The Odyssey Ends

Yesterday at about 11:30 pm EST my time on the mountain ended as we boarded our bus to return to Alabama. It had been an emotional evening with the banner signing and the fire of friendship ceremony. There were lots of hugs and lots of tears. The task now-- not just for me, but for everyone who was there-- is to take the lessons we learned and the new discoveries we made about ourselves and find ways to apply them t our lives away from Blue Ridge. I am reminded of Thoreau, when he said in "Walden" "I went to the woods to live simply sinply." I understand it now. Things are different there. You learn what you truly need, what things are really important and exactly how much is merely consumerism that we can do without. In my case, I went to the woods to rediscover myself and I hope that I have done just that.