at last the month of fear is over.
the time of wondering has come to an end
and the days of wandering are about to begin.
.
the 77 brave souls who boarded the buses to nowhere
are now left with their 77 restless minds
tossing and turning in their beds
and thinking of the incomprehensible miles that passed by outside the bus windows today.
there were hills.
lots of hills.
good shoulders
bad shoulders
24 hour stations
and 24 mile stretches without a scrap of anything.
.
the maps are in their hands
some are hastily scratching out battle plans.
some are just trying to figure out how to open the maps.
.
confidence, fear, and determination wrestle for dominance.
and all just want the long night to pass.
to step to the line
and start towards the unimaginably distant goal.
.
what did you do on summer vacation?
oh, i was bussed 332 miles to an unannounced location
and put out on the side of the road with a map
to see if i could get back on foot in under 10 days.
i am excited about the course.
it is filled with magic
and built to trample hopes and dreams.
failure will befall many
but those who reach the rock
will have stories to tell.