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.

Categories: HOTS