Bazinga!

A problem a lot of hikers have after the trail is suffering through post trail depression. It's a funk that is easy to find yourself in because life has drastically changed. I look at it like Newton's Third Law in physics. It states "for every action, there is an equal or opposite reaction." For me, I got to experience a new location, new scenery, and new adventures and opportunities every day for the last almost 6 months. When I came home, everything was just as it was when I left. It's like a speeding car running straight into a brick wall. The psychological impact of that is what causes hiker funk.

Luckily, my wife and the people in my life who love me have made it easier for me to not sink so far down in the funk. I have only found myself a few times wishing I was back on the trail rather than being at home. And in those times, I was overwhelmed by crowds of people given into the hustle and bustle of life. Luckily, those times have been few and far between. When I do start feeling weird or awkward about being back, I have to remember that I can choose to still practice the parts of the trail lifestyle that I loved and keep that joy alive (I just have to make sure no one is around when I pee outside).

It has been nice to have some time to readjust as well as catch up with people. It is a weird thought to know I start working again tomorrow. I have to make sure that in everything I do, I hold on to the trail. Many times in life we fall into the traps and ruts that are hard to get out of. I was in a few of those and I had to find the courage to change that. But if I can take what I have learned about life and myself and most importantly, God, then whatever I do, I can find joy and peace. I am a different man coming off the trail, a man in motion and I am approaching a brick wall. Maybe, just maybe, I can crash through the wall unscathed.