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.