Declaration Day

It was Wednesday of last week.  July 18th, 2012.  That was Declaration Day.  The day that we declared it - we are going West.  We declared that, beginning in April of 2014, we will set out to hike the entire lenght of the Pacific Crest Trail, from the border of Mexico to the border of Canada, through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington: all 2,650 miles of it.  and I am  SO.FREAKING. EXCITED!

This is an idea that has been tossed around since the completion of our AT thru-hike.  I think we both knew, somewhere in the back of our minds, that it would eventually come to fruition.  It just hadn't really been discussed, until Declaration Day. 

I think Declaration Day was a result of lots of things. 

We now live at the beach, and let me tell you, IT IS GREAT.  We are taking full advantage of all the sun, salt, sand, beer, food.  But we weren't supposed to be here.  You see, after hiking for six and a half months on the Appalachian Trail, we wanted to head West.  We wanted to explore the big mountains.  Well it just didn't happen like that.  We were homeless, and unemployed, and one of us got a job, and our beautiful niece Sophie was born, then the other got a job, then we got an apartment, and everything just sort of fell into place.  Life was good in central Virginia, but we both knew we had to get out before we became victims of the vortex that is Lynchburg. 

So Brian scored a job with the National Park Service, which he had been trying to do for years.  I scored (what I thought) was an amazing job with the county Health Department.  Almost 3 months later, here I am, sitting in front of a computer. a l l   d a y.  e  v  e  r  y  d  a  y y y y y y.  If you know me, you know this is totally not me.  If you don't know me, you have probably gathered from what you have read, this is totally not me.  It is sheer misery; though "they" keep telling me it will get better - let's hope and pray to whatever higher power there may be, that it does.  Well enough about that, needless to say, it's a great motivator for our next big adventure. 

And so we are here in this wonderful, beautiful place, that people travel from all over to visit.  But, well I think I can speak for both of us, I just still have this itch to go.  To wander.  To explore.  SO much to see. 

So in my spare time, I have been daydreaming, googling.  I have been following blogs of some PCT thru-hikers, and reading all about hike preparation, and gear lists, and doing budget calculations and number crunching, and looking at pictures. And now, blogging, I guess. 

And then came Declaration Day. 

Sure, it's 20ish months away.  But I am super duper excited.  We shall start saving lots of money and researching and keeping our eyes out for deals on gear.  But I am not one for wishing away time.  In the meantime, we plan to continue to soak up all the sun, sand, saltwater, oceanic wildlife, beer, food, and fun to be had here in the Outer Banks.  What a beautiful place this is to call home for a couple of years.