I just finished devouring “Walking Home: A Woman’s Pilgrimage on the Appalachian Trail” by Kelly Winters. That doesn’t sound very nice, does it? Devour is the only way I can describe the feeling I had when I was able to take a lunch break at work and read more of the book. Even though I was sitting in a relatively comfortable room, scarfing down my lunch, I could feel the pain of hunger, the ache in my joints, and the general wearyness that she described throughout the story. At the same time, I could feel a cool wind on my face, and smell the crisp scent of wet woods and dirt.
I have a friend whom I have lost touch with who is probably hiking the AT right now. At one point, I thought about going with her. In the end, I knew that thru-hiking was not my path (for now). It was good to be able to read Kelly’s story and imagine what it might have been like had I gone with my friend.
