Finish Date: October 19,2015

I can't believe it!! He's finished. It's over.

This amazing adventure that we spent a year planning and anticipating is over. This adventure that has made him into a man and taught me so much more of what it means to surrender my all to Jesus...It's over. 

My son is changed. He's changed in ways he isn't aware yet, in ways I'm not aware either. These discoveries will come with time. As he allows the Holy Spirit to bring to mind experiences and stories, he will slowly but assuredly figure out this new person he has become or will become or maybe a little of both. He has definitely already changed in so many ways, and there's no doubt he will continue to. He will draw on this experience for the rest of his life--this experience that as a young man of only 18 has shaped him in innumerable ways. 

He left out of here a hot headed teenager who couldn't wait for freedom. He wanted space. He couldn't wait to be alone--away from this chaotic family with 5 little siblings. He couldn't wait to show us that he could make it on his own. Sure, he loved us, but he didn't need us. He had this. 

Oh how all of that changed and changed quickly. I won't share too much on here because it's not my story to tell. I have really encouraged him to write a book. He really is an excellent writer, and I think the story needs to be told from the perspective of an 18 year old thru hiker. Maybe he could walk it again in 10 or 20 years and contrast the two. Who knows. But I do know that when I mentioned him writing a book before he left it was met with a big eye roll and basically, "Um, I don't think so, Mom." Now it's met with a shrug and "maybe." So we'll see. Breck told him he should write a book called, "A Walk in the WHOLE woods" since Bill Bryson only walked 800 miles of it then authored the most successful book ever written about the trail. I thought that was pretty clever!! 

To tell you now about his last couple of weeks...Many of you saw that I met him in Hot Springs for dinner about two weeks ago. He quickly left Hot Springs and got to Gatlinburg (Newfound Gap) in 2 1/2 days. He climbed Mt. Guyot, which is the 2nd highest point on the AT, walking uphill for 18 miles, to get into the Smokies. He was excited to be coming home. Even though he's only lived here four years, he's come to love these mountains. He shared some truths with me that day that God had been speaking to him. He told me that for him, this trail was discipleship and that God lived there. He said, "Everything about [the trail] is the gospel." He got to Newfound Gap 2-3 hours earlier than expected so he hitched a ride into town with a butcher who was out hiking. They ate lunch together while I had to get my other kids to their regularly scheduled activities before I could come get him!! 

Driving out to get him, I've never seen the Smokies so beautiful. The air was crisp and clear. There were no clouds, and the mountains had definition to them that I had never noticed or maybe it was just the way the sun shone that day. I could hardly keep my eyes on the road for wanting to look at them!! 

We picked him up in Gatlinburg and brought him home where he stayed for longer than expected. His trail friends had been doing very short days. They had waited on a package in Hot Springs and then decided they had nowhere to go or be so they didn't really want to be done. I think they don't want to have to be grown ups. They are in their 20's, some with college degrees, and they don't have a plan. So for as long as they can stay on the trail, they don't need one.

Anyway, after sitting at home for three whole days, Jon took Trand back on Sunday morning. I think he expected that they would surely catch up. But there's really no cell service in the Smokies so he hadn't been able to be in touch with them. After he'd been back on the trail for a little while, he found out they were still behind him. He tried to wait and slow down, but he was alone and freezing at night. As you know, he doesn't do well alone. So with only 150 miles left, he once again found himself wanting to quit. How many times over the last five months have I been the voice that says, "Don't quit!" "I have faith in you!" "I know you can do it!"?? So once again, I put on my encouragement hat, and I encouraged. I never doubted that he would do this, but he did. I never once faltered in my belief in him. If anyone was cut out to do this, it was him. 

He finally got fed up with waiting. The nights got TOO cold. He got TOO lonely, and he just walked. Over the last 100 miles, he slept for maybe 6 hours total. It was too cold to sleep so he walked. He walked slowly because he couldn't make himself walk any faster. He was frozen. The one night in Hiawasee, GA that I sent out a plea, he told me he was warm and safe and not to worry. He told me he made a new friend. HE SLEPT IN A FAIR BATHROOM ON THE FLOOR!!!! Well, he says he didn't really sleep. He was warm, but he couldn't sleep. Then a security guard kicked him out at midnight. He was back on the trail walking by 1 am. Can I just tell you how many times I've grossed out about that over the last 24 hours??? 

So Sunday he texted and said, "My plans didn't work out last night. I'll be at Springer earlier than I thought on Monday." Sunday night he walked. He said he did try to set up his tent and sleep during the day, but he couldn't. Something wouldn't let him stop until he was at Springer. 

We got to Springer Mtn. and hiked up as a family--arriving at the summit at 1:45, 15 minutes before his scheduled arrival. We took pictures and climbed trees. It wasn't nearly the dramatic ending that Mt. Katahdin would have been!! There was a tiny view on one side, and it was very much just your everyday ordinary little mountain. There were a few other people at the top with us. I kept looking for him. Then right on schedule, he came walking up the path. I yelled, "There he is!!" as all the little ones gathered around. He didn't throw his hands in the air or yell or shout. He didn't act like he'd conquered the world. He walked over to the Springer Mtn. plaque, looked at it, sat down, and cried. He cried and cried. It was very emotional for me to watch him. He took it all in for awhile, then Jon showed him the log book to sign. He sat and read the stories and names of those before him that he's known this year, ones he'd heard about, and even a couple who quit but still came to summit and put their names in as SOBO failures! :) That made us all laugh. Here he is reading the log book and enjoying coke he asked us to bring!

We all cried as he cried and waited as he wrote an entire page in the log book himself. We loved reading what he wrote to his trail friends who would soon finish. 

"We hiked this damn trail. We can conquer the world!"

I know he can...and he will. 

Now we start praying for the next part of his plan. It's scarier (to mom anyway) and more adventurous than the last. The next 10 months are rather mundane, a stepping stone that he needs to get to his next phase. I'm rather glad for some mundane. He plans to move to Naples after Thanksgiving and work for Jon's parents and brother. He's a hard worker and will be a huge asset to them this year. He's planning on getting his scuba certification and taking a physics class at a community college there. In September of 2016 he plans to attend Holland College in Prince Edward Island, Canada to get his commercial diving certification and learn underwater welding. Some of you may know that he interned with a welder here in town last year. It was a great experience, and being an underwater welder has been his dream since he was 14. It's exciting and dangerous and will fulfill his adrenaline quota. It will also test this mama's claims that "I'm not a worrier!" His plan after that I think is to travel the world--wherever an underwater welding job may take him (because they can take you everywhere!)--for a couple of years anyway. I know he desires to have a wife and kids and settle down with a "normal" family someday. So he doesn't want the dangerous life forever. But for now? It's a part of who he is, and he's been showing me that from a very early age. God has prepared me for 18 years to be ready for what this kid will do. He's strong, he's determined, and he's a world changer. 

Here are a couple of pictures that I have that I wasn't allowed to share until after he was done. ;) 

Ace and his trail family at an epic AT spot. 

From when we went to visit him in PA. 

A couple of pictures from Trand this morning

A view from this morning coming into the GSMNP. 10/06/15

A view from yesterday 10/05/15

He's almost done....

I can't believe it....and neither can he.

This whole crazy idea that he talked about, saved money for, researched, and planned for about a year finally started on May 27th. He set out to summit Mt. Katahdin near Millinocket, ME with his dad, Jon, and one of his dad's best friends, Troy (who happens to represent the "Tr" part in his name.) It was a long, arduous day as they got a late start, he didn't have a stove because TSA confiscated his fuel, and they couldn't find anywhere to buy it!! Finally, they were off to climb what Jon said was the hardest climb of his life. They got completely drenched by pouring rain the last two miles down resulting in the fact that we now have no pictures of his start of the Appalachian Trail at the top of Mt. Katahdin! (I'm still not over that!) Jon and Troy left my 18 year old son soaking wet, sore and miserable at a lean-to shelter at the bottom of the mountain, alone and freezing.

The next day I got a (completely unexpected) call from him. He was miserable and questioning his sanity in doing this, thinking this was quite possibly the biggest mistake of his life. He had walked about nine miles and was on the border of Baxter State Park in Maine--heading into the Hundred Mile Wilderness where he wouldn't have any contact with us for 10-14 days. At the ranger's station, there were pop tarts. He had taken all sorts of food to cook and keep him alive and healthy on the trail. But he was going into the Hundred Mile Wilderness with no stove so most of the food he had was useless. Food was needed, and there were only pop tarts. He started the Hundred Mile Wilderness with a VERY heavy backpack (he did dump an extra pair of clothes and camel back on the side of the trail), 5 boxes of pop tarts and 12 granola bars. He was the 3rd Southbounder to start this season so there weren't many people around to help or with whom to talk. Baxter State Park isn't even officially open until June 1 so you can imagine. Yes, he knew this beforehand. No, there was still no changing his mind.

Day 3 he set out to start the Hundred Mile Wilderness as a very lonely, (still) wet, cold and scared kid without much food. This Mama was a praying fool and had so many joining as well!!

Many of you know the story of his being "saved" by angels with skin on--who quickly became his first friends on the trail and led him to probably his biggest influence that he's had on this whole endeavor. Poet. "Poet" and his wife own Shaw's. It's a hiker hostel in Monson, ME. There he was ready to actually listen and learn. Poet took everything out of his pack that he didn't need, outfitted him with a new stove, and other essentials. He had come out of the Hundred Mile Wilderness feeling like he was almost dead (had eaten two pop tarts a day for 5 days) and delirious. The "angels" had led him to a road where they got a ride to Monson. Here he spent two days letting his feet and boots dry, eating substantial amounts of food and finding the community he had no idea he needed. These two days changed him. He then (along with his two new friends) got a ride back to where he stopped in the Hundred Mile Wilderness to finish the next 6 days. He stayed two more days at Shaw's with Poet and loved every minute of it.

Since then there have been many ups and downs. Many times he's texted me right at his breaking point. I'm sure there have been many times he's been at that breaking point when he hasn't had service, alone and hurting, when he had no one but Jesus to cry to. He's had some amazing people along the way who have opened their homes to him that have just reached out to me on Facebook or even that friends of mine have asked for me!! The Burgers in southern MA were a god send and totally providential as he was crossing the highway to their house the very day he picked up his new phone from the post office (and I had put their name and number in it--just in case.) They gave him a meal, shower, company and a bed for the night! They also have given him prayers ever since!

A friend I knew from Covenant College, Jennifer Gladwin, picked him up at Harper's Ferry and gave him a bed for two nights. She drove him around, entertained him with frisbee golf, fed him good food and lots of ice cream! She also has continued to pray for him and keep up with his journey.

Of course, on the trail Firefoot has been a constant since New York. They've picked up others along the way, and they will always be a part of Trand's memories and life.

We've been privileged to be able to visit him on the trail. Once, the kids and I drove to PA to stay two nights with him there. Breck got to hike with him, and we got to meet the Turtles, three trail friends who stayed one night with us. Jon drove to VA to take he and his friends out and then stay two nights with him there. And of course, the infamous trip I took to pick him up and bring him home for the weekend when he hurt his back so badly he couldn't go on.

Last night when I visited him over dinner in Hot Springs, NC (about an hour and 15 minutes from us) he told me stories of all sorts of people who hike the trail. I love hearing these. I love the trail names, and I love what different ones have meant to him--even the ones that he hasn't liked so much--because they are all a part of his journey.

He's a SOBO. A Southbounder. They are a different breed. They are proud to be SOBOs. They are few and far between. A SOBO starts at Katahdin and heads south with Springer Mtn., GA as his goal. They represent about 20% of AT hikers. One in four people who set out to thru hike the entire trail each year will actually finish. Many SOBOs actually give up in the Hundred Mile Wilderness. It's easy to see why. Percentage wise more SOBOs actually finish than NOBOs. In 2014, 272 people started out at Mt. Katahdin to thru hike to GA. 76 finished. In 2015 Trand was #3 starting at Katahdin May 27. Even with his very rocky start, he was #15 when he went through at Harper's Ferry.

As hard as this has been, he said last night that he can't believe it's actually going to be over. For so many months he's texted me with, "Why can't this just be over???" And now, it will soon be a reality. He will have to learn again to live "off the trail." He may hide out for a while. That's okay. He will probably have a few lunches and maybe even a few hikes with my friend, Travis, who was a SOBO 11 years ago (and happens to be my hair dresser!!) I've texted Travis quite a few times during this journey for questions and general reassurance!! I'm thankful for him!

God has used so many in his life and mine over the last 5 months. We've both been changed. In about two weeks, he will be done, barring some unforeseen life changing circumstance. He began this journey as an 18 year old kid with all sorts of crazy, unattainable goals (that were mostly shattered in his first week out) and he will finish an 18 year old man with a smarter outlook on life. Is he still a hot head? Yeah, I think so. Losing that will come with age. Is he still the most stubborn person I know? Yeah, but that's what got him down the trail. But he's done a lot of figuring out what's important in life. And that's a beautiful thing.

I'm so proud of him. I'm in awe of him. He's my hero, my "Ace."

Quick update

Because so many of you care, and I had people asking me at church today (which I appreciate soooo much--you have no idea) I figured I would update quickly.

As you know, Friday afternoon wasn't good. I sent out an emergency cry for help from my peeps who pray!! Last night as we were driving to the UT game, I got a text from Trand. It was a picture of "The Barn" restaurant. He made it. He was there, at his destination of FOOD! He told me that he wanted to call me later because lots of things happened Friday night after we stopped talking. I told him I was going to the UT game and couldn't talk probably before he went to bed so to call me this morning (he didn't, but that's okay.) I asked him if it was good stuff or bad stuff that happened. He said, "both." He asked if he could stay in a cheap hotel to get a bed for the night (since parents and grandparents are funding this thing now, I guess he feels the need to ask--which I appreciate.) I told him "of course."

Later we texted (since the UT score ended up 55-3 I wasn't too into the game.) He said that he saw some flip-floppers that he met in NY had been at that restaurant at lunch yesterday. After he was finished with dinner he sent me a picture of his nasty motel room, and I was very afraid of bed bugs. Yuck!! He said he was going to drink an Arnold Palmer and eat powdered donuts while taking a shower. WHAT??? I guess some friend of his has a tradition of pizza in the shower. Trand thought that powdered donuts would be good. Oh my. But he did say he'd probably just drink his Arnold Palmer in the shower and eat the donuts afterward. Um, sounds like a plan.

This morning he said that he ate breakfast with the guys he met in NY. I guess they stayed at the same nasty place as him. He heard from Firefoot who told him that he was only 10 miles ahead of him. He had waited on Trand when Trand told him he wasn't slowing down. Firefoot told him to take his time and not hurt himself more. Of course, he didn't listen. But he's hoping to catch up tonight. I can't even tell you what Firefoot waiting must've done for his heart. Trand is the most loyal person I know (besides his dad.) He doesn't make friends easily, and he doesn't use the word "friend" in talking about many people. (Also just like his dad.) But he loves fiercely those who are his friends. He has been hurt because of this. So to have this friend decide to wait on him, to hold up his journey, to think about and put Trand's well being first had to mean everything to him. It's a beautiful thing to this mama.

Thank you so much for your prayers. He was in good spirits last night and this morning. At least enough to get him through today. He didn't mention his back, although I'm sure it still hurts. I knew that once he was okay mentally, he would be better physically. God is answering him. God is meeting him where he's at. I know that one day he will look back over this journey and see that.

He needs your prayers

I've been texting with Trand a good bit of the afternoon, and he's not doing well. His back has still been bad since he's been back. He says he's fine to do 20 miles days with painkillers, but anymore than that kills him. Still he continues to do 25-28 mile days to try to catch up to the other guys. He's absolutely miserable. Crying and crying today. He would probably be really mad at me for sharing that so don't tell him if you text with him. But I just needed to tell you about the situation.

As I've told you before, he's stubborn. He will not slow down to let his body rest. He's determined to catch up to the other guys. I get it. He's lonely. The fact that his body AND his mind are hurting is not good. He's lonely and he's beating himself up. He's mad that he got behind. He's mad that he got hurt. He's mad and sad and lonely and hurting. There's no one around. I thought maybe there would be some guys that he'd be with, but he says there's no one within 25 miles of him either way (they can tell from log books and such.) I'm just praying that God sends an angel tonight to minister to his soul. He's also hungry and thirsty. There's been such a drought in VA apparently. He can't find water. He needs to make it to shelter tonight and then 23 miles tomorrow to a restaurant because he feels so hungry. He has some food but not enough.

I believe he's hit this rock bottom for a reason. I believe that God wants to answer him. He says that he's cried out before and gets no answer, gets nothing. I don't have an answer for that. I know his heart has a long way to go to be softened. I told him it was okay to question, to be angry. It's okay to ask why he feels deserted out there. He is upset that everyone else seems to be able to handle being alone, and he can't. He just needs Jesus to draw him to himself. Please pray with me that Jesus does that tonight. If he crosses your mind, please pray for his well being and state of mind.

I probably won't hear from him until tomorrow night. I'm praying he gets to his destination. I'm praying that somehow there will be someone who will be a friend to him there. He doesn't believe that can happen, but I do.

Thank you for your prayers.

Time at home

Most of you know that Trand texted me Friday morning and asked me to come get him in VA. His back was really bad, and he knew he needed an adjustment. This was right in the middle of a very crazy time. I was gone for 12 hours on Wednesday to Atlanta at a memorial service. I had worked a full, crazy day on Thursday trying to pack and load boxes for Syrian refugees, and I had planned to drive to my parents' home in Perry, GA Friday afternoon to be at the football game where they were going to honor a classmate of mine and her daughter (whose memorial service I had been to.) Then Tuesday I am going to Montgomery, AL for another funeral. All this added to my regular crazy schedule of homeschooling, extracurricular activities, and some semblance of doing the mom/wife duties. Of course, when your child needs you, no matter how old they are or where they are, you drop everything and do what needs to be done. So I left Friday afternoon to get him. He was about 4 hours away so it ended up being about a 9 hour trip with a stop for dinner/gas, etc. 

It was good to have him home yesterday. I got him to the chiropractor early in the morning, which helped him tremendously. He settled right back in, and the kids loved having him here. He took a magnesium bath last night because that helps with joints. He got some good, healthy food in him, and as much as he didn't really want to go back, he knows he has to so I thought today would be a great day for Jon to take him. If I take him tomorrow I'll either have to be gone two days in a row or miss the funeral of one of my best friend's dad. He was not loving the idea of going back Sunday, but was going to do it. 

This morning I gave him a good breakfast of eggs, sausage and toast. He was feeling nauseous and had thought it was just because he was hungry. Well, he took a shower and got the chills and went back to bed. I think my kid detoxed himself on accident!!! Most of you saw the picture of the crap he's been eating. So he got home, got an adjustment, ate good food, took a magnesium bath (which also detoxes) and woke up in full detox this morning. So he'll be staying another day. He's going to drink lots of water, go to the steam room with Jon this afternoon, and take another magnesium bath to get it all out (hopefully!!) I'm really hoping that by tomorrow he will feel better. He's got to go back at some point. Ha!! And I'd hate for him to get so far behind. The Turtles are taking a few days off on the 18th so that will be a time to catch up. He said Firefoot is happy to do 5 mile days during that point just so he doesn't have to finish without everyone. So he'll be able to catch up, but the longer he stays off, the harder it will be to go back. 

If you think about it, pray for him--that this goes away pretty quickly and he's able to get back to the trail tomorrow. And pray for his mental state. It's always hard for him to leave us and go back. He only has about 650 more miles!!! He can do this!!! 

Time for an update!

It's been awhile since I've updated. He seems to be doing well. That's a great thing but sometimes doesn't bode for exciting updates! :)

I texted with him last on Monday. He and his friends spent the night in Waynesboro, VA Monday night. He was very impressed with Waynesboro in it's "hiker friendliness." He has been really surprised at the lack of it in other trail towns. But a stranger there just invited all five of them to spend the night at his house, ordered them pizza, gave them a place to shower, wash their clothes and sleep! How great is that? Thanking God for the hospitality of strangers and that it's still alive somewhere!

And just as I wrote that, I freaked out that I hadn't actually heard from him since before he spent the night with a complete stranger!! I remembered that I texted him yesterday and never heard back. I texted him, called Jon, couldn't get either. But Jon finally called me back. He said that he received a text from Trand yesterday that said, "I'm on top of a mountain with one bar of service. I've had nothing out here, but I wanted to let you know that I'm on track to still meet you in Glasgow on Friday."

Okay, thank you, Jesus!! And before you think that I'm the worst mom in the world for not worrying until now, can I just tell you that this week has been insanely crazy busy plus the fact that it's not uncommon for him to go a couple of days without texting because of service. In PA, he had service everyday because he was in and out of towns all the time. But in VA, he's been in the Shenendoah's for a very long time. He's definitely enjoying the views of VA much more than PA!! :)

Jon is going up tomorrow evening to see him in Glasgow, VA. Last week he pushed the guys he was with really hard. Haha!! They went 160 miles last week. That's an average of about 23 miles a day. I know one day they did 28. He told me that Firefoot informed him that WOULD NOT be happening again!! ;) Makes me laugh. But from Waynesboro on Monday to Glasgow on Friday was going to be a relatively easy hike and not too long. So I'm sure the guys were happy that Trand had someone meeting him there!  The plan is for them to spend the night there and then take all the guys to find "A Walk in the Woods" at a movie theater somewhere. Although, after looking around the area online, I'm not sure that will happen. The biggest theater we can find only has 3 movies playing!! :) The guys basically want to go see the movie so that they can make fun of it. They kind of all make fun of Bill Bryson, not because he didn't even hike half of the trail, but because he didn't even hike half the trail and then wrote a book about it which has become THE book that everyone associates with the AT. Please don't be offended if you love that book. Just relaying the way these 18-26 year olds are thinking.

After the movie, Jon plans to drive home Saturday, and the boys will get back on the trail. As I said earlier, the roads in VA don't cross the trail every few miles like in PA so it would be another two days before he could pick him up and see him again. He thought about hiking with him, but we couldn't figure out how to leave his car in one place and then get it after hiking a couple of days! My parents had been planning to go this weekend since my dad would have Labor Day off. But we decided it wouldn't really be worth it for them to drive 8 1/2 hours to see him for one night. They were really disappointed though as they had planned a fun trip to see him.

His spirits seem high when I do get to text with him. And when he texts, I drop everything that I'm doing and spend however long that he'll spend with me! I miss him so much, and I'm thankful that he only has about a little more than a month left!! He had hiked 1328 miles as of Monday. Crazy to think. I posted a picture of where he is and how much he's done right before posting this so if you'd like to check, look at that!! The kids are getting so excited!!

Trand on the trail

He has hiked 1328 miles from Mt. Katahdin in Maine. He has about 860 miles to go. I can't find my 2015 book. I'm looking at a 2012, and I know they've added a few miles on the southern part. They just keep adding miles!! Haha!!

And the journey continues....

Halfway!!!

He made it to the halfway point today! Breck was with him, and he took a picture of Trand with the sign for me. But I can't post that one. Thankfully, though, Trand agreed today to let me get some pictures of him. I got a great one of him with the kids this morning!! I'm so happy to have it to frame!! 

We had a great time last night with the "Turtles." They kept trying to tell Trand to slow down so they could hang out more. They said he was way too fast for them. They are only a day behind him, but Trand walks much faster. Today he and Breck caught up to Firefoot and a few others. He will start about a mile behind them tomorrow so he will be with quite a few of them for a little while. He's planning to do his 4 state challenge on Friday and then take a zero this weekend. None of the others were planning to do the 4 state challenge. But they won't do zeros either. So they will probably end up pretty close together afterward. Thankful for cell phones and texting. I'm trying to talk him into slowing his pace. They all think he's nuts for doing 25-30 mile days. He says if he gets down and home a lot sooner then he can pick them all up on the trail when they come through Gatlinburg and show them Knoxville. I'd rather him just enjoy his time with them then we can pick them all up together and he can show them Knoxville that way!! But it's not my choice. 

After we took the "Turtles" to Cracker Barrell last night, they came back and stayed at the hotel. I hadn't planned on that. But it worked out. But oh my gosh--you should've smelled the room. And poor Breck had to sleep in there with all of them. Somehow, he didn't seem to mind. Haha!! I guess that's when smelling like a 12 year old boy comes in handy!! They all took showers, but it was their backpacks that smelled so badly. Wow!! They got free breakfast this morning and we dropped them off on the trail about 12 miles behind where Trand and Breck started. So they are probably only a few miles behind him now. 

The kids had a fun experience with all of them, and I'm pretty sure we were an experience that those guys will never forget!! Haha!! This morning on the way to drop them off Cama-Jane was in her rare form. Oh my. I can't imagine what they thought. 

So we will get up tomorrow and drop Trand off once again to hike the second half of the AT. He is now closer to Springer Mtn., GA than Mt. Katahdin, ME so he's very happy about that. We've had a great visit, and I'll be sad to leave him, but I'm so proud of him and what he's accomplished. All of my kids have now vowed to thru-hike the trail one day. I'll be supporting them all the way!! 

We found him!!

As suspected, he won't let me take a picture!! Won't even let me take one for my own posterity. I think he wants his ending look to be a surprise!! Aaahhh!! If only there was an "eye roll" emoji!! 

We found him around 1 pm. Liza-Hill saw him first as I parked the car. We were at a lake where there were lots of people swimming. She ran to him and tackled him. I wondered if his skinny body could hold her up. Ha!! But he was fine. He's not as skinny as I envisioned, thankfully. I was thinking concentration camp level. Haha!! But no. He just looks like he's about 14!! Except for the facial hair!! 

He stunk so bad!!! Oh my!! The kids were dying in the car!! After he took a shower, he still stinks a little. I think he must have a permanent stench. At least for awhile!! Ha!! Then he called some guys that he knew were right behind him on the trail. He went out and got them. There are three of them, and they call themselves the "Turtles." This is not because of their speed but because they are named after the Teenage Mutant ninja turtles. Individually their trail names are three of the turtles, but I don't know yet what they are. They are all in Trand's hotel room next door taking showers. Then I'm taking them all out to eat. This should be quite an adventure tonight. My little ones can be pretty entertaining. These guys seem to be in their 20's or so. 

So we are about to leave. I'll report later. Haha!! 

I'm going to see my boy!!

I'M SO EXCITED!! The kids and I are leaving tonight to drive to Salem, VA. Then tomorrow we will get up early and go meet him in Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Southern PA! I'm seriously giddy!! We got home from the long drive from Naples on Wed. then drove 3 hours to Greenville yesterday and home this morning. So the kids are not really thrilled with the idea of getting back in the car!! But they are so excited to see him!! We think Breck is going to hike with him Tuesday, but it will be a 20 mile day. Breck is a little intimidated by that. Not that he doesn't think he can do it. Just that he doesn't think he can do it fast enough for Trand!! Maybe the trail has taught him some patience??? We'll see!! But Trand really wants him to hike so hopefully he'll give a little. ;)

We are meeting him at the halfway point of the trail. He says there is supposed to be a museum of some sorts there. I'm not getting my hopes up. I've seen what constitutes as a "museum" in some state parks!! Haha!! But it should be a fun learning adventure either way!

I'm hoping he will let me take some pictures. I doubt he will let me post them. I'm like 99% positive he won't!! But if you live near me, I'll have them on my phone!! I know a lot of people have asked!

I texted with him for quite awhile this afternoon. He seemed to be up. He's still frustrated about how he's not able to eat much. He says that after one big meal he can go a few days without being really hungry. I told him it must be his caveman instincts kicking in!! :) Thousands of years ago, food wasn't as readily available everyday so people's bodies had to store it. No doubt that's what his is doing. Hoping to get a few good meals into him while we are there.

We will meet up with him tomorrow around noon and spend the rest of the day together doing the museum and whatever else. Then he'll stay with us Monday night. Then he and Breck will hike Tuesday and we'll meet up with them and he'll stay with us again Tuesday night. He's really excited about it except he's already lamenting after we leave!! It's going to fly by no doubt, and then he's left with the last 1/2 of the trail to go!! I'm hoping as he's going south there will be more people to volunteer to love on him for a day or so!! He's going to need it.

Cruising through PA

I haven't texted with him too much over the last few days--which is a great thing. Of course it's not that I don't want to hear from him, but it means he's too busy talking and having fun with his friend, Firefoot, to text with me. He did send me a picture of a porcupine in the middle of the night. He said it woke him up about 2am scratching and squeaking around him. Glad it didn't brush up against him. That would've certainly been a rude awakening. 

He's doing great, though, through PA. He did an all nighter the other day just for a challenge. I guess there are all these challenges out there that people come up with to do. He says he has to do all of these for himself--to keep himself in the game. He says Firefoot's only challenge is Springer Mtn. (That's the end of the trail in GA.) But thankfully it appears that FF is needing company as much as Trand because he is trying to do these with him. I think they are going to take it a little easier today after 24 hours of hiking yesterday. 

He has run out of money. :/ Yep. When he started he had no intention of ever sleeping off the trail or eating off the trail. So yeah. I guess we'll be funding the rest of this adventure (along with grandparents, of course!) That's okay. This is exactly what he needs, and we are willing. Thankful he has this life changing opportunity. And with as much weight as he's lost, I want him to eat well as much as possible. He did say he gained 10 lbs. at his last stop. He was there for about two days all together. Makes me feel a bit better. 

We are driving back to Knoxville on Wednesday. We are heading out Sunday afternoon to find him on the trail!! I'm so excited. The kids are beside themselves!!! We will be back in time to start co-op on Thursday.  We probably should be doing more school prep, but this is way more important right now. A little geography lesson on the way!! 

So for now, he's doing well. Thankful for Firefoot. Thankful that God has blessed Trand with good health. Thankful that he's this much closer to home. 

Passing into Pennsylvania

He made it to PA today. He's at Delaware Water Gap tonight. He will take a zero day there tomorrow and wait for his friend to catch up with him. They are planning to hike at least PA together. I'm really glad about this. He has recently been pretty down again about being lonely. For awhile after he got his phone he seemed great because he was connected with us plus a couple of other friends. But the last two days have been rough. Yesterday was lonely and monotonous. This morning he texted me and said, "Why do I get up every morning and just walk? I hate this." That made me really sad. I so want him to enjoy this. He still says he won't quit, but that's only because of the sheer determination inside of him. But I want him to enjoy it. I talked with him about maybe waiting for his friend that he knew was coming and then committing to hike with him through PA even if his friend has a bit slower pace than what he wants. After texting with him, thankfully he decided to do that. Firefoot, his friend, said he would hasten his pace to get there quicker, and Trand agreed to slow down. 

When he went to the post office he said he showed the lady his ID, and she smiled and said, "I've been waiting for you. You've got quite a bit of mail here!" So awesome! Thanks to those of you who sent it. I told him to check back tomorrow just in case because I know of at least one person that definitely sent that he didn't get today. 

His first order of business today was to plan out where he would eat his meals. He told me the other day (Saturday) that he weighed himself for the first time since VT. Y'all, he has lost 41 pounds!!!! I'm dying!! I can't believe it. He said he saw himself in a full mirror for the first time since NH and he says he is so skinny!! Poor thing. So he's been eating all the ice cream he can get his hands on. As much as I would love for him to have some good vegetables and meat, I guess some restaurants won't let the hikers in so he has to eat fast food in the towns. Yuck!! But tonight he found a nice steak place (after he had taken a shower of course.) Not sure if any of the other hikers frequent there after he told me the bill. He certainly is still our son, for sure. But he was very happy about getting his fill of good food tonight. 

After he got back to the hostel, he had a great surprise!! He said about six SOBOs (South bounders) that he hadn't seen seen NH showed up. So they all got to hang out tonight. That's so great for him. What an answer to prayer because like I said, these past couple of days have been bad mentally. They will all keep going tomorrow as he stays and takes his zero and waits for Firefoot, but that's okay. He knows they are ahead of him now to catch up with. 

So tonight I believe he's going to bed happy with a full stomach and in the company of friends. That makes this mama smile!! 😊

Overdue Update

It's been awhile since I've needed to update, but I'm sort of trying to catch up on my life these next two days before leaving for 12 days and then getting back to start right into the swing of school. This summer has been NON STOP!!! And we haven't even been on vacation!! But I did want to share a bit of Trand's travel adventures.

Last week (either Wednesday or Thursday, I can't remember) he connected with a family in MA through a FB friend of mine (who I've actually never met in person--love FB.) This family has homeschooled 8 kids and only has one left at home. Surprisingly, he was very happy to call them and go to their home for the night. Y'all, he NEVER would have done this two months ago!! But as I've said, he's changing, and God is shaping him little by little. Part of what he's doing is showing him that he does need other people. This family was wonderful as they took him in and made him a part of their family for the evening. He texted me to say that he was so happy to have a bed, no bugs, and not have old men snoring around him all night.

I had sent him his phone and put this couple's phone number in it. I texted him to let him know to call them if he got to a certain point. I was sure he was probably past it because he was very south in MA. Providentially, the day he got his phone he was on the exact highway that they mentioned where they could pick him up. And he had already walked about 23 miles that day and was ready for a rest. God is good.

He told me that night that, as nice as their family was, it was very difficult to sit and have conversation with "normal" people. He knows it's going to be hard to assimilate back into society. He's feeling like he doesn't even want to go into towns or be around people. He loves when he meets up with one of his trail buddies or connects with a north bounder every so often for one night of conversation and sharing about what's to come on the trail. But I can imagine that it will be very hard for him to come off of this. He had been planning to only stay in Knoxville for a week before heading down to Naples, but I'm pretty sure now that will be longer. And I will be glad!

He is feeling more connected now that he has his phone and he can call or text almost daily. He's gone through lots of ups and downs emotionally. Sometimes he'll text me feeling like he just wants to quit--although he immediately says he WILL NOT QUIT no matter what. But he just mentally wants to at times. He's struggling. He's wondering if he's really going to get anything out of this. Oh, he has no idea. I believe at 18 he really can't know exactly what he's going to get out of it. It may be years before he realizes it all. But he will one day.

He is an inspiration to me everyday. I see him learning and adjusting his steps as he learns even if he can't see it. He was doing great at a pace that he was happy with--22-28 miles a day. Then his feet just wouldn't let him. He had to do a 17 mile then a 15 mile day, and he was so discouraged. He is a planner. He is a strategist. He always knows what his next step will be--much like his dad. He told me that being a thru hiker is for people who don't have a plan. :) He said the happy ones are the ones who can just take what comes day by day, relax and not worry about when they are finishing or making goals. That's not him. He spends every evening strategizing where he's going next, how long to his next stop, planning out weeks in advance all the way to his ending date. And then when he veers from that, he beats himself up. If only I could just transfuse a little of myself into him right now!!! I'm so NOT a planner. I take life as it comes, and I enjoy it. Flexibility is my middle name. He is about as flexible as a metal rod. ;) Once again, this is something that he is learning on this adventure. Please pray that he is able to learn this quickly. He recognizes it, but he just thinks he can't change to feel that way. He will always be a planner. That's a great thing. But maybe he could learn to bend a bit as well. And to not beat himself up when he doesn't meet his goals.

My prayer is that he's not miserable right now. My prayer is that he will find joy in his journey. I really believe that his journey is this right now because he's 18. He's learning lots of things that most people learn much more gradually just living life. But for some reason, God had plans for him to learn them now--all at once. :) If anyone feels like they would like to send him some encouragement, please let me know. I know he would appreciate hearing from people. Even if you don't know him well but he's been put on your heart, I know it would mean a lot to him. I have an address that he should be at in about a week. Thanks so much for your prayers and kind words.

He crossed over into NY on Monday. He will probably be in NJ on Friday or Saturday.

He's okay!!

I'm so thankful that he called!! He called and said, "I'm at the Cookie Lady's house." She's a lady on the trail who's been making cookies and giving them out for years.

He's had a very hard week. There were many things that happened, but from what I gathered the common thread is loneliness. He's struggling with MA. He says that ME and NH were very friendly and helpful, but he hasn't found the same in VT or MA. He hasn't been able to get rides into towns so it's added precious time to his days. He set out to go into a town one day that was 7 miles away. I guess once you're committed, you don't go back and you just assume someone will pick you up. No one ever did. He went in to eat at Wendy's. Okay, so maybe that wasn't the best reason or choice on his part. But poor thing. When he got there, it was closed down. So he headed back out and didn't get a ride then. So that day he walked 14 extra miles for no reason. These are life lessons. This might be an example of what an 18 year old does on the trail as opposed to a 30 year old. But he's learning.

When he's gone into towns he's felt very ostracized there. He feels like everyone is looking at him weird. It seems to me that people would be pretty used to seeing thru hikers. But he said that out of 25 people maybe 1 might want to talk to him. He's taking that personally right now. It's not strengthening my view of Northerners. Sorry, just saying. ;) I need people to be kind to him, to smile at him, to act like he matters. He told me today, "Tell people to pick up hitch hikers for me!!" :) Ha!! Especially if you're near the AT, pick up hitch hikers!!

He's been trying all week to catch up to a couple of guys that he knows. He started last week two days behind them when he had to wait for a package. Today when he called, he broke down crying when he said "Now they are two hours in front of me." That's why he decided to walk the next 2.2 miles to hopefully find them tonight. I pray that he found them. I pray that they were where he thought they would be.

I told him today that when I got his message yesterday that all I wanted to do was get on a plane and come find him. If I hadn't had five other kids at home, I would've. I think he wanted to say, "Come anyway." I think for the first time on this trip he's wanted to ask me to come. I think he's the most desperate he's ever been. I told him he's going through his wilderness. Everyone has a wilderness. His just happens to be TRULY the wilderness!! I feel like today was one of the first time that he's really listened to what I had to say. I mean, he's always thought he's listened. But today he knew he NEEDED to hear what I had to say. He hung on every word. That hardness is being softened. He's becoming moldable. He's being shaped into the man that God has planned for him to be. I gave him a verse to meditate on as he hiked the last 2.2 miles this afternoon. His Savior is calling him to himself. He's learning who his true anchor is.

Thank you for caring. Thank you for loving him and me. Thank you to all of you who have messaged me and care enough to drive over an hour to look for him and give him supplies and a hug from his mom. It does so much for his heart to know that people care about him. He was overwhelmed that my post from yesterday has already had over 450 hits. He was in a much better state when we hung up. He was ready to do what it took to get to the place where he'll pick up his next package from me on Thursday that will contain his body glide, phone, and a change of clothes. Pray that his spirits stay high. Pray that he finds those friends. Pray that he continues to allow God to penetrate his heart, teach him what he needs to learn, and that he will feel the love of Jesus pouring into him.

Thank you, friends.

This Mama's Heart is Hurting

I got a voicemail from Trand today. I knew he was probably calling, but I wasn't too worried if I missed it because when he stops in towns, he always stays for a night. I figured if I missed it, I'd hear from him later. I was playing in the pool with the kids when he called.

When I listened to the message, my heart dropped. He was very upset and lonely. He really needed to talk to someone. He said he'd been alone for a week. His voice was cracking, and he just kept saying, "This isn't the time for you not to answer." UGH!!!!! My heart is breaking. Apparently, there is no where [cheap] to stay in North Adams, MA. So he is continuing on. He said, "I guess I'll talk to you in Stormville, NY in a week." He said that he needed body glide really badly (for chaffing) and he doesn't know how he's going to continue on without it. And that's my fault because he asked me to send it. With all the craziness of packages getting missed, I just had his other packages forwarded to N Adams and completely forgot about the body glide!! It's sitting right here at my house to send. I feel so badly. Looking at my AT book, it says that Stormville is 150 miles from where he is now. I don't know how he'll make it that far without the body glide. 

Please pray for him. And pray for me. I'm having a really hard time right now. I just want to hop on a plane and go find him. I might just do that if I didn't have five more kids here who need me. I don't know that I've ever heard him sound so desperate. I know that God has this. I know that God knows what he needs more than I do. I pray that he is finding comfort in God's word and God's presence. But oh, everything in me wants to go find him. I'm praying that God will send someone to him to be a friend.  I'm also praying that he will find someone who has something to help him with the chaffing. I can't imagine how much that hurts day after day. So with physical pain on top of the emotional hardships going on right now, he's not doing great. This next week will be very slow and very hard. Please help me cover him with prayer. 

In looking at his next stop, I don't see a place for him to stay there either. Not sure what rationale he's using to pick these stopping places!! I really hope I don't miss his next call. If I talk to him at least I could tell him to go to a hotel, and we would put the money in his account for him. Ugh, I just need him to feel better. 

Okay, not such a great report, but thank you for praying. Lots of tears today. 

He arrived in Rutland, VT on day 46.

Crossing into Vermont

We talked to Trand yesterday in Hanover, NH. This is where Dartmouth College is. He told me he had slept on the streets that night before because he had gotten kicked out of where he was sleeping. Always sounds like a great story to hear, right? I guess in this town there's no hostel for hikers, only hotels or people who offer their homes. Well, he wasn't paying for a hotel, and by the time he got there Thursday afternoon all of the houses were taken. There's a basement at Dartmouth where they let the hikers store their stuff, but they can't sleep there. Well, guess who tried? Around 1:30 am a security guard came and kicked him out. So the next morning he found a family really fast to stay with the next night. This couple had a son who had hiked the trail when he was 18 too so they just loved having hikers come through and stay. I think he really enjoyed that. 

Hanover is right on the NH/Vermont line so he actually stayed in Vermont last night. He called this morning to say he was heading out and expected to be able to call again in about two days. His last couple of days have been 30 mile days so I expect he'll keep up that pace especially now that the terrain is much easier. Although, he's heard Vermont is really muddy. So that could slow him down some. He's still got the Green Mountains to go through, but he says those are hills compared to the ones he's done so he's not too concerned about those. After that it's flat for a really long time. 

He's still doing well. Still a little lonely, even with meeting people along the way. I think it's a little hard because he's got a faster pace than most people he meets. So he doesn't end up in the same spots as the people he already knows very often. He's figuring out better what to eat on the trail to give himself enough calories and energy. 

Thankful for the couple who welcomed him into their home last night. He enjoyed that and enjoyed a nice bed after 10 days through the Whites and a night on the streets!! 

I love the perspective he's gaining and the growing up he's having to do. I love that he's taking initiative and living this adventure right now. He's growing into a man right before my eyes. Well, not right before my eyes but as we speak!! 😊 Can't wait to hug his neck and sit and talk about it all in person!! Thanks for prayers!!

Leaving Gorham

As I said in the last post, Trand walked 21 miles yesterday into the White Mountains, and a car picked him up and took him back to the hostel in Gorham last night. He spent the night there again and then stayed today during the downpour. His plan is to set off tomorrow morning. The car will take him back to the place he left off Tuesday night (21 miles down the trail) and he will start there. He is hoping to get through the White Mountains then in five days because the forecast looks really good through then. He says that the weather is really unpredictable through there so he's praying that it stays good.

He sounded a bit down earlier today when I talked to him but this evening was a little better. He said he keeps getting word of people that he's met that have quit or had to leave because of injury. I asked him this evening if he was still enjoying it and glad he was doing it, and he said "yes." He got 3 packages and 5 letters at his stop in Gorham, and he said, "I never knew I was so loved." If only he had paid attention to us his whole life!! :) But it made him really happy to get those letters. He said he's not able to respond right now, but he should soon.

I won't hear from him again for maybe two weeks!! I told him I was hoping for 10-11 days, but he said not to count on it. After he hurries through the White Mountains, he'll pick up a package in Warren, NH. He's been told there is only a post office there. I'm hoping that MAYBE he'll find a phone. But he will pick up his package there, and then head to Hanover, NH before he can stop again at a hostel. That will be right on the NH/VT line. So he'll basically go all the way through NH before calling again. He should smell really great too by the time he gets there!

I'm praying for him to find some more companionship through the Whites. I hope he takes the time to enjoy himself some, but he doesn't really have the clothing to get caught in bad weather. The pull-over that I ordered him got to him, but he says it's cotton so it's not going to do any good if it rains. Oops. I ordered it off Amazon so I didn't know. His coat and pull-over that he started with (really nice ones) that he mailed back two days into the trail because he thought it was hot and he wouldn't need them JUST got here today!! I've been looking for them for weeks. But he wasn't at a post office when he mailed them. The guys at the state park just said they'd take care of it for him. They would've had no idea that we actually needed something in it to mail back!! So that kind of stinks!!

Not much else to report. I'll be sending his package out tomorrow to get to Warren by Tuesday. Praying he realizes more and more that he's so loved!!

Update from Gorham

He called tonight to say that his plans changed. Like I said in the other post, it's supposed to rain all day Wednesday. So he's taking off in the morning (Tuesday) to hike 21 miles tomorrow. This will be over several mountains. Then he will get picked up and brought back to the hostel where he is staying. He'll take a zero day on Wednesday to ride out the rain. This way he still gets two nights there and a whole day's rest, but he misses the rain as much as he can. On Thursday his ride will take him back to where they picked him up, and he'll start from there. At that point he says that he may not be able to call again for 10 days or so. Ugh!! :/

He says that there are several days of sunshine in the forecast after Wednesday so hopefully it will work out well!! 

June 29--Gorham, NH

Well, he made it to NH. He walked 17 miles today before 2:00. He said he can feel that he's getting his "trail legs." He said he didn't even feel a difference walking up the mountain. He had to walk 17 miles today because he only walked 4 1/2 yesterday. I thought about him several times yesterday because I knew there was a storm up that way. He said he was in the first stages of hypothermia. Always great for a mom to hear!! He said his extremities turned blue, and he stopped shivering. This is supposedly the first stages. He was soaking wet, and the wind got up to 65 mph on the ridge of the mountain where he was walking. He said he was pelted with hail and sleet all day. He didn't have any outerwear (because he sent that all home the second day, and it still hasn't gotten here.) :/ He had a fleece pullover from me waiting for him in Gorham, and I just put money in his account for him to go buy a coat!! He's about to go through the White Mountains, and I need him to have a coat!! He said that yesterday when he got to the shelter, a guy that he had met a couple of weeks ago was there. He gave Trand a coat to use for the day. He said he took off his wet shirt and put on the coat and just laid down for hours until he felt semi-warm again. He said it was the nicest shelter so far--with four walls. It did have a big opening for a doorway (with no door) but at least the four walls kept the wind out. He said it was because it was only a couple of miles from NH, and the NH shelters were much better than the Maine lean-tos. 

He called around 2:30 today and said he had hurried to get there a day earlier than he expected so he could call Cedar on his birthday!! ❤️ That boy LOVES his family. He's also excited because this is the first town he's been in with a McDonald's!! Yuck!! His plan was to stuff himself tonight with McD's. I told him to expect to be sick tonight. He said he was. Ha!! He said he only lost 4 pounds over this week because he's figuring out how to make himself eat more on the trail. He gained 12 pounds while he was in the last town (2days) and only lost 4 so he's 8 pounds more now than he was when he got to Rangeley last week. He's was pretty happy about that. He said he hardly recognized his skinny arms. Haha!!

He's planning to see a few familiar faces come in during the next day or so. He plans to leave out again on Wednesday morning, but he said it's supposed to downpour all day. I hope he stays put. But we'll see. He's riding into town this evening to go to Wal-Mart and McDonald's. Living the big life now!! 😂 

I'll talk to him again tonight or tomorrow and update again before he leaves!!! Thanks for the prayers. Thanks for all who ask about him. I've told him that people ask, and it really warms his heart. Thank you for loving him. 

Trand on the trail

Here he is on our map of the AT!! It's fun to look at the progress that he's made!!

Recording Trand's Travels

If you know my son or know anything about him, you know he would not ever write a blog himself. He absolutely hates social media and thinks it's showy and just perpetuates the lies that we tell because we want to hide from everyone else so that our lives look better than what they really are. Yes, he's a very deep thinker, and it's hard for him just to "let it go" for this one thing. So many people ask me and other family members quite often how he's doing. He doesn't like for me to share about him on FaceBook, but he did give me permission to write this blog about him and his travels. I will update often and as well as I can without actually being on the trail myself. 

His dad (and his dad's best friend) took him up to Mt. Katahdin and started the trail with him on May 27. I really wish I had pictures to share of that, but Jon's phone was drenched on their way down the mountain that day. They walked the last 2 1/2 miles in pouring rain, and their phones didn't recover. Trand's phone was fine because he had a rain proof bag, but the two men did not. Trand had no pictures on his phone, of course. Jon was just sick. I am too. We lost all the pictures of that day and our son starting the AT!! 

He is now on Day 29. He just left Rangely, ME yesterday. His next stop will be Gorham, NH. I know he will be glad to leave Maine behind. He is going at a much slower pace than he expected when he left. Two days in he called me from Abol Bridge. He sounded bad. He had dumped so much stuff off on the side of the trail already. His pack was too heavy. He was wet and sore and lonely. This was not something that he expected--loneliness. I wish I could share some of the things he's said to me while he's out there, but I'm not sure yet if I can. I will respect that. But needless to say, God is changing him. I'm so thankful that God is using something that HE chose. This is not a punishment or a "lesson" per se. It's a trip that Trand chose, and God is using it to shape him into the man he has planned for him to be. It's a very gracious way to do it if you ask me!

At Abol Bridge, he told me that he didn't have a stove to take into the 100 mile wilderness. That is a very long story. He did leave our house with one that he had cooked on several times to get ready. Then he had bought another one with my husband in ME because the TSA took his fuel. But he couldn't find matches that worked or a long enough lighter. So he was having to gather what he could that didn't need to be cooked to go into the 100 mile wilderness for 10-12 days. When we were getting off the phone he said, "If I die, you'll know where to look for me." Thankfully I don't usually overreact, and I told him that I felt sure he would not die. He could do this. 

About 5 days later I got another call from him. I wasn't expecting it. Someone had found him at his lowest point and they had made it down to a road and gotten a ride into Monson, ME (which was to be the next stop.) He was doing okay when he called because he had made two friends and the guy "Poet" at the hostel there had befriended him. He spent a great two days there learning so much!! Poet helped him figure out what he really needed and didn't need in his pack. Trand really enjoyed being there with their family. They had a two year old little girl, and I think he realized how much he missed his own siblings. After two days of eating, sleeping, community, showering, and getting help he was ready to go back. He got a ride back to where he left off the trail. He arrived back in Monson on foot 6 days later. He was really happy to see Poet and his family again. He bought a new pack and got some different supplies to make his trip easier. At that point he sent home a big box of stuff. He also told me over the phone that he had found where he belonged. He absolutely loves the community of the Appalachian Trail. He's found comradery and fellowship and a family away from home. He's found people who love him and accept him for who he is. That's something he's never really had. I'm thankful.

When I received that box a few days later, he had put his journal in there (which he had already told me that he only had one page and I could read it.) Poet had given him another one. That one page gave me so much joy. I read it through tear filled eyes as I could see so clearly how God was changing his heart. I won't share here what he said, but it made this mama's heart soar. 

His next stop was Caratunk, ME. He had stayed with those two friends that found him on the trail in the 100 mile wilderness. But they were traveling way slower than what he wanted. He was loving their company, but he didn't travel with them during the day. He would meet up with them at night, but after a while he went too fast and lost them. He at one point had plans to drive with them over to Canada, but that never happened because he lost them! 

His next stop was Stratton, ME. This was an unexpected stop because he had asked Jon's mom to send his passport there to go over to Canada. But since that didn't happen, he is sending it right back. What he did find at Stratton was a little motel that he wanted to get away from quickly. :) He said that he took the last bed, and most everyone there was drunk that night and that the owners sold them pot. Oh my!! I asked if he partook, but he said he was so sick from eating too much in town that he couldn't even think about it. Thank God for hidden mercies. ;) He did decide from that experience, though, that he really enjoyed hostels that were owned by families and will try to stay in those as much as possible.

He has spent the last two nights in Rangeley, ME. He got there Monday, and his feet have taken a turn for the worse. He decided to stay two nights to let them rest and heal. He found a great little hostel owned by a family with kids, and he loved that. He called me several times both days he was there, and I can tell that he just misses home. He talks to the kids, and they just melt. Every time Cedar talks to him he says, "When are you coming off that trail?" "That's a LONG trail." :) Yes, Cedar. That's a long trail!! 

He left out of Rangeley this morning, and he will be crossing into New Hampshire before I talk to him again. I think he's ready to leave behind the rocks and mud and black flies of Maine. (Although I think NH has black flies as well :/ ) He says that this next stretch will be pretty hard with high elevations that ascend very quickly. Lots of bouldering (rock climbing.) So if you think about it, pray for him. I expect to hear from him again next Tuesday or Wednesday. 

If anyone would like to send him a postcard or letter or whatever, let me know. I have addresses. I'm sure he would love to hear from those praying for him.