Friday, October 25, 2013

Our Other Life....

Many of you know us from the Appalachian Trail. We, well mostly Dreamer hiked 1200 miles this year on the AT and we've established this blog to share our journey. We'd like to continue to share with you parts of our lives until we return to the trail in the spring of 2014. We plan to leave from Duncannon, PA sometime mid-April or early May and go for a month. Wherever we end up then is fine... we are now section hikers and that's OK with both of us. We'll finish someday...it's the journey folks, not the destination. Hopefully, before we're both unable, we'll summit Kahatdin.



As you have read, our lives were turned upside down after our hike this year. We came home fatigued, mentally and physically, broken spiritually and hungry for rest...in so many ways. We embarked upon a journey of simplification, elimination and rejuvenation. We had a giant yard/garage sale, getting rid of so much 'clutter' in our home and earning a substantial amount of money along the way. We simplified our lives with both of us pretty much retiring from our jobs. Tom (Dreamer) has a bit of work to officially be 'done', but I've stepped back from the non-profit I founded and have become an occasional photographer for The Oldham Project. (www.theoldhamproject.org).

We've been spending time with those we love most
... entertaining in our home, spending time with our kids and investing in the future of our granddaughter, Lydia... creating a legacy for her and all those to come.


We've been caring for our home, which has been neglected for so long... with both of us being consumed with working over the past years, it's needed some attention. We've tackled a garden when we came home and have seen produce that's needed to be eaten and placed in canning jars for future use. Dreamer just built us a new raised bed for our garden which is hopefully, the first of many, which will make my knees happy and our garden more productive over the years.

He's taken on the job of creating a 'path' of sorts around our 17 acres to take Lydia, our granddaughter on hikes. He's eliminating years of brush and overgrowth, like he took on the trail...with a vengeance.

We've put new siding and roof on, spruced up the outside and given a little attention to the decorating in the inside.
Life on the farm is easy and relaxing. Exactly what we needed... 
I'm not sure how many reading this have actually attempted to hike the AT or have hiked it or are wanting to hike it, but know this..... IT WILL CHANGE YOU!
Like it or not... life will never be the same.

5 comments:

  1. Thanks for the update! Sounds like your experience on the trail has really helped you to reprioritize your lives. It gives me a lot to think about too. Life is good! Be happy, healthy & blessed!

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  2. So glad to hear from y'all. Keep up the homesteading and figuring out those priorities! Kick Dreamer and kiss Charlie for all of us :)

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  3. Good to hear what's up these days! You have a beautiful home. I remember the first time you invited me in and I had a sense then of how grateful you were for it and I loved that about your family. Wonderful stuff!

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  4. Hi Tom & Terri,
    My husband and I are attempting a thru-hike in 2014, in October of this year we were down in Virginia near Damascus hiking on the AT and we met our first trail angels, Pete Haeseker & Gary, they told us about you guys and that you are from Michigan. We are also from Michigan, we live near Mio. Just wondering if you guys are anywhere in the north? Would love to learn from your experience. I have been fascinated reading your blog! Mike & Molli McCarthy( Wrong Way Jalapeno & Cosmo)

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  5. That's great progress! Seeing your house with a new siding and roof is very fulfilling because it only means that it’s getting closer to being finished. Such a huge relief! How’s the progress going, by the way?

    Joann @ AJCRoofing.com

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