6 years later

WOW!! I cannot believe it has been SIX YEARS since our epic cross-country trip. A lot has happened since then!! The boys are now just a few months short of 10 years old and in the 4th grade. They have two little sisters - Emma, who is 4, and Abby, who is 2. The boys do remember a few vague things about our cross-country trip, but, sadly, not a lot of it. Don and I, however, remember it and talk about it often. We long for the day we can venture out again and explore more national parks and sites around our country.

For now, though, the twins and I are working on plans for our next adventure. Way back in high school and college I hiked the Appalachian Trail in Virginia through a series of weekends with some Girl Scout and Adventurers friends. My goal was to one day be able to say I had hiked every mile of the Appalachian trail, from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine. Although I managed to get in some miles in other states - NH, ME, NY, PA, WV, NC and TN - I have not done long sections of the trail like I did in VA for a very long time.

Another change in our family was that we recently moved from Staten Island, NY to Knoxville, TN. Big adjustment for my NYC-boys (including my husband). But for me - I finally feel I am HOME again. The near proximity of the Smokies has been calling out to me. As has the Appalachian Trail and the nearby rivers I once paddled. I cannot get enough of my beloved mountains and rivers.

The long-forgotten dream of hiking the AT resurfaced not too long ago. I decided to talk to the boys about it. At first they were like "yeah, cool". Then it was "I don't want to. Too much work. Too much walking." My husband of course freaked out. He's never been as much of an outdoors person as I have, though he does enjoy hiking and skiing. As we sorted through our camping gear I was reminded once again just how very different our views of camping are. I'm a wilderness, back- country, bare necessities kind of camper. He's a take-it-all and park nearby kind of camper. And I do mean ALL. He is terrified the boys and I would be robbed or murdered on the trail. He is convinced it's just a highway for bad people to hide out on, waiting on their next hiker prey. Oh - and then the bears and bobcats. I was quite amused but decided the tales of survival and near-encounters from past trips probably wouldn't help my case, so I just kept saying "we'll be fine." His fears I could deal with.

The boys' reluctance, however, became a challenge for me. I really want them to get comfortable in the outdoors, just as I began doing at a very young age. I want them to experience trail life. I want to drag them away from their iPads, Wii and TV, and get them in touch with their natural surroundings. I want them to gain the same confidence and skill as I did - out there in the wilderness. I hyped up as much as I could, but realistically and honestly. Yes, it's a lot of walking, and there is some work to it, but the benefits and rewards are so worth it. After much persuading, they agreed to TRY it.

So, plans have been made and we will be heading to the AT. First stop - Springer Mountain, GA. We are trying to time it to avoid the onslaught of thru-hikers beginning their trek, but also trying to avoid the oppressive southern heat. So still unsure of a starting day, but sometime in the spring. For now.

Now, noting that my boys are not as keen on this idea as I am, I plan to make it kid-friendlier and geared towards them. If it were just me, myself and I, I'd head out and do week-long stretches of the trail at a time, as many weeks as I could get away for. However, we are going to start with a short weekend trip. Just a few miles a day for a couple of days. An introduction of sorts. Then we are going to keep going on short to longer weekend treks throughout the spring, summer and fall, at least one weekend a month. My goal for 2015 is to at least finish all of GA, as well as a good chunk of NC/TN. I want to reach that VA line so badly, but not if it means making my kids miserable. We are going to take baby steps and see if the trail fever catches them and inspires them to want more. I would love to be able to take them for an entire week on the trail during the summer, but that all depends on how they adapt to trail life. So though the gears are turning and initial plans set in place, there is much flexibility and patience required when thinking long-term. And who knows, after our first couple of weekends away, maybe we'll be able to convince Daddy and the girls to join us for a few miles.