I have hiked the Pacific Crest Trail.
We broke out into a near run a half a mile from the monument. We were driven on by the noise of the three hikers who had passed us a mile out, hooting and hollering about making it, finishing the journey. As we rushed toward the monument joy erupted from me.
I have been wondering how I would feel when I got to the end: sad, overjoyed, pensive, sagely? In a flash I realized that I was rushing toward my future, a future that was bursting with possibilities.
A few weeks ago (or days? I can’t tell time out here) I blogged about my fear of this trail ending, the door shutting and the rest of my life feeling so unclear.
But in that moment, as I rushed to the monument, and even now in my tent for one last night in the woods before I return home, I had a clear vision of myself in a hallway. I had just stepped through a door at the end and it quietly clicked shut after me. But instead of the fear of the unknown, I faced away from the shut door to a long, straight hallway lined with door after door that stretched on past my ability to see. To my amazement, every single door before sprung open, on and on into the void. It felt so real.
I feel a stunning amount of joy right now. I have hiked from Mexico to Canada, something I never truly felt I could do until today. It makes me feel that anything is possible, and the world is much more wide and full of adventure than I ever dreamed before setting off at that southern border, 2,650 miles ago.
I simply can’t wait to see what happens next — the possibilities are boundless!
