There is no direction, and no plan, yet there is.
In a little over a year our family will begin the 2,168 mile trek along the Appalachian Trail. We plan to thru-hike the entire trail as a family of 7, and our dog, Belle.
In a little over a year our family will begin the 2,168 mile trek along the Appalachian Trail. We plan to thru-hike the entire trail as a family of 7, and our dog, Belle.
Nearly two decades of war can have an effect on ones soul that can never be described no matter how eloquent and descriptive your adjectives might be. Though we may not be able to describe the past or define the future, we are resolute in one purpose... we want to be home.
Several years ago, my husband and I found ourselves lamenting over the possibility that "this" was all that our lives would measure up to. Discouraged is not near a strong enough word to describe the feeling that life would only be controlled by the rhythms of war... train, prepare to deploy, deploy, come home, move...repeat, over and over.
We were married shortly after we were 20 years old. This is the only "life" we've known, if you can call it "life".
Please don't get me wrong, our life has been an adventure. We have experienced more than many could imagine... but in every moment, there has been an overarching theme that left every high with a sense of dissatisfaction. Every high was to make up for the lows that we had experienced or would soon experience due to separation. Familiarity and fear have kept us locked into this rhythm, but that is about to change, as we step off of this trail and onto one we know nothing about, except two things. First, we will be together. Second, it leads home!
Our expectation of this adventure is that we will find ourselves, individually and as a family. It is our hope that through our time on the trail, we will discover our purpose and vision for what "home" means for our family.
In the known, we have been lost. It is in the unknown, that we hope to find our way.
