Fletcher Dean

Right Here on the Trail Fletcher Dean

There are some simple things I carry with me as my walk of the Appalachian Trail quickly fades into the past. What to leave in? What to leave out? What do I really need? How do I lighten my load? One step at a time, one moment at a time, one day at a time, one trail town at a time. Live in the moment. Remember to appreciate being healthy enough to walk another day. Take the time to look at the views. Enjoy the people, the towns, and the kindness of others. Block out the negative. Dwell on the positive. Marvel at the miracle of nature. I hope these and so many, many more simple things stay forever in my mind and spirit. It all began on Saturday in the middle of March at Springer Mountain, Georgia. I put on my backpack with the things I needed and I started walking north. I didn't know how far I would walk but each day led to the next. The distance and the miles seemed to stretch forever. Surely this would never end. The days just ran together. Time had no framework. Spring came and turned to Summer. I was living one day at a time without a schedule to keep. I didn't know that a simple dirt trail could become a separate and special world unto itself. I didn't know that so many feelings, thoughts, and emotions could come from a simple dirt trail. I didn't know I would learn so much about myself from a simple dirt trail. The thought of ever getting off the trail never occurred to me. I was having the best time of my life. Now all I am left with are my memories. All I can do now is sit back with those memories and smile. I smile when I think that I walked 2,185.3 miles. Don't ask me how I walked that far. I couldn't have walked that far could I? Surely it wasn't real. I smile when I think about the people I met and the people I walked with for a while. We shared a dream together for a while. I smile when I think about the people who would wait at a road crossing and seemed so happy to offer me something to drink or something to eat. I smile about the people who gave me a ride into town. I smile when I remember something that happened or something someone said. I smile about the weather, the mud, the rocks, and the roots. I smile when I remember all the times I slipped and fell. I smile when I think that I was able to get up after I fell. These things and so many more from my walk will make me smile for years to come. How do I transition from that world of a simple dirt trail back to a not so simple world? I guess I will just never leave that simple dirt trail. I will just stay on the trail. As long as I am on the trail I know where I am. As long as I stay on the trail I know where I belong. As long as I stay on the trail I won't get lost. It's when I get off the trail that I feel lost. "Do you know where we are?" "We're right here." In the end, I hope I remember that there is no other place I would