Missing

I'm not home sick, I'm travel sick. I miss traveling. I've been sitting here looking at my old journals and pictures from Florida and the AT. What I would give to be hiking from Key West to Newfoundland right now....

The feeling of exhilaration after completing a 38 mile day, the sound of pine needles crunching under my feet, the smell of sand and salt water wafting over the breeze ... The people I met, the things I saw, the experiences I had were all so wonderful.

I'm like a dog. I LOVE to go for rides! It's a very unnatural feeling to be stuck here on center without going for rides or trips anywhere. The only time I get off center is activities with the mormons and when I go to Wal-mart. I signed up for a walmart trip the other day just to go for a ride off center - I didn't need to buy anything. It got me 2 hours of looking around outside Loring.

I'm still kicking myself for not having finished at least the AT last year. I wish I could have. My current life goals plan includes me doing the ECT within the next 5 years, no exceptions. I'll be here at Loring long enough to get all of my Outdoor Rec levels and the many certifications they offer. (Wildlands firefighting coming up in the next 2 months!) I may go to the college for outdoor rec at UMPI, since room and board would be free and my tuition would be federally covered.

I'm really looking forward to all of the leadership training. Because I'm outdoor rec, I facilitate the team building exercises that all of the new groups need to go through their first week on center. It's fun! I start actually facilitating next week. We do ropes courses and team activities like "Negativity bomb" and "spiderweb" It's fascinating watching the group dynamics develop.

Well, back to my essay.