guess Darby was right that there was something blossoming, because they are now apparently an item! Looking at a stranger's blog and seeing people I have heard about and seen pictures of (remember that picture I posted of Darby in his room with two trail buddies in the background? this is them!)  reminds me what a tight community the PCT is and what a small world 2700 miles of trail turns out to be when everyone shares a common goal and lifestyle.