The last 3 weeks have been an absolute whirlwind! I wanted to write about our last three days in Colombia, which we spent in Bogotá, but the time just slipped away. Colombia already seems so long ago!
In short, we really enjoyed Bogotá. The cool mountain air of Colombia’s capital was a welcome reprieve after our 2 hot and humid weeks on the Pacific Coast. Bogotá sits at 8,000ft, so we also found ourselves going straight from sea level to high altitude. It was the first time I ever felt the effects of that kind of altitude change! We both found ourselves feeling a bit out of it and gulping for air after only walking a block. But more notably we had visitors! We met our friend Mark there and were also surprised with a visit from my cousin Eddie! We spent three days together exploring the city, shopping, and, of course, eating. One of the highlights was taking the steep mountain train up to Masserrate lookout point to get a beautiful view of the sprawling city. It was a really nice end to our travels and even sweeter that we could spend it with friends.
It was hard to believe our time in Colombia was already over. We packed so much in! Big cities, small mountain towns, rainforest, beach villages, I was shocked by the diversity we experienced. There were so many impressions, I feel like I am still digesting everything. Our three months there really were amazing – Colombia is truly an incredible place!
When we returned to the US, we spent a week back in Frankenmuth catching up with family and preparing for the next 2 steps in our plans. Step 1: fly to Flagstaff, AZ for a Wilderness First Responder course. Step 2: hike the Appalachian trail!
When we made the decision to hike the AT, I started looking into ways to expand my outdoor safety and first aid knowledge. I stumbled across NOLS Wilderness First Responder course and became set on the idea of taking it. We had a small window after Colombia and before the hike where we could fit it in, so, solely based on timing, we signed up for the course in Flagstaff, Arizona. It looked like a cool little town – why not! As we got into the first couple days of the course, we realized it was going to be an intense ten days! The class was a mixture of classroom lectures and outdoor practice scenarios. They packed in SO MUCH information and also made the scenarios as real as possible. At times we found ourselves covered in fake blood laying out in the snow as it was blizzarding pretending to have just been in an ATV accident as our classmates rendered care. The weather and the blood definitely added to the stress and chaos of the situation! We learned so much. Wound care, lightning safety, repositioning broken bones and dislocations, splinting and slinging limbs with backpacking materials, treating hypothermia and much much more. It was all focused on dealing with these situations in a remote wilderness setting. We had excellent instructors and the way they structured the course was really impressive – I am so glad we took it. I feel much more confident heading into our hike!
I am currently writing this post on our flight from Las Vegas to Atlanta – our final flight before we hit the trail. My friend Brooke is picking us up in Atlanta and the three of us will drive to a small cabin close to Amicalola Falls, the start of the Appalachian Trail. We are spending two nights at the cabin to regroup, repack, and rest up before Wednesday – Day 1 of … I don’t know, maybe 165?! After obsessing over my gear for longer than I care to admit, I finally settled on what I would be carrying for the next 2,200 miles. Without food and water, my pack weighs in at about 20 pounds and I feel good about that!
I definitely have some pre-trail jitters and I am ready to get moving already! We have been going nonstop since November and I am looking forward to some quiet hiking time to digest everything. Starting Wednesday, my only goal is to put one foot in front of the other!
Wandering Between Meals 
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