I can't pretend this was just part of my dedication to the plan I outlined in my first post; I miss that smile already (can you blame me?), and it was all I could do not to get myself a ticket to California this weekend so I could join him. We tentatively settled on Memorial Day weekend (end of May) for a weekend visit off the trail, since - for weather and trail condition reasons - he could use a short delay around that time, and it makes sense for me since I will mostly be done with my teaching obligations for the year and have Monday off for the holiday anyway.
I know how excited Darby is to be starting the trail, and I wanted to share in his happiness and be as positive as possible, in spite of the natural urge to selfishly miss him. Having a potential meetup to look forward to in the less distant future really helped ease some of my anxiety and made sharing in his good mood effortless. I can already see that making the effort to share in Darby's experience will help me cope with the distance and unpredictability of communication over the next several months.
A short while later, I got home to a package waiting for me at the door. The box contained a crucial tool to achieve the "Off the PCT" trail magic goal of mine, and I can't wait to get started figuring out how on earth to use it.
My new dehydrator! I started researching different snacks to make (fruit roll ups, beef jerky, salmon jerky...) and read up on some of the basics for creating dehydrated meals and calculating how to properly rehydrate the meals for best results. If anyone has suggestions for how to keep Darby well-fed with this gadget, I'm all ears! I hardly know where to begin, but I imagine I'm in for trial and all kinds of error. I'll include updates (and photographic evidence of successes and failures) as the dehydrator experiment progresses.
After getting excited about my new toy, I immediately texted Darby to keep him in the loop, even though I knew he would be unavailable for hours while on his flight. I've decided to text him on the trail just as I normally would (whenever I have anything to share), even if it could be hours or days before he'll see the messages or be able to respond. Darby may open his phone to dozens of text messages every couple of days, but it will help me continue to feel connected to him while he's gone. He called when he landed, and he's equally excited about the dehydrator's arrival and said he's on board to receive a daily text-surplus even if they go unread for a while.
I ended up texting Darby even more later after receiving some wonderfully surprising news in furtherance of my favorite growth goal Off the PCT: his mentor/hero-worshipped-wind-tunnel-instructor, Carney, responded to my message asking for coaching, and he has volunteered his valuable coaching services this weekend! I'm ecstatic thinking about the potential to improve my flying with the instructor who Darby credits with teaching him how to fly as well as he does. I'm also really curious about exposure to different coaching styles, since Darby has really taught me everything I know in the tunnel.
With the dehydrator delivery and coaching confirmation, it seems like things are falling into place for me to get started on my Off the Trail goals. I also had a nice talk catching up with my sister tonight on her new business and her life generally, and then went to dinner with my dad (a little stressful, honestly, but overall ended well and gave me some direction for steps to take job-wise and health-wise, though I resisted the unsolicited guidance like any other good-natured but stubborn daughter desperate to be treated like a grown up).
I left dinner with a plan to get a cover letter done ASAP and my resume sent off for a job I have been dragging my heels about applying for over the last few weeks. The job is frankly my dream job for more reasons than I can list here. CliffsNotes version: federal magistrate law clerk position, which combines my ongoing interest in the law, uses my skills and experience, would also afford me time outside of work to pursue my hobbies/passions/adventures, and it wouldn't start until August or September, which would free me up this summer to do some of the PCT with Darby!
So why haven't I applied yet? Fear of rejection or failure. I know, I know, Wayne Gretzky, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take; but as long as I haven't applied, it's still an option I can fantasize about. Once I apply and either don't hear anything or receive a rejection letter, I don't get to wish and hope for that path anymore...So I haven't sent it yet. In fact, I haven't even typed out the cover letter yet, though I've played out what I'll say in a letter and in an interview dozens of times in my head. Dinner with dad may have been a little emotionally draining and stressful (sorry, uncomfortable waitress who watched me cry instead of eat!), but it did motivate me to get this letter written and submit all materials ASAP so it won't be too late, and I'll at least have a chance of consideration for the clerk position.
All in all, end of Day 1, I'm feeling really optimistic about the steps Darby and I are both taking, on and off the PCT! I have a plan in motion for my personal growth, and I loved hearing how happy and excited Darby was to be in California starting his journey. It was also a huge relief to know his internet-arranged ride showed up to get him as planned (and hopefully is not a creepy stranger/serial killer, but a legitimate Trail Magic guide as promised). Next up: submit that application, plan a girls' night in Orlando this weekend, start yoga, and do at least ONE successful pull up (seriously, why do they look so easy, but then I try and just hang there, barely pulling myself up an inch!?).
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