On again, off again...

"The Trail will still be there," is the wise assurance that I received from many as I start a new decidedly off-trail adventure. As I shared earlier, the plan for this month was to hike until June and see what fate might bring. Would it mean finishing a thruhike in 2011? Would it mean leaving the AT as a happy memory? What gates would God open as the fog of my own plans for the future faded into the clarity of the immediate moment?
As fate would have it last week, I had a beautiful day full of butterflies (literally!) and pleasant hiking. After a week of trudging, there was a glimmer of hope that, yes, trail legs do eventually return even after months of neglect. That evening, I got a call which led me here, off the trail, waiting for my plane to leave Dulles Airport, waiting for the ground stop to lift at LaGuardia Airport.
The next few months will be exciting and every bit as much work as backpacking the ridges of the Appalachian Mountains. I'm not sure when the next post will be, but I do know that there is more to come as I continue hiking my hike! Thanks to everyone for your support, interest, encouragement and love!